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This is a simplistic view of our current Internet. Google owns all of the spam filters used by 99.9% of all email providers. If they don't like your content,

This is a simplistic view of our current Internet. Google owns all of the spam filters used by 99.9% of all email providers. If they don't like your content, the majority of your intended audience will never see it. This isn't including search traffic. They regularly censor news organizations without telling them. Recently, Mailchimp announced that they will block any content they deem unacceptable. They get to decide what your recipients will see. Payment providers like Paypal and sites like Kickstarter also regularly ban people they deem 'unacceptable'. The phone company isn't allowed to block you because you said something politically incorrect to my friends and tech companies should be no different. The tech community isn't protesting this right now because their perceived enemies are being blocked and censored en masse. Don't be shocked one day when you are censored and blocked and people like me just don't give a shit anymore

0df8dkdf 6y ago
>The phone company isn't allowed to block you because you said something politically incorrect to my friends and tech companies should be no different. AT&T does block their customer's email content without informing their paying customer. At this point I trust NSA more than these private companies. At least NSA has some government oversight and subject to FOIL request with these private companies it is basically the East India company all over again, wild wild west. They can do pretty much what they want. And like the Federal Reserve has their own private armies. Vote with your money and internet usage.
- sumtechguy 6y ago
  AT&T ISP/cell and AT&T the phone company are probably two different companies held under an umbrella company. Verizon does the same thing. The tech companies are running headlong into being regulated as much as ma bell was. They just do not realize it yet.
  - athms 6y ago
    >The tech companies are running headlong into being regulated as much as ma bell was. The government will need to overcome free speech first.
crocodiletears 6y ago
Can you share a link to the mailchimp thing? I'd missed that.
- kstrauser 6y ago
  Here's a list of stuff Mailchimp won't distribute, along with the reasons they won't carry it: https://mailchimp.com/legal/acceptable_use/ https://mailchimp.com/legal/acceptable_use/ That all seems pretty reasonable, and it's not like we have the right to demand that a private company host our content.
  - CamperBob2 6y ago
    "Sexually explicit content" is "pretty reasonable" to censor, in your view?
    - kstrauser 6y ago
      Definitely. That's one of the most common things in most services' ToSes. From a business point of view, carrying that content probably causes much more hassle than it's worth for most companies that aren't set up for the adult entertainment industry. If and when a customer accidentally sends porn to a 13 year old, which would you rather tell the parent screaming at you: "we're sorry and we'll instruct the customer not to do that again" or "oh my, that's against our policies and we'll be sure to cancel their account. Thank you and please don't organize a pitchforked mob to march on our headquarters". I don't care if adults look at porn or engage in porn-based commerce; I'm not saying "porn is immoral and it's good to block it!" I do believe that the vast majority of businesses not already working with that industry don't want the aggravation that comes along with dealing with that content, though, and that's why it's widely barred.
      - deleted 6y ago
        [deleted]
      - CamperBob2 6y ago
        Maybe I'm unclear on what Mailchimp does. Do they host private mailing lists, or just do outbound 'opt-in-but-not-really' marketing?
acdha 6y ago
> Google owns all of the spam filters used by 99.9% of all email providers. If they don't like your content, the majority of your intended audience will never see it. This isn't including search traffic. They regularly censor news organizations without telling them. Do you have a citation for the censorship allegations?
- AntiImperialist 6y ago
  Those of us who follow it closely have first-hand experience.
  - acdha 6y ago
    So, that's a no? If you actually have first-hand experience you could trivially provide details.
    - AntiImperialist 6y ago
      Yes, it's a no. Find it out yourself.
      - athms 6y ago
        There is nothing to find. And stop speaking out of your ass.
        AntiImperialist 6y ago
        OK. Piss off.
        dang 6y ago
        Hey, please don't post like this and please don't get sucked into tit-for-tat spats like this. I know it's hard to walk away, but it's the only thing that works. https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html
3princip 6y ago
You are correct, several large corporations bordering on monopolies (and possibly national security apparatus too) are in the process of putting the internet under total control. Disappointingly there are those who would downvote you for the heresy you speak. These people are delusional for thinking corporations are bothered by the social/racial/whatever justice that drives them to call for more censorship. Corporations are opportunistically using these moral panics to impose control.
pjc50 6y ago
> The phone company isn't allowed to block you because you said something politically incorrect to my friends and tech companies should be no different. The nazi dog guy was prosecuted under telecommunications laws originally intended to stop people making obscene phone calls.
D-Coder 6y ago
> The phone company isn't allowed to block you because you said something politically incorrect to my friends and tech companies should be no different. The phone company normally connects two people at a time. That's not a public forum.
- athms 6y ago
  Unless you have a party line.

