[dm319]

> I don't buy into all the freedom of speech rhetoric he has been spewing.

I think what you meant was you didn't buy into it, and this is proving your point of view.

He's gone from freedom of speech absolutionist to defining the limits of freedom of speech by whether you discuss social interactions on other websites.

It isn't as simple as a one-dimensional scale between freedom of speech absolutism and not, and the fact that so many people seem to believe this makes me think that people don't have a basic grasp of ethics, nor an ethical framework to make decisions on.

[SketchySeaBeast]

> He's gone from freedom of speech absolutionist to defining the limits of freedom of speech by whether you discuss social interactions on other websites.

I don't know how you can say that with a straight face. This is only a small bit of his capricious rules. Earlier this week it was publicly available information about flights, now it's even indirect mentions of social media competition, what happens next week if he decides that no one should talk about other electric cars? It would be entirely in character for his actions to date. Users now have to anticipate that there is going to be a day where the rules change in such a way they earn a retroactive ban. That's not freedom of speech, that's just a tyrant who hasn't come for YOUR speech yet. I don't know why anyone would stay invested in this platform.

If there was any sort of real framework in place there would be a set list in place instead of a flood of randomly generated rules that are just "whatever is ticking Elon off today", and there wouldn't be popularity contests to see if content gets restored.

[nickthegreek]

Not only that, but users will need to check out Musk’s account in the morning to be sure they know the new rules for the day, as there is no tolerance for slip ups.

[dm319]

Er, I think I have been misunderstood. I basically agree with you. There isn't a framework.

[wilde]

Lol by this reasoning any possible moderation decision is consistent with freedom of speech. Dude came in guns blazing on team “any legal speech will be allowed” and is at this point banning all references to perfectly legal competitors.

[dm319]

My post is downvoted, and I agree with the replies, so I think I've been misunderstood. I'm saying he has rowed back on free speech absolutism (which I personally don't agree with anyway), to limits on free speech. And those limits are arbitrary and not based on any ethical (or other!) framework.

[rainsford]

As I said in another reply, I think a far simpler explanation is that the "freedom of speech absolutist" thing was total BS from the start. Other than describing himself that way, nothing about Elon suggests he's actually a big fan of free speech as a general principle.

[dm319]

I agree. At least now the conversion can move to "what are the limits of free speech and why?".

And I think anyone would be hard pushed to explain why journalists and people discussing other social media platforms should be a limit.