I have been suspended on #Twitter for pointing out statistical facts. This reminds me that whether you're into politics or you're a #DnD gamer, you should check out certain alternative free-speech social media sites that are really great! I share my favorites and where you can find me on them, and more:
#osr #election
Greetings!
It is sad that you are censored on Twitter, but I'm not surprised though with the recent tyranny of the tech companies. They have censored President Trump, or attempted to do so.
You are always interesting to talk with Pundit! Gaming, Politics, world events--you should talk about all kinds of things.
Semper Fidelis,
SHARK
It still boggles the mind they could get away with censoring the President. How come they were not immediately raided by the Feds the moment they tried this?
Quote from: Melan on November 09, 2020, 02:41:46 AM
It still boggles the mind they could get away with censoring the President. How come they were not immediately raided by the Feds the moment they tried this?
Because they're still technically a private service company who can deny service to anyone they want so long as they are not denying service to a customer specifically because that customer is a member of a protected class.
It's remarkable just how flimsy the Civil Rights act actually is when the rubber meets the road. "We don't mind that you're black, we are denying your service because something something something."
It is pretty insane to see Twitter suspending people just for posting political opinions while those who post opinions shared by Jack Dorsey can literally call for Cops to be murdered and nothing happens. Political Affiliation should be a protected class, but that's looking unlikely.
It is like disconnecting someone you are against from the telephone network, or mail (and going after alternative telephone operators as well). It is an incredible abuse of a monopolist's power, and should have been punished mercilessly. Yet here we are, on the brink of a China-style censorship regime. Incredible.
Parler is exploding (almost literally, their hardware is glitching trying to keep up with tens of thousands of new sign ups an hour and the corresponding exponential increase in traffic) as an alternative to Twitter and, to a lesser extent, Facebook that touts its free speech focus (basically... "If you don't like what they're saying, unfollow them") as the reason to sign up.
Also, they call their posts "Parlays" which just warms the cockles of my D&D heart.
Rumble is looking to be a free speech alternative to YouTube ("Rumble is your rights management video platform. Host, distribute and monetize all your professional, social and viral video" is their search engine blurb).
Startpage is offering untracked and unfiltered search engine results.
And of course, this site is the free speech alternative to the Big Purple and all the other increasingly censor-happy gaming sites.
I'm reminded of Leia's line to Tarkin... "the tighter you squeeze the more systems will slip through your fingers."
BigTech thought they had a Death Star in their ability to cancel anyone who didn't comply... but they miscalculated as badly as the braintrust behind the sequel trilogy in their arrogant and obvious censorship and now their revenue stream is starting to abandon them in droves for greener pastures.
The genie is out of the bottle and every rebellious youth out there now sees them as the oppressive establishment option... or to put it another way, "Conservative Populism is the New Counterculture."
Twitter is trash. I deleted my account after seeing how the Rpg community there treats people, not just those politically opposed, either. Parler is the way to go.
Quote from: Chris24601 on November 09, 2020, 08:40:17 AM
Parler is exploding as an alternative to Twitter and, to a lesser extent, Facebook that touts its free speech focus (basically... "If you don't like what they're saying, unfollow them") as the reason to sign up.
My biggest issue with Parler is that you can't view peoples posts without being a member. That makes it super isolated.
Pundit, I saw something on Tenkar's Tavern FB about you getting a post somewhere removed..? Can you comment on that?
Quote from: bat on November 09, 2020, 01:46:25 PM
Twitter is trash. I deleted my account after seeing how the Rpg community there treats people, not just those politically opposed, either. Parler is the way to go.
There are a few decent RPG creators on Twitter but you're right about most of them
I am sure of one thing I am going to be switching the default search engine on all of my devices to StartPage.com
Quote from: hedgehobbit on November 09, 2020, 03:55:44 PM
Quote from: Chris24601 on November 09, 2020, 08:40:17 AM
Parler is exploding as an alternative to Twitter and, to a lesser extent, Facebook that touts its free speech focus (basically... "If you don't like what they're saying, unfollow them") as the reason to sign up.
My biggest issue with Parler is that you can't view peoples posts without being a member. That makes it super isolated.
Yes, MeWe too. Its something they should change. Otherwise its a ghetto.
Other than size of the audience, what's the differences between Twatter and its alternatives like Parler and Gab?
Quote from: Spinachcat on November 09, 2020, 07:18:43 PM
Other than size of the audience, what's the differences between Twatter and its alternatives like Parler and Gab?
