Posted on 10/28/2018 8:59:45 AM PDT by E. Pluribus Unum
Once known as the new frontier of free speech, the internet seemed destined to be one place on the planet where ideas could be freely expressed, and thoughts could be challenged in open debate. But no more. The unfiltered, Twitter-esque social media platform GAB – a messaging board where censorship does not rule – is about to be tossed to the wolves.
In the wake of the horrific mass murder at a Pittsburgh, PA, synagogue, the web hosting company that provided GAB’s platform has decided to pull the plug, claiming an unspecified “breach of the Joyent Terms of Service.” Given little more than one day of notice, GAB has until the morning of Monday, October 29, to relocate its entire operation to a new platform, with a new provider.
PayPal has also cut ties with GAB. A surprising move considering Facebook has in the past had users live stream actual murders on its platform, yet faced no backlash from the digital pay gateway.
Publishers The alleged killer at the Tree of Life Synagogue, Robert Bowers, had posted numerous anti-Semitic sentiments on his GAB feed. Being a company that advertises itself as a haven for free speech, censorship has only rarely reared its ugly head at GAB. Unlike the social media platform’s main competitor, Twitter – where censorship of content is ubiquitous – users are largely left to their own devices and are free to post whatever they please.
Joyent, GAB’s current web host, has taken a step that will have the delegates of political correctness exulting in faux righteousness. By moving to control what speech can and cannot be expressed via their hosting service, the company has become a publisher rather than just a provider of electronic space. This is the thin end of the wedge for companies that provide space for content creators; calls for Facebook, Google, and other tech monopolies to follow suit will soon be on the way.
Virtual Masters Yesterday it was Alex Jones, today it is GAB, tomorrow it will be any soul who dares to dream of a world where people can communicate freely.
Many people will be asking themselves: Didn’t Bowers have Facebook and Twitter accounts? And the answer is “yes.” So why is it that Internet Service Providers are not looking to shut down these online behemoths? Simply, because Google, Facebook, Twitter, et al., are their own hosts. These companies are so big that they do not rely on third parties to host their websites and are thus beholden only to themselves.
In the future, unless a company can afford the monumental expense of setting up its very own ISP, it will be subject to the whims and political leanings of its digital masters. This means that no start-up company will be free to operate without becoming a publisher, and being a publisher means you are open to legal action over the content you allow – a definition that will force all small operations to censor or go bust.
Digital Hypocrisy The Facebooks, Twitters, and Googles of this world fear no such repercussions. Indeed, anti-Semitic content has been widely viewed and shared on these major league social media platforms without a single action being taken. Prominent black nationalist and Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan has posted and reposted videos of himself stating, “I’m not an anti-Semite. I’m anti-termite,” receiving thousands of “likes” and retweets, all without restriction. Despite examples such as this, the voices who are celebrating GAB’s imminent demise have not called for Twitter to suffer the same fate.
As the nation’s tech giants gain more concentrated power and the country’s leaders await legislative proposals for regulation that may create a virtual monopoly, it is time to ask ourselves if this is the end of the internet as a stage for free speech.
Yesterday it was Alex Jones, today it is GAB, tomorrow it will be any soul who dares to dream of a world where people can communicate freely, express themselves openly, and live in a society where the legality of your own thoughts are not subject to political diktat or capricious whimsy.
In my opinion, apart from the pornography - which is a separate and different issue, the anti-whatever traffic needs to be tolerated, as this is the only way for discussions to occur and for people's views to be challenged.
Under the USSR, hatred and tribalism was suppressed by the thumb of totalitarianism - but it was never dealt with in a way that would substantively address the issues people had with one another. Once the USSR was no more, these groups began fighting each other, as the simmering hatred had just percolated all that time they were suppressed and unaddressed.
Threats should never be tolerated, but differences of opinion have to be allowed in a society with free speech.
I sure hope a way can be found to resolve this major roadblock. I may be wrong but this sure seems like a clear cut violation of our rights under the 1st Amendment and are being violated and under the Voting rights act as well by not allowing our right to free political discourse of our own choosing. End of rant and royally pissed off.
Same way the hosting sites do it. Get your own connection going to your own building with your own servers.
Freedom of speech has always had the platform limitation. If you don’t own the platform you are subject to their rules.
You didn't answer the question. You just repeated what you said before in different words; "Get your own connection."
So how does one "get their own connection?"
GAB turned into an anti Jewish hate rant, I walked away from it. Free speech is great until it turns into pure hate speech and pushes violence. Maybe the first p amendment has no bounds but common decency does and I don’t need crap like I was seeing there on my computer.
It’s private companies - Paypal, Joyent - doing what private companies are free to do, end their commercial ties with a customer when it no longer makes business sense to continue it.
As soon as you’re hosted you’re subject to their rules. ..and its just a matter of time before they come for you lol
Those “private companies” have budgets larger than 90% of the governments on Earth. They are not “private companies,” they are the equivalent of nation-states, and should be treated as such.
I DID answer the question. but since you apparently can’t do a search:
http://www.dslreports.com/forum/r4227977-30-Dollars-for-your-Own-t1-line
https://www.whoishostingthis.com/blog/2015/03/09/start-your-own-isp/
We all need to keep checking back in on Gab.com continuously or daily until it can find a workable solution to this major problem. Until then it is going to leave a big void in our lives.
That’s how it’s always been. If you don’t own the wall the posters can come down. If you don’t own the newspapers your missives may not be published. If you don’t own the stage you can be pulled off.
Nothing about this has changed for the entire history of mankind.
Whether using a Wi-Fi or fiber network, you will need to address the following:
1) Is it feasible in your area?
2) Find out if there is sufficient demand and if there are companies who will sell bandwidth.
As soon as the pressure is on those companies will stop selling bandwidth to you and there is nothing you can do to stop them.
Freetalk24 overseen by OAN is rolling out.
Unless you’re in the hinterlands there’s always options. And because of the competition they aren’t that subject to pressure. GAB’s problem is they are fully hosted. They own none of their connection. And now they’re shut off. Learn the lesson of the porn sites. Own yourself.
And this is the real issue... You would have to also own your own telecommunications corporation and infrastructure to guarantee a connection and completely unrestricted access.
And you don’t think that fascistbook along with the rest of the tech nazis put pressure on them to force GAB out?
That’s only somewhat true. To decide to not allow calls under its service to connect with GOP headquarters or regulate the content of your text messages.
Lee’s holsters that claim to have the legal ability to regulate service need to be forced to register as political action committees for the DNC
Oh of course... They are all in cahoots. And that is the problem... There are absolutely no Conservative or neutral mega-corporations to compete against all this liberal monopoly power.
Actually in the modern world where phone service is often NOT from a company considered a utility and beholden to a lot of rules that’s not so true anymore. Remember a few years ago when Verizon opted to dump the most expensive (support calls) 10% of their customers for simply not being worth the trouble. At will relationships are at will.
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