4 ms·

Can't blame them. If I owned a software company I wouldn't touch politics with a mile long pole.

smt88 7y ago
While I agree and think I generally approve of tech companies banning political ads, these bans are still not an apolitical move. They're going to disproportionately affect underdog and non-incumbent candidates, as well as anyone who needs the voters purged in places like Georgia.
- 3fe9a03ccd14ca5 7y ago
  I think it will affect the incumbent the most. Trump used the impeachment fiasco to do record fundraising, and now he’s heading into 2020 with a massive war chest. With major platforms banning political ads, they’re increasingly making that war chest less valuable.
  - bdcravens 7y ago
    I'm sure there will be plenty of opportunities to spend that money on traditional media.
    - throwGuardian 7y ago
      It's all a big coincidence, the timing of this, affecting a party that's not popular among tech titans, no breach of ethics here at all. Everyone remembers the groundswell opposition from tech, to the Obama campaign's use of social media and targeted advertising, right? No? Wait, was the media and tech sprawling with fawning reviews, declaring the Obama campaign a genius use of tech?
  - smt88 7y ago
    > increasingly making that war chest less valuable Phone banking, knocking on doors, and (as someone else said) traditional media are all easy ways to spend money. Trump needed cost-effective social media before, but now he won't be as reliant on it.
    - mandeepj 7y ago
      > Trump needed cost-effective social media before, but now he won't be as reliant on it. Which is good. No more of Cambridge Analytica and following - https://www.wsj.com/articles/how-facebooks-embed-in-the-trump-campaign-helped-the-president-win-11574521712 https://www.wsj.com/articles/how-facebooks-embed-in-the-trum...
  - mandeepj 7y ago
    Why you calling impeachment a fiasco?
    - BoorishBears 7y ago
      Is there a world in which being impeached is not a "thing that is a complete failure, especially in a ludicrous or humiliating way"?
      - mandeepj 7y ago
        Not for everyone
        BoorishBears 7y ago
        The definition literally covers every side of the spectrum From the president who would call it fiasco because he claims it's a partisan attack, to the house democrats who'd call it a fiasco because the senate has members saying they'll be working with the prosecution to throw it out as quickly as possible, and everyone in between. This feels like a useless attempt to distract with semantics that isn't even correct if you really want to nitpick...
    - smt88 7y ago
      I think that whether you support Trump, want to see him removed now, or want to see a fair trial, this impeachment isn't your dream scenario.

While I agree and think I generally approve of tech companies banning political ads, these bans are still not an apolitical move. They're going to disproportionately affect underdog and non-incumbent candidates, as well as anyone who needs the voters purged in places like Georgia.

3fe9a03ccd14ca5 7y ago
I think it will affect the incumbent the most. Trump used the impeachment fiasco to do record fundraising, and now he’s heading into 2020 with a massive war chest. With major platforms banning political ads, they’re increasingly making that war chest less valuable.
- bdcravens 7y ago
  I'm sure there will be plenty of opportunities to spend that money on traditional media.
  - throwGuardian 7y ago
    It's all a big coincidence, the timing of this, affecting a party that's not popular among tech titans, no breach of ethics here at all. Everyone remembers the groundswell opposition from tech, to the Obama campaign's use of social media and targeted advertising, right? No? Wait, was the media and tech sprawling with fawning reviews, declaring the Obama campaign a genius use of tech?
- smt88 7y ago
  > increasingly making that war chest less valuable Phone banking, knocking on doors, and (as someone else said) traditional media are all easy ways to spend money. Trump needed cost-effective social media before, but now he won't be as reliant on it.
  - mandeepj 7y ago
    > Trump needed cost-effective social media before, but now he won't be as reliant on it. Which is good. No more of Cambridge Analytica and following - https://www.wsj.com/articles/how-facebooks-embed-in-the-trump-campaign-helped-the-president-win-11574521712 https://www.wsj.com/articles/how-facebooks-embed-in-the-trum...
- mandeepj 7y ago
  Why you calling impeachment a fiasco?
  - BoorishBears 7y ago
    Is there a world in which being impeached is not a "thing that is a complete failure, especially in a ludicrous or humiliating way"?
    - mandeepj 7y ago
      Not for everyone
      - BoorishBears 7y ago
        The definition literally covers every side of the spectrum From the president who would call it fiasco because he claims it's a partisan attack, to the house democrats who'd call it a fiasco because the senate has members saying they'll be working with the prosecution to throw it out as quickly as possible, and everyone in between. This feels like a useless attempt to distract with semantics that isn't even correct if you really want to nitpick...
  - smt88 7y ago
    I think that whether you support Trump, want to see him removed now, or want to see a fair trial, this impeachment isn't your dream scenario.