0df8dkdf 6y ago

>The phone company isn't allowed to block you because you said something politically incorrect to my friends and tech companies should be no different. AT&T does block their customer's email content without informing their paying customer. At this point I trust NSA more than these private companies. At least NSA has some government oversight and subject to FOIL request with these private companies it is basically the East India company all over again, wild wild west. They can do pretty much what they want. And like the Federal Reserve has their own private armies. Vote with your money and internet usage.

sumtechguy 6y ago
AT&T ISP/cell and AT&T the phone company are probably two different companies held under an umbrella company. Verizon does the same thing. The tech companies are running headlong into being regulated as much as ma bell was. They just do not realize it yet.
- athms 6y ago
  >The tech companies are running headlong into being regulated as much as ma bell was. The government will need to overcome free speech first.

crocodiletears 6y ago

Can you share a link to the mailchimp thing? I'd missed that.

kstrauser 6y ago
Here's a list of stuff Mailchimp won't distribute, along with the reasons they won't carry it: https://mailchimp.com/legal/acceptable_use/ https://mailchimp.com/legal/acceptable_use/ That all seems pretty reasonable, and it's not like we have the right to demand that a private company host our content.
- CamperBob2 6y ago
  "Sexually explicit content" is "pretty reasonable" to censor, in your view?
  - kstrauser 6y ago
    Definitely. That's one of the most common things in most services' ToSes. From a business point of view, carrying that content probably causes much more hassle than it's worth for most companies that aren't set up for the adult entertainment industry. If and when a customer accidentally sends porn to a 13 year old, which would you rather tell the parent screaming at you: "we're sorry and we'll instruct the customer not to do that again" or "oh my, that's against our policies and we'll be sure to cancel their account. Thank you and please don't organize a pitchforked mob to march on our headquarters". I don't care if adults look at porn or engage in porn-based commerce; I'm not saying "porn is immoral and it's good to block it!" I do believe that the vast majority of businesses not already working with that industry don't want the aggravation that comes along with dealing with that content, though, and that's why it's widely barred.
    - deleted 6y ago
      [deleted]
    - CamperBob2 6y ago
      Maybe I'm unclear on what Mailchimp does. Do they host private mailing lists, or just do outbound 'opt-in-but-not-really' marketing?

acdha 6y ago

> Google owns all of the spam filters used by 99.9% of all email providers. If they don't like your content, the majority of your intended audience will never see it. This isn't including search traffic. They regularly censor news organizations without telling them. Do you have a citation for the censorship allegations?

AntiImperialist 6y ago
Those of us who follow it closely have first-hand experience.
- acdha 6y ago
  So, that's a no? If you actually have first-hand experience you could trivially provide details.
  - AntiImperialist 6y ago
    Yes, it's a no. Find it out yourself.
    - athms 6y ago
      There is nothing to find. And stop speaking out of your ass.
      - AntiImperialist 6y ago
        OK. Piss off.
        dang 6y ago
        Hey, please don't post like this and please don't get sucked into tit-for-tat spats like this. I know it's hard to walk away, but it's the only thing that works. https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html

3princip 6y ago

You are correct, several large corporations bordering on monopolies (and possibly national security apparatus too) are in the process of putting the internet under total control. Disappointingly there are those who would downvote you for the heresy you speak. These people are delusional for thinking corporations are bothered by the social/racial/whatever justice that drives them to call for more censorship. Corporations are opportunistically using these moral panics to impose control.

pjc50 6y ago

> The phone company isn't allowed to block you because you said something politically incorrect to my friends and tech companies should be no different. The nazi dog guy was prosecuted under telecommunications laws originally intended to stop people making obscene phone calls.

D-Coder 6y ago

> The phone company isn't allowed to block you because you said something politically incorrect to my friends and tech companies should be no different. The phone company normally connects two people at a time. That's not a public forum.

athms 6y ago
Unless you have a party line.