Layout I guess. I do not know how many people use Gab, but the bit I took a look there a year or so ago, it seemed a bit of a shitshow with people who spammed very NSFW crap constantly. Parler allows significantly more characters for replies and posts, so people tend to be able to get a full thought out. Though right now some of those thoughts are a little...fiery.
Quote from: Spinachcat on November 09, 2020, 07:18:43 PM
Other than size of the audience, what's the differences between Twatter and its alternatives like Parler and Gab?
Two of the main differences are:
1. Functionality. Parler is currently having growing pains because of the mass swell of new members. That makes the app buggy. But this is a transitory issue.
2. Variety. Parler's much more resolutely right-of-center. There's hardly any left-wing views there. There's also a dangerous risk of not having enough normies there. Twitter has some people on it that don't care at all about politics, quite a lot actually. But in Parler, everyone cares about politics (not so MeWe, for example, that's much less political, though still has a lot of politics in it). Gab is even worse in every regard, and has practically no normies.
If Parler & Gab are heavily political, I wonder if either is good for RPG chatter. Or do you think that post-election, the audience is going to start branching into other discussions?
And what's a normie in 2020? I can see anti-political people (aka, I don't care, don't want to know, or this is my time away from strife), but I wonder if those people are happy enough with Twatter. My anti-political friends walked away from all social media except for family-only groups on Farcebook. Maybe MeWe would be the better platform for non-politicized RPG talk?
But outside of anti-political people, everyone's taken sides and I suspect because of the all-pervasiveness of SJW bullshit in culture (including dorky elf games) the number of people willing to break bread with "the opposition" is plummeting.
Since the shamdemic, I've got a Deplorables-only gaming table, not originally designed because of politics, but based on who was literally willing to die (LOL) for the chance to toss dice and chew pizza.
Quote from: Spinachcat on November 09, 2020, 08:30:47 PMSince the shamdemic, I've got a Deplorables-only gaming table, not originally designed because of politics, but based on who was literally willing to die (LOL) for the chance to toss dice and chew pizza.
I'm running one game and playing in another (slated to start in half an hour, actually), and character death is a very real thing for both. One of my characters already died, and in the Zagyg game I'm running there have been almost three TPKs. It's a lot more fun than the 5th edition crap I played where dying was almost impossible; players actually think things through a bit. Probably never playing another RPG where you can't die unless it's something that death wouldn't make much sense, like Amber or whatever.
Quote from: Spinachcat on November 09, 2020, 08:30:47 PM
If Parler & Gab are heavily political, I wonder if either is good for RPG chatter. Or do you think that post-election, the audience is going to start branching into other discussions?
And what's a normie in 2020? I can see anti-political people (aka, I don't care, don't want to know, or this is my time away from strife), but I wonder if those people are happy enough with Twatter. My anti-political friends walked away from all social media except for family-only groups on Farcebook. Maybe MeWe would be the better platform for non-politicized RPG talk?
But outside of anti-political people, everyone's taken sides and I suspect because of the all-pervasiveness of SJW bullshit in culture (including dorky elf games) the number of people willing to break bread with "the opposition" is plummeting.
Since the shamdemic, I've got a Deplorables-only gaming table, not originally designed because of politics, but based on who was literally willing to die (LOL) for the chance to toss dice and chew pizza.
I think that MeWe is great for gaming chat. I don't know if Parler ever will be. That remains to be seen.
Quote from: Melan on November 09, 2020, 08:32:39 AM
It is like disconnecting someone you are against from the telephone network, or mail (and going after alternative telephone operators as well). It is an incredible abuse of a monopolist's power, and should have been punished mercilessly. Yet here we are, on the brink of a China-style censorship regime. Incredible.
Welcome to our Cyberpunk future! Dominated by private corporate monopolies.
Quote from: RPGPundit on November 09, 2020, 01:21:55 AM
I have been suspended on #Twitter for pointing out statistical facts. This reminds me that whether you're into politics or you're a #DnD gamer, you should check out certain alternative free-speech social media sites that are really great! I share my favorites and where you can find me on them, and more:
#osr #election
Pundit, what reason was given if any? I assume you got suspended for linking the Benford's Law website.
A contributor over at Legal Insurrection got locked out for sharing said link, with the reason being he'd violated Twitter's guidelines on revenge porn. Very weird, albeit par for the course with Twatter.
Quote from: Ghostmaker on November 10, 2020, 08:43:50 AM
Quote from: RPGPundit on November 09, 2020, 01:21:55 AM
I have been suspended on #Twitter for pointing out statistical facts. This reminds me that whether you're into politics or you're a #DnD gamer, you should check out certain alternative free-speech social media sites that are really great! I share my favorites and where you can find me on them, and more:
#osr #election
Pundit, what reason was given if any? I assume you got suspended for linking the Benford's Law website.
