Bonum Certa Men Certa

If We Weren't Silencing Founders, Critics and People We Just Don't Like



Article by figosdev

A crisis



Summary: "In the long run, history is rarely very kind to tyrants, especially the ones who did little more than lie to people and demand things that served no real purpose."

I don't suffer under the illusion that everybody has a right to your attention span. In fact I'm absolutely in favour of you having all sorts of tools for ignoring people you don't like, where such tools are practical. They aren't practical when it comes to working in a team, and they can't (and shouldn't) create a world where everybody hears exactly what they want all of the time.



"A world where everybody hears exactly what they want, all the time, would be like a world full of only children."I'm starting out with a side point or two, sort of as a disclaimer, but a world where everybody hears exactly what they want would be an emotionally and psychologically stunting world to live in. Although population growth will likely prove to be a greater concern, people have long argued that having an only child will rob them of many opportunities to grow and learn to get along with other people in their formative years. A world where everybody hears exactly what they want, all the time, would be like a world full of only children. It would be like a world full of Donalds.

In the future, if -- and likely when it becomes crucial for people to have only one child or fewer, we don't want to compound that with a world where everybody walks around with augmented earplugs and augmented VR headsets, immersed in a narcissist's dreamworld. Those people will never grow. We are already living that way now, to some degree -- having our reality constantly mediated by 5 (until recently, 6) corporations that own 90% of the media. The dreamworld we are constantly tied into is the dreamworld of whatever these corporate assholes want us to feed from. We can all help to build the pyramids for these CEOs and "extraordinary" middle managers.

Still it's precisely because of those media companies, along with the simple fact that it's our right -- that I'm in favour of you having all sorts of tools to mediate the media on your own behalf; to decide how much control or influence you do and don't let them have over you.

"Plenty of people are aware of the fact that "content" moderation itself is out of balance, that our bastions of "freedom" and once at-least-superficially-grassroots activism are becoming more corporate, and for that sort of takeover to work our "activism" needs to be moderated just like everything else owned by media monopolies."What I'm against is you taking too much control on "behalf" of others. Giving that power to the sort of people who would want very much of it is a recipe for more than disaster, but for a world where people are more often controlled, misled and lied to. We've heard the excuses, and we've witnessed the results. And while some of us made predictions along these lines (and hoped to be mistaken) there are more and more people who know what we're talking about now. We see the real world effects, versus the alleged benefits of this sort of control.

It's really beside the point to say that this sort of control always existed; the problem isn't that some people are moderators, the problem is that we do better with everything in moderation -- including moderation. Plenty of people are aware of the fact that "content" moderation itself is out of balance, that our bastions of "freedom" and once at-least-superficially-grassroots activism are becoming more corporate, and for that sort of takeover to work our "activism" needs to be moderated just like everything else owned by media monopolies.

"It's the job of every propaganda marshal to make everything bad sound like something good -- and everything good sound like something bad: Censorship is good, unfettered speech is a plague, wasn't it always this way?"Monopolies and grassroots do not mix -- grassroots means we all make our decisions, monopoly means those in power make the decisions. And those talking about "consequences" are pulling a fast one, because in many instances they really mean "consequences" even for us making the right decisions -- the ones that favour people over monopolies. It's the job of every propaganda marshal to make everything bad sound like something good -- and everything good sound like something bad: Censorship is good, unfettered speech is a plague, wasn't it always this way?

Well, no. But it typically is that way, when things are very, very wrong.

So next they say it isn't censorship, but we know they're just redefining censorship to exclude their own acts -- that's convenient. Then they claim ownership of the communities they are put in charge of -- before, it was our community collectively. Now, it is less ours, because a "community leader" or "volunteer" comes in to decide who gets to keep their community and who is excluded in the name of inclusion. You start with the most obvious annoyances first, and build a rapport over it. This isn't censorship, it isn't restructuring free, grassroots association -- this is "community building," you say.

But we know it isn't really about the community you think you own, because you don't just drive people out of the community. You also penalise people for simply associating with the people you've driven out. And that's exactly the moment when you've built a cult, by the way. A community can only control what happens inside the community.

