Posted on 04/14/2022 2:06:51 PM PDT by ProgressingAmerica
If Elon Musk is indeed able to buy Twitter, the platform could look a lot different. In his first public, non-tweeted comments since the saga began, Musk addressed why he wants to buy the company, and changes he would want to bring about.
“Twitter has become kind of the de-facto town square,” he said. “It's just really important that people have both the reality and the perception that they're able to speak freely within the bounds of the law.”
In terms of specific changes, Musk said Twitter should open-source its algorithms and minimize the interventions it takes in policing content. “Any changes to people's tweets — if they're emphasized or de-emphasized — that action should be made apparent,” he said. “So anyone can see that that action has been taken so there's no sort of behind-the-scenes manipulation, either algorithmically or manually.”
(Excerpt) Read more at engadget.com ...
I keep telling my conservative friends, you gotta switch to open source, you gotta switch to open source, you gotta switch to open source.
Most of them have refused to listen. I really hope they'll listen now.
Open source is without any doubt the way to utterly devastate big tech and get back to a situation more closely resembling reality.
Yes! I heard this message today, and I hope this concept catches fire regardless of whether Musk buys or not. It’s hard to argue against and even pretend to be “fair.”
The 20th century accomplished things like never before and neither the long distance phone network nor the US Mail needed algorithms. Their role was to provide a neutral channel through which ideas and information could flow.
just like Truth Social!
Open source is stupid. Software people are generally a congenial group... but very naïve.
Right now its like giving ‘free food’ to members of your family. And then extended family.
But imagine when you have to give it to everyone on your neighborhood, or city?
people should be “able to speak freely within the bounds of the law”
that pretty much sums it up, doesn’t it?
if it isn’t against the law, it should be allowed.
You can make unlimited copies of source code and give it to more people than those who even want it, so it absolutely defies the laws of supply and demand. The supply will always be greater than/above the demand. You can't make actual copies of burgers with a right click, copy, paste. And 3d printing isn't food nor is it "copying" in the same sense.
Source code is never consumed. You make the copy and in theory it lives forever. The burger by contrast either gets eaten or eventually spoils in a day and you're back to zero. (There are probably exceptions where source code does get consumed and 5 year old McDonald's burgers that still look brand new, but neither are the norm.)
Free food? Most people can’t cook.
I can see how this would be good for Twitter’s competitors, but how is it good for Twitter? They paid for something and would just give it away for free.
The last thing tweeter employees want is for the company to promote free speech. Musk is triggering the snowflakes. They are going to need therapy animals.
Twitter is currently hurting its own clientele. So essentially, it has a product that is already in the de-valued category. When you knowingly are hurting your own clientele, you are below "optimal" - it's sub-optimal.
The core component here is checks and balances. If Twitter's source were open source, then "many eyes" could keep an eye on it and prevent it from becoming odious.
The less odious the algorithms become, the greater value that would have for Twitter.
So; that is how it would be good for Twitter itself. This idea that closed up, secret, untrustworthy source codes are the pinnacle of value is a flawed proposition when those closed up, secret sources are hurting the clientele. The greater value is tied necessarily to greater trust and right now they have a LLLLOOOONNNNGGGG way to go to get back to being a trusted partner
Censorship is everywhere. Even here. I still don’t understand why its called Free Republic.
—”Open source is stupid. “
As a long-time Linux user, it has worked well for me.
My Linux Guru is slightly eccentric but I would not call him naive, with or without the umlaut.
He would like it but probably call it a diaeresis?
The Chinese and Norks begin studying this at an early age.
A good living for those with the chops.
A copy of the Linux source code:
https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git/tree/?h=v5.1.3
Thank you for including me to that reply. I absolutely agree... Algorithms and hidden shadow banning are devious, and being open source would give the public ability to prove the reality of it and expose with true evidence. Especially targeting of groups or ideology.
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