🐱 Twitter Founder Apologizes For Getting Trump Elected - 'I think the internet is broken'

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...under-apologizes-site-helped-elect-Trump.html



'If it's true he wouldn't be president if it weren't for Twitter, I'm sorry': Co-founder of micro-blogging site apologizes for role in Trump's election

• Evan Williams apologized if Twitter helped out Donald Trump in the White House
• President has credited Twitter with his election to the highest office in the land
• The 45-year-old entrepreneur said he also believes the internet is broken
• He believes things are getting worse, as people use Facebook to record in real-time, suicides, beatings and murder

A co-founder of Twitter says he's sorry if the popular social media platform helped put Donald Trump in the White House, as the president has suggested.

Evan Williams said Twitter's role in Trump's populist rise is 'a very bad thing', during an interview with the New York Times. The president has credited Twitter with his election to the highest office in the land.

Trump told Fox News in March: 'I think that maybe I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for Twitter, because I get such a fake press, such a dishonest press.'

When confronted with the notion that Twitter played a part in helping Trump get elected, Williams said: 'If it's true that he wouldn't be president if it weren't for Twitter, then yeah, I'm sorry.'

Trump has used Twitter numerous times to lash out at his detractors and rivals.

He used the platform to mock his fellow Republican candidates with demeaning nicknames, before targeting Hillary Clinton, during his run for president.

And Trump still uses Twitter to criticize so-called 'fake news' stories and blast his critics in 140 characters or less.

The 45-year-old Silicon Valley entrepreneur said the internet has gone down a dark path because it rewards extremes.

'I think the internet is broken,' he told the Times. Williams said he believes things are getting worse, as people use Facebook to record in real-time suicides, beatings and murder.

Twitter itself is a place where trolls constantly lurk and the abuse seems like it will never stop.

Williams also told the Times that he was wrong to think the world would be a better place if there was a platform for everyone to freely speak and exchange ideas.

'I thought once everybody could speak freely and exchange information and ideas, the world is automatically going to be a better place,' Williams said. 'I was wrong about that.'

 

[vertexwindi]

lol kys

 

[AnOminous]

He should kill himself to show how sorry he is.

ETA: damn ninjas!

 

[Trans Fat 41g]

I'd r8 him l8 if I could.

 

[Male Idiot]

Now that is a proper cuckface.

 

[Jubileus]

I'm sure he's just absolutely devastated at the state of things, given his personal valuation over a billion dollars without having been involved in a single business that actually turns a profit. Oh, but the terrible state of the Internet! O Tempora! O Mores!

Keep in mind this bitchboy is the guy behind Medium and it should make even more sense. Worthless signaling from the guy who made the Internet's premiere platforms for it.

 

[Ruin]

What's the male cuck version of goitis? Cause this guy definitely has it.

 

[Jaiman]

twitter is a careercow

 

[Fuzz]

He's sorry for allowing free speech on social media? I don't think he'd say the same if his words were shut out.

 

[Henry Bemis]

"Helping elect someone politically disagreeable" versus "livestreaming homicide."

One of these is the worse ill, but which?

 

[RomanesEuntDomus]

There he goes, pretending Twitter is relevant

 

[_blank_]

Well, guess we better shut down Twitter. Nothing of value lost, etc. etc.

Also, for the record Binky - it wasn't you yourself that got Trump elected. I don't even know who the fuck you are outside of looking like a Matt Lauer doppelganger hooked on smack. If anything, it's wonderful people like Wu, Chu, Chips-Ahoy, and many many many more privileged, pseudo-intellectuals which handed Trump the election.

Also the fact that the DNC is so disconnected from reality, they decided to ignore what people wanted and instead nominate fucking Hillary "Pepe is Hate" Clinton and effectively completely sever them from the voter base.

But whatever makes you sleep better at night, I suppose.

 

[Takayuki Yagami]

He's a delusional little shit, isn't he?