"...it is about selling off communities and about changes in ownership -- ownership of people, their associations, and their spare time."A reasonable amount of "control" is not a prescription to be forced into people 3 times a day, but only in situations where it is absolutely needed. Moving from exception to rule is dismissed as "it was always this way," but moving from exception to rule actually proves that it wasn't. It's much closer to a 180 degree turnaround in the way things are done. And it's no accident -- because again, it is about selling off communities and about changes in ownership -- ownership of people, their associations, and their spare time. Which is a nice way of saying "indentured servitude."

A community takes charge of its own events when it has no other means of moving forward, but communities don't lean on heavy campaigns of propaganda, trying to control everyone's thinking and trying to control what people inside the community do, even when they are outside its borders.

Once a community lays claim to things that happen on the outside, they have reached a cult status. We've known for years, it's public knowledge that these cult tactics are used in corporations -- Apple, with their extreme levels of secrecy (beyond simple trade secrets) to the point of absurdity (we've talked about how that makes it easier to own and control the tech press), Google with their surveillance of workers when not on the campus, and Microsoft, with their heavy-handed harassment of critics. All of these tactics are used by cults, and increasingly these cult tactics are being used by so-called (former) "communities."

"So I advise everyone to consider relabeling "apathy" altogether. Call it "despair" instead."But all of this has already been said, and none of this is the point of this article. The reason these things are worth repeating, is because all of these things are connected to, relevant to the actual point -- which is the apathy we find everyday in the world around us. Why do so few people care about the things that matter most?

This is my theory about that: a lot more people care than we realise.

We wouldn't know -- because when somebody does care, they are frequently made unwelcome. They are smeared by these cults, and they are kicked out of their communities. Straw men are trotted out like thought militias, to find every possible reason to minimise, dismiss and distort the critiques, complaints and even the solutions proposed even (and especially) by people we have long respected.

"Because we are kicking out and silencing the very people who would inspire them, the very people they would understand and relate to."But many of these people were respected for sticking their neck out, for their unconventional thinking, for being unafraid of the "consequences" of being unconventional -- or for not suffering to bend over backwards to please unreasonable and demanding (narcissistic, controlling) people.

If this really is a campaign of silence like we suggest, then you may have a whole world of people who are waiting for a sign -- waiting for a leader -- waiting for the inspiration to be better than they are. And it's a shame that not everybody feels they have, or even does have it in them to be the leader or the inspiration that they want to see in the world.

But the truth is that most people do not stick their neck out. By definition -- most people are not unconventional. And many who do have the dedication to a cause, necessary to become that person, are exactly the sort of person we keep kicking out of the little cults we used to call "home."

So everyone we think of as apathetic, are they really? Or are they simply missing the catalyst that would drive them to be part of the global efforts we need to stand against hegemony? We've taken away -- stifled, worked to eliminate the very thing that would drive them to do more.

So I advise everyone to consider relabeling "apathy" altogether. Call it "despair" instead. Why do so many people have it? Because we are kicking out and silencing the very people who would inspire them, the very people they would understand and relate to.

"...you can't moderate everything all the time, because if you do, then you create a dictatorship."You can run your community however you want, really. But you can't run people's lives everywhere they go, and call yourself a community. You can't split up families and tell people who they're allowed to be friends with. And you can't moderate everything all the time, because if you do, then you create a dictatorship.

There isn't any real way around this. If you do what a dictatorship does, then you are a dictatorship. No place on earth was a dictatorship from day one; dictatorships are established as people gain more control over every action of the people underneath them. So it's worth pointing out that all dictatorships started out as non-dictatorships. The fact that what you call a "community" actually used to be one is irrelevant -- you aren't running it like one anymore, so it no longer is one.

People aren't apathetic, they're stifled. And to the so-called "community manager" corporate shills doing this -- it's your attitude, your excuses, and your straw men and dishonest attacks that are stifling everybody who stays under your thumb. They know they won't be allowed to lead, won't be allowed to speak freely, won't be allowed to choose their own friends, without you trying to punish them and steal their work with your lying. You've taken ownership of all of that "on their behalf."

