Parler social media App - for anyone interested

[fj1200]

That's a ridiculous comparison. If anyone were shocked by buffoonish behavior then they'd spend there entire life in a state of catatonic shock. We all see incredibly buffoonish behavior 365 days a year.

I totally disagree with two things you just said:

1. "private enterprises" - I consider Twitter and Facebook to now be utilities, used as a common method of communication and with little in the way of alternatives. The fact that Parler, one of the few alternatives, is being hindered from access for most people is evidence that they want to preserve their oligopoly/monopoly status.

2. "taking action against buffoonish behavior" - the amount of hate-filled, violent, and inappropriate messaging Twitter and Facebook has allowed over the years is a ton. Just the calls to riot last year that they left up was a ton. The only thing that is different now is the Trump factor. He's virtually the only thing they've ever filtered.

I'm not even a follower, but I can see what Twitter and Facebook's motivations are, and I don't like what will come next if they are allowed to selectively filter what everyone's allowed to say and allowed to hear. At the very least, both should be regulated as utilities. And maybe they are in restraint of trade and should be trust busted.

I'm not sure what comparison I was making, I was asking a question. But we don't see irrational stormings of the capitol building 365 days a year.

1. They are private enterprises but I think we can now put you down in the net neutrality camp. I believe open internet is one of the principles.

2. I agree that they should non-partisan. But I'm also not so sure that I want a government board to be in the position of decider for those things that would eventually get banned.

I don't follow either. I think social media is evil.

[SassyLady]

You can certainly wish for TOS to be applied equally, I'm not hopeful. But the starting point is not to defend trump 4 days ago it's to present good conservative thought and not abandon one thing for another. It's another shift to tribalistic behavior; CNN for liberals Fox for conservatives, twitter for liberals parler for conservatives. It's a long-term losing strategy IMO.

Not defending anyone. I'm appalled that we've allowed social media to become so powerful they can muzzle anyone and yet they only muzzle dissenting viewpoints from their liberal progressive ideology. Totally socialist behavior and if that means breaking up the monolithic then so be it. @fj1200
What do you propose as a solution to the media oligarchs?

They didn't just muzzle the president they are trying to destroy their competition. And with the complicity of the main stream media and Democrat leaders who took campaign bribes.

[fj1200]

Not defending anyone. I'm appalled that we've allowed social media to become so powerful they can muzzle anyone and yet they only muzzle dissenting viewpoints from their liberal progressive ideology. Totally socialist behavior and if that means breaking up the monolithic then so be it. @fj1200
What do you propose as a solution to the media oligarchs?

They didn't just muzzle the president they are trying to destroy their competition. And with the complicity of the main stream media and Democrat leaders who took campaign bribes.

Short term? Take a light touch and don't overreact a week after some particularly appalling behavior.

Long term? See what happens after the short term.

[tailfins]

Short term? Take a light touch and don't overreact a week after some particularly appalling behavior.

Long term? See what happens after the short term.

This whole experience might be for the best. It should be a wake up call regarding one's business targeted by "Big Tech". It's just another exercise in risk analysis and mitigation. For example, sometimes it makes good business sense to set up a business in a Communist country in a manner similar to Sherritt International https://www.sherritt.com/English/ope...s/default.aspx .

You include the risk of nationalization in your ROI calculations. Executives should not do in-person visits to the operations to mitigate the risk of being considered an enemy of the state.

This destruction by Big Tech should be considered a kind of stress test for independent businesses. The survival of Parler is now an indicator of the US business ability to operate independently and not become a Vichy France kind of environment.

[jimnyc]

Parler is dead and offline right now. Gab will barely load, for now. Hopefully both will come back stronger.

[MtnBiker]

I find it really dangerous that so few companies have such a large reach in our population. Parler was a place where people could go to express their voice, ideas, thoughts, etc. But with Google, Apple and Amazon taking action, Parler is effectively gone in a matter of days. So doing my best to decouple from these companies as much as possible. Any suggestions for an email service would be great. Have been using gmail for a few years, actually like it but want to get away from gmail. Will stop buying from Amazon, using Prime video and Amazon music. My wife loves reading so replacing the prime kindle availability will be tough but not impossible.