 

[Wallace]

Trump told Fox News in March: 'I think that maybe I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for Twitter, because I get such a fake press, such a dishonest press.'

The 45-year-old Silicon Valley entrepreneur said the internet has gone down a dark path because it rewards extremes.

'I think the internet is broken,' he told the Times. Williams said he believes things are getting worse, as people use Facebook to record in real-time suicides, beatings and murder.

Twitter itself is a place where trolls constantly lurk and the abuse seems like it will never stop.

Williams also told the Times that he was wrong to think the world would be a better place if there was a platform for everyone to freely speak and exchange ideas.

'I thought once everybody could speak freely and exchange information and ideas, the world is automatically going to be a better place,' Williams said. 'I was wrong about that.'

I'm reminded of a snippet from the Principia Discordia:

"One day Mal-2 asked the messenger spirit Saint Gulik to approach the Goddess and request Her presence for some desperate advice. Shortly afterwards the radio came on by itself, and an ethereal female Voice said YES?

"O! Eris! Blessed Mother of Man! Queen of Chaos! Daughter of Discord! Concubine of Confusion! O! Exquisite Lady, I beseech You to lift a heavy burden from my heart!"

WHAT BOTHERS YOU, MAL? YOU DON'T SOUND WELL.

"I am filled with fear and tormented with terrible visions of pain. Everywhere people are hurting one another, the planet is rampant with injustices, whole societies plunder groups of their own people, mothers imprison sons, children perish while brothers war. O, woe."

WHAT IS THE MATTER WITH THAT, IF IT IS WHAT YOU WANT TO DO?

"But nobody wants it! Everybody hates it."

OH. WELL, THEN STOP."


There's a kernel of insight in Williams' statement: Twitter is a system that rewards people being shitty. When you create an environment like that, it selects for the people who are best at using it to their advantage. If you want to change the system, offer a better alternative. One that incentivizes the behavior you want to select for.

Of course, I have no idea how you would go about doing that practically...

 

[The Great Chandler]

"Helping elect someone politically disagreeable" versus "livestreaming homicide."

One of these is the worse ill, but which?

The first. Clearly his opinions are more fatal to my Hollywood friends.

 

[melty]

The problem is allowing normies on the internet. Stuff like twitter and tumblr are crack to normies because of low barrier to entry and low thought process required to create "content." When I first started using the internet if I wanted people to read my stupid ideas I had to make a website. Even LJ had friend referrals for awhile before you could get an account. Message boards had moderation and would kick you out for being a sped, etc. Now there are a million easily accessible platforms to post whatever you want with no effort.
He still doesn't get it and just blames twitter "trolls" who aren't doing anything but fighting back against the cancer as they should. It's not the twitter trolls who are livestreaming torture or microwaving turtles or that sort of shit.

 

[Jan_Hus]

He vastly overestimates his platforms influence...

 

[Kari Kamiya]

Pretty sure the Internet was broken long before Trump first started to run for president.

'I thought once everybody could speak freely and exchange information and ideas, the world is automatically going to be a better place,' Williams said. 'I was wrong about that.'

>Twitter deletes right-wing accounts and posts

 

[Splendid]

All he has to do if he wants to reduce Twitter trolling by > 50% is come out and say "We realize that we've been censoring certain viewpoints while ignoring trolling by people who have other viewpoints. We're sorry, and we will now enforce our guidelines in a viewpoint neutral manner."
Then he just has to actually do it.

 

[Wallace]

All he has to do if he wants to reduce Twitter trolling by > 50% is come out and say "We realize that we've been censoring certain viewpoints while ignoring trolling by people who have other viewpoints. We're sorry, and we will now enforce our guidelines in a viewpoint neutral manner."
Then he just has to actually do it.

I think Twitter would have a lot less traffic if they actually enforced those rules. The tweets that drive the most traffic to the site are the inflammatory ones. Williams is only now realizing what happens when you select for people who don't feel shame.