A contributor over at Legal Insurrection got locked out for sharing said link, with the reason being he'd violated Twitter's guidelines on revenge porn. Very weird, albeit par for the course with Twatter.
Yes, I and many many others got banned for sharing the Benford's Rule article, which points out the statistical evidence for significant voter fraud in the election.
I know this for a fact because I was required to remove that link to get back on Twitter.
Quote from: RPGPundit on November 10, 2020, 05:42:39 PM
Quote from: Ghostmaker on November 10, 2020, 08:43:50 AM
Quote from: RPGPundit on November 09, 2020, 01:21:55 AM
I have been suspended on #Twitter for pointing out statistical facts. This reminds me that whether you're into politics or you're a #DnD gamer, you should check out certain alternative free-speech social media sites that are really great! I share my favorites and where you can find me on them, and more:
#osr #election
Pundit, what reason was given if any? I assume you got suspended for linking the Benford's Law website.
A contributor over at Legal Insurrection got locked out for sharing said link, with the reason being he'd violated Twitter's guidelines on revenge porn. Very weird, albeit par for the course with Twatter.
Yes, I and many many others got banned for sharing the Benford's Rule article, which points out the statistical evidence for significant voter fraud in the election.
I know this for a fact because I was required to remove that link to get back on Twitter.
Maybe math is not fact based enough for fact checkers? It can not be that they are raging partisan and have an agenda could it?
#Twitter should not have suspended you, and such actions continue to be concerning, however #BenfordsLaw does not prove election fraud (https://youtu.be/etx0k1nLn78).
I found, during my very brief stint on Twitter this past summer, that there were actually a large number of truly old-school AD&D fans. Not "OSR". God damn I hate that term.
Anyway.
It was fun interacting with them, but it seemed like as summer wore on into autumn, that Twitter more and more wanted me to see political bullshit. I wasn't actively seeking it out. It just piled up like unread newspapers on my doorstep. It's like their own algorithm was baiting me into stepping out of line.
Then the thing with Biden's utterly corrupt and debased son happened, and when I saw that Twitter were actively helping the Biden campaign and not only banning people who mentioned it in general but that they'd locked the account of the oldest newspaper of note in the United States, and vowed that they would only unlock their account if they deleted the tweet linking to their own article, I said "Fuck this shit, if they'll go after the Post, then certainly I'm not safe."
Twitter is awful, and if I could destroy every server they utilize, erase every backup they have offsite in Iron Mountain or wherever, and sanction* every engineer there who has the programming knowledge to piece the client/server environment back together, I would do it in a heartbeat.
(*IN MINECRAFT)
For social media, Discord is my choice (barring traditional forums like this one). I have a MeWe account but don't really check it that much.
The ability to create a discussion board or join one that can be as specific or as broad as one desires is nice. Other than occasionally asking if I want to sign up for their Nitro service, they don't seem to have any ads or try to use algorithms to urge me to join other things, probably due to its origin as a chat gaming system system evolved, rather than intended as a traditional social media platform. The result is it is exactly what I want from a social media service. heh
I signed up for Twitter when it came out and have a test post and that's about it. Haven't signed on in years: I don't feel like I've missed much. I'll check some of the other options mentioned here more for curiosity's sake than anything else.
<Edit>
Quote from: Chris24601 on November 09, 2020, 08:40:17 AM
...Also, they call their posts "Parlays" which just warms the cockles of my D&D heart...
I might consider joining just for that. I love it.
Quote from: Chris24601 on November 09, 2020, 08:40:17 AM
...Startpage is offering untracked and unfiltered search engine results...
Been using DuckDuckGo for years for Search. Is this similar in approach or possibly better in some way?
Quote from: rocksfalleverybodydies on December 05, 2020, 01:57:13 PM
Been using DuckDuckGo for years for Search. Is this similar in approach or possibly better in some way?
Startpage's main advantage is that, being based in the Netherlands; which has much stronger privacy protection laws than the US; it has truly no-log searching while the owners of DuckDuckGo (US-based) have indicated that if served they would give up user search histories (which while private, do exist) immediately. The downside is that because of no logging there's no algorithmic (or even location-based unless its in your search terms) optimization which you would think is good, but can actually be a real pain in filtering down to useful results if you're just shopping for everyday items.
Honestly, there's no reason you can't use both, and just use the right one for the right task.