"People aren't apathetic, they're stifled. And to the so-called "community manager" corporate shills doing this -- it's your attitude, your excuses, and your straw men and dishonest attacks that are stifling everybody who stays under your thumb."Some of them do believe you, when you say it's for their own good. But even if they don't, they won't show it. So how would we know?

We call that apathy, but I'm beginning to doubt it. Once there are enough people who stand against that, once there are enough people to build something stronger than the Great Big Lie you perpetrate, gradually more and more people care again -- more and more people stand up, and shed this so-called "apathy" you worked to instill in them.

History shows this in many instances, but everytime a new regime crops up, it seems like the worst one ever -- and the resulting apathy appears more complete than ever before.

You're not stopping them, not ultimately. Eventually people will lead them out of this, and you're only slowing them down for a time.

"...communities take longer to build than they take for you to destroy them."In the long run, history is rarely very kind to tyrants, especially the ones who did little more than lie to people and demand things that served no real purpose. There's always a reason given, of course! And it's generally based on some kernel of truth to make it easier to believe. We read these old stories, and tut and say that we're too wise to let that sort of thing happen on our watch, and then someone like you comes along.

Grab your accolades, while you can. People who need real progress, not the mere trappings, will eventually get wise to it and put you behind them. Some might even say that's already started -- but both you and I know that you've got a while yet. Another historical fact, one of the few on your side, actually -- is that communities take longer to build than they take for you to destroy them. So enjoy!

Licence: Creative Commons CC0 1.0 (public domain)

Recent Techrights' Posts

Defeating LLM Abuse (State-of-the-Art Plagiarism) in the Area of Linux and GNU, Free Software, BSD, Security and So On
The aim is to get them to stop using LLMs to rip off other people's work
Digital Sanitation Good Practices
leave behind Microsoftism
10 Days Ago Richard Stallman Gave a Long Interview in French (linuxfr.org)
English translation
Science, Not Fast Food/Junk Food
The commercial exploitation of users won't stop until users exercise full control over their software or - more broadly - their computing (including data)
 