[jimnyc]

I find it really dangerous that so few companies have such a large reach in our population. Parler was a place where people could go to express their voice, ideas, thoughts, etc. But with Google, Apple and Amazon taking action, Parler is effectively gone in a matter of days. So doing my best to decouple from these companies as much as possible. Any suggestions for an email service would be great. Have been using gmail for a few years, actually like it but want to get away from gmail. Will stop buying from Amazon, using Prime video and Amazon music. My wife loves reading so replacing the prime kindle availability will be tough but not impossible.

Folks waiting on Parler and Gab or another choice for now, like me.... maybe we can get a few friends over here to join and post, even if just for the gap between hosting issues for them. Would be nice anyway.

I tell everyone the same - forget online services and setup locally on your computer using your ISP's services. I have "optonline.net" addresses for example as that's my provider. I do use the others too, but mainly for spam and what not.

Another that I can HIGHLY recommend if folks are concerned about security or free speech and ads or that crap. That is Proton Mail - https://protonmail.com/

Uses also 2 factor authentication and is the most secure I've ever used. It's also available for telephones too. Might be a tad overkill though. If just looking to be private, no ads and off the Google grid - local email should suffice. Then you have to use an email program, and make sure you pick one that won't read and pull a Google on you!

There are others but then we're moving into the paid world, and I ain't paying!!

[NightTrain]

Yahoo is owned by Verizon. I still have a couple of those email accounts.

I switched to Gmail a couple of years ago, but I'm decoupling from Google as much as I can.

The people who own Apple items are in a bad spot, because Apple has been locking down all of their products to maintain 100% control of the software for years now, and now those consumers are trapped. Apple can and does act with impunity and there's no recourse other than each consumer shelling out many thousands of dollars to get away from their iron grip. I've always found Apple's business practices distasteful... thuggish, even.

[SassyLady]

Short term? Take a light touch and don't overreact a week after some particularly appalling behavior.

Long term? See what happens after the short term.

I think the fact that we've been doing the light touch for years is what has led to the current turmoil. Cancel culture has to stop and it will only stop when the silent majority is no longer silent.

[SassyLady]

Parler is dead and offline right now. Gab will barely load, for now. Hopefully both will come back stronger.

I have bad internet and cell and GAB is working for me at this time.

[jimnyc]

I have bad internet and cell and GAB is working for me at this time.

It seems I can barely get to their site, but when it does load, then the internal links seem to work, oddly. But the sign up page is quite slow and then if you do bother filling it out and hitting enter, it hangs forever and ultimately comes back and tells you they are under maintenance.

So for now, I can only assume that since you already have an account you may be good to go, but joining right now is near impossible.

[NightTrain]

It's timing out for me this morning as well, and finally displaying an 'Under Maintenance' page. It was working last night, I was able to post and talk with Sassy.

You have to think about where all the Parler people are heading right now.

Yes, Google, Apple and Amazon are surely gaining goodwill as they interfere with millions of Americans' internet right now.

Oh, btw - Mozilla / Firefox is actively joining in with the Thug Cartel in trying to kill Parler and Gab. I definitely won't be ever using that browser again.

[fj1200]

I think the fact that we've been doing the light touch for years is what has led to the current turmoil. Cancel culture has to stop and it will only stop when the silent majority is no longer silent.

trump is not light touch and he is the direct source of the last two months.

[SassyLady]

trump is not light touch and he is the direct source of the last two months.

I disagree. The treatment he received last 4 years by media, politicians and deep state has led Americans to the point of not going to roll over any more. He just shined a light on the corruption in politics.

[fj1200]

I disagree. The treatment he received last 4 years by media, politicians and deep state has led Americans to the point of not going to roll over any more. He just shined a light on the corruption in politics.

Because he's completely innocent. Don't you think the ridiculous behavior of the last two months provides a lens to look at the last 4 years?