Re: Twitter
"Just ban it globally."
Now, you didn't put a joke icon on that, or a trollface, so I am going to assume that you think this is a serious potential solution.
So, if a platform doesn't raise the level of political discussion, no doubt measured by some arbitrary scale then it should be banned? You fancy making a list of things that might fall into that category? I bet you'll be making a very, very long list of things to be banned. Next, what organisation in the world do you think should have the power to globally ban something like Twitter? I'm glad you see such an organization as entirely trustworthy with all such issues of global governance (for our own good, no doubt!). What other things do you think they should ban? I know! Perhaps they should ban paper! After all, paper is often used to record and express things that someone, somewhere will think devalues the level of political discussion! Oh! let's ban Television too! and Radio! In fact, lets stop all forms of communication if it might, in the opinion of your unnamed global power, lower the level of political discussion.
Twitter, like the rest of the internet, is a medium for thought. It is not the fault of the medium itself if some of the thoughts expressed are bloody stupid, and it would be deeply foolish to ban the medium on that basis. Yes, twitter can be used by morons like Trump or ISIS to peddle their absolute bull, but it was also instrumental in the Arab Spring movement, and in establishing rapid communications in the wake of several natural disasters.
Gutenberg would be turning in his grave!
Biting the hand that feeds IT