The 'Modern' Web of Fake Security and Easy Censorship of Whole Domains
Each year it gets worse
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Saturday, October 18, 2025
IRC logs for Saturday, October 18, 2025
The Term "AI" is Not New and What Today's Media Calls "AI" Isn't Even AI
Only the hype was new... and totally artificial
Gemini Links 18/10/2025: "Planetary Rings", Steam, and PSU Replacement
Links for the day
Links 18/10/2025: Russell Vought in Charge, US Government Leans to Russia Again
Links for the day
Credit Where It's Due: LinuxConfig.org Quit Doing LLM Slop, Back to Original and Real Articles
We waited for a while to say this, now it seems conclusive
Of Note: UbuntuPIT Aware of Critics of Slop, Adds Disclosure of Use of LLMs
We appreciate the honesty
Links 18/10/2025: Madagascar's President Flees and ICE Arrests Protest Comedian Robby Roadsteamer
Links for the day
Richard Stallman Near the European Patent Office (EPO) in 3 Days From Now
It'll be a good opportunity for patent examiners to listen, ask questions, and maybe greet him in person
From Scholar to Booster of Slop (and Even Slop in His Own Blog)
We're going to keep an eye on future posts of his
End of Vista 10 Also Good News for the BSDs
There are many news sites that recommend trying GNU/Linux this month
What's Wrong With Liking Parrots or Birds as Pets?
They'd demonise people for speaking about freedom, no matter what they say or do
The Free Software Foundation, Which Has Appointed a 43-Year-Old President, is Looking to Add Another Board Member (or Treasurer)
expect the FSF to add more people
Richard Stallman Confirms Next Week's Talk at Technical University of Munich, We Urge EPO Staff to Attend
That's probably late enough for EPO staff to attend after work
Gemini Links 18/10/2025: Notifications and Geminaut
Links for the day
Many Red Hat People Are Leaving, But It'll Be Framed Publicly as Leaving IBM
Similarly, IBM layoffs (or "RAs" as they're called) include Red Hat layoffs
Expect More Waves of Microsoft Layoffs This Month (at Least Two Rounds Confirmed Already)
From what we can gather, assuming the recent rumours about XBox are true, there will be at least 3 waves of Microsoft layoffs this month alone
Security Issues in Cisco and Jenkins Passed Off as "Linux" Problems
Fear, Uncertainty, Doubt (FUD) tactics
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Friday, October 17, 2025
IRC logs for Friday, October 17, 2025
[Video] Dr. Richard Stallman at Technické Univerzitě v Liberci
New/via libre-liberec.cz
Slopwatch: LinuxSecurity, Linux Journal (Slashdot Media), UbuntuPIT, and Google News (Noise)
egregious plagiarism
Links 17/10/2025: Better Answers Sought After Air Crashes, "China Fans Patriotic Sentiment as Trade War With U.S. Heats Up"
Links for the day
Security is Desirable, But Not When the Term Security is Misused to Imply Centralisation of "Trust" (Whose?)
'Security' is not an excuse for vendor lock-in
Links 17/10/2025: Fentanylware (CheeTok) Causing Problems, Japanese Government Blasts Slop
Links for the day
The Linux Foundation Seems to Have Turned Linux.com Not Only Into a Spamfarm But Also LLM Slopfarm
it's polluting the Web, even important domains like Linux.com, with spam and LLM slop
Links 17/10/2025: UK’s Largest Breach Penalty and Windows TCO Examples
Links for the day
Go Watch Video About Librephone, Get Microsoft Ads
Very ethical company...
Campaign of Defamation Against the People Who Built NixOS (and Are Now Pushed Out From Their Own Project)
We've already grown familiar with - and resistant to - such tactics
Links 17/10/2025: Nestlé Crisis, Canada Post Versus 'Gig Economy' [sic] and Vista 11 Breaks Itself
Links for the day
Tux Machines Has Helped Separate Opinions/Analysis From News
In September 2023 we decided to split things apart and not repeat links in both sites
Tux Machines Has Improved Navigation of GNU/Linux and BSD News
Some more 'wiring' work
What a World Would Look Like If Everyone Used Free Software Only
Freedom is what matters, not "Open".
The Media Helps Microsoft, Amazon and Others (GAFAM and Beyond) Lie About Mass Layoffs Amid Valuation Bubble
The media, instead of saying that there's an "AI bubble" crashing the economy might instead choose the narrative of "jobs replaced by AI"
Bad Tempered? You Might Have Just Given Away That You're Losing the Argument
Brett Wilson LLP is fully aware that it is being investigated
Richard Stallman (RMS) is a Target of Defamation Campaigns Because of His Views on Software (But Politics Are the Excuse for Defaming Him)
Here in this site we try to refrain from politics, except in Daily Links
End of Vista 10 and Rise of GNU/Linux as Client Side Operating System
It seems certain GNU/Linux will grow in popularity over time
Taking Stock of a Week's Worth of EPO Leaks
We remain committed to exposing EPO corruption as long as it keeps happening
Mathieu Parreaux claims FINMA knew since day one
Reprinted with permission from Daniel Pocock
Calumny, Libel, Joerg Jaspert & debian-private untouchable cyberbullies
Reprinted with permission from Daniel Pocock
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Thursday, October 16, 2025
IRC logs for Thursday, October 16, 2025
Techrights Turns 19 in 3 Weeks
coverage of suppressed topics and protecting all sources/whistleblowers
International E-Waste Day Same Day as End of Vista 10
message from Akira Urushibata
The EPO's Central Staff Committee Presents Evidence That Staff Compensation Lowered While the Office Increases Income by Illegally Granting Invalid Patents
These people become millionaires by doing illegal things
Second or Third Wave of Microsoft Mass Layoffs in October 2025, This Time Portugal
Those are just the ones we know about, there may be several more
'Help Net Security' (helpnetsecurity.com) May Have Become a Slopfarm as Well
Zeljka Zorz, Editor-in-Chief at Help Net Security, was reported to us
Gemini Links 17/10/2025: Rant About Network Solutions, Strange Anomaly on Lagrange
Links for the day