Free Speech-Social Media-Bob Davis Podcast 829

Facebook Bans

Lots of talk about social media and free speech these days. Facebook just banned several top content creators. Learn more in Free Speech-Social Media-Bob Davis Podcast 829.

Byzantine Policies For Advertising

My personal struggles with Facebook’s byzantine rules for advertising my podcasts is especially relevant. In addition I provide some ways to circumvent the rules I am sure the Russians have already figured out.

Who Decides What Free Speech Is?

Moreover the question of whether the constitution or a company determines free speech, is key.

Alex Jones and Louis Farrakahn…Strange Bedfellows

Facebook banned Louis Farrakhan Alex Jones, Paul Nehlan, Mllos Yiannapoulis, Paul Joseph Watson and Laura Noomer last week. Twitter banned actor James Woods. Who’s next?

Russia Russia Russia

Some say this all started with Charlottesville a couple of years ago. Even more alleged Russian ‘election tampering’ through social media has really got the social media companies running scared.

Silicon Valley In The Dog House

A litany of testimony in front of House and Senate committees from big Internet companies and the threat of antitrust enforcement have Silicon Valley billionaires shaking in their sneakers. In a way I almost feel sorry for them. Politicians used to love social media. Now Zuckerberg’s in the doghouse. Details in Free Speech-Social Media-Bob Davis Podcast 829.

Opinions Are Suddenly Frightening and Dangerous

Consequently one wonders whether people in this country will ever be able to hear an opinion they don’t agree with, without being ‘triggered‘, or thinking there’s an international conspiracy against them.

What’s A Mother To Do?

Certainly users can block, mute or unfollow unsavory characters and people they don’t agree with.

However this isn’t enough.

Gag Them! Shun Them! How Dare People Express Opinions I Do Not Agree With!

As the result of their crimes, offenders must be gagged. Even more, permanently prevented from having their say. This is the corporate version of free speech, backed by a roiling mob.

Try Banning The Backlash

Finally the real truth is you can ban someone from expressing their opinions or entertaining, but you can’t ban the backlash. Sooner or later competitors to these companies will emerge. Content Creators will find other platforms.

In conclusion and in defense of Facebook, getting them to let me advertise podcasts has been clunky and frustrating…

Not impossible.

Moreover some of the worst trolls hide behind anonymity. In this sense, I can understand why ‘registration’ and ‘authentication’ is now part of the process for media businesses on some platforms.

No Longer A Democracy

There will be challenges to gaggings. Some of those challenges will be based on the first amendment and perhaps equal protection clauses of the fourteenth amendment.

And there should be.

I may not agree with your crazy conspiracy theory or your opinion, but I defend your right to tell the world about it.

Without free speech, we are no longer a democracy or if you prefer a representative republic.

THAT is truly terrifying.

Sponsored by Ryan Plumbing and Heating of Saint Paul and Reliafund Payment Processors

Free Speech-Social Media-Bob Davis Podcast 829

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Conformists Open Road-New Social Media Puritans-Podcast 729

Do you believe in individual freedom? These days governments, institutions and big companies act as though they make the rules. Most of all when it comes to rights. Learn why I say this in Conformists Open Road-New Social Media Puritans-Podcast 729.

A Post About The Republican Convention Is A No No?

I covered the state republican convention in Duluth, Minnesota. My post included a title referring to the Minnesota Republican Party and a photo I took of conventioneers. No political advertising in the podcast or post. In addition, I don’t do political advertising. Podcast 728 is an account of the convention and my observations about what I saw.

It is pure citizen journalism.

Blocked From Advertising

Podcast 728 got great response on social media, so I decided to advertise it. I was shocked when FaceBook blocked me from boosting that post.

Change Your Settings and Conform

Moreover Podcast 728 could not be advertised unless I changed The Bob Davis Podcasts FaceBook page settings to allow for ‘political advertising’. If I did this, all my boosted posts would contain a warning. Find out about it in Conformists Open Road-New Social Media Puritans-Podcast 729.

Maybe Artificial Intelligence Isn’t That Intelligent

I was not silenced by FaceBook but their silly rules did prevent me from promoting. What’s more I have the impression this review was conducted by robots rather than humans. If they actually reviewed my content any reasonable human would conclude the post was not political advertising. What FaceBook is doing is violating the 1st amendment rights of news organizations and citizen journalists.

Take a look and see what you think.

Fear Of Offense Drives Silly Rules

Especially relevant is the question of what happens when you can’t advertise or talk about any subject because of the fear of offending someone.

God Forbid anyone might see something they disagree with!

Yeah the Internet is an open road. For conformists only.

Rugged Individualism? Don’t Make Me Laugh!

While politicians talk about rugged individualism there seems to be less of it.

These days it’s rigged collectivism.

FaceBook Is The New K-Mart

In conclusion rules and regulations and blocks do not make for a free exchange of ideas. It is most noteworthy that content creators find ways around these rules anyway.

Microsoft used to be the software King Kong. Better companies and better ideas eventually eclipsed the Seattle Giant. The lesson? Bad service and silly rules are a recipe for failure. Big Social Media is vulnerable to competitors that innovate and promote free speech.

What Do You Do When You Are On An Open Road?

Sometimes following the rules is the worst thing you can do.

Sponsored by Ryan Plumbing and Heating of Saint Paul

Conformists Open Road-New Social Media Puritans-Podcast 729

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Gun Control Fight Hides Important News-Internet-Spending-Taxes-Principles-Podcast 702

Controversy in the wake of another mass shooting event distracts everyone from what is really important. Three key stories you missed, show how our government is ruining our future. In Gun Control Fight Hides Important News-Internet-Spending-Taxes-Principles-Podcast 702.

Trump Supports a 25 Cent Gas Tax That Sucks Up Your Tax Cut

First of all while small business owners optimistically predict a booming economy a republican president has told democrat lawmakers he would support a twenty five cent increase in the federal gas tax on gasoline and diesel. There goes your tax cut!

Conservatives Spend More Than Obama

Especially relevant for fiscal conservatives is a four trillion dollar budget from the president. Moreover congress increased spending by hundreds of billions of dollars in the most recent continuing resolution. There are conservatives? In Gun Control Fight Hides Important News-Internet-Spending-Taxes-Principles-Podcast 702.

Solution To Fools Getting Their News From FaceBook? More Regulation

What’s more in the wake of indictments for a score of Russians and a few Americans for allegedly manipulating ‘The Internet’ to influence the recent US Presidential election, both sides of the political divide want ‘regulations’. So much for free speech!

I Guess Spending And Debt Is The Republican Way

More importantly do not take these financial mistakes lightly. US government debt is nearly 20 trillion dollars. Americans themselves carry something like 13 trillion dollars in debt. Storm clouds are building in the bond markets. We’ll talk about it in Gun Control Fight Hides Important News-Internet-Spending-Taxes-Principles-Podcast 702.

You Can’t Make America Great Carrying Trillions Of Debt

Americans cannot be self reliant and strong if they don’t figure out how to assemble the facts about what is known on any particular news story. We cannot make america great again if elected leaders can’t stop spending more and borrowing more.

Freedom Is In Our Genes And Other Myths

In conclusion the idea that ‘freedom’ and ‘democracy’ are in our genes is nonsense. We aren’t free if all of us ask the government to spend more, regulate more and ‘do something’ about every little problem. For me, the lack of principle of both political parties is shocking and dangerous. Unfortunately for so called ‘conservatives’ this lack of principle is most visible among republicans.

Find out what needs to be done and how to do it in Gun Control Fight Hides Important News-Internet-Spending-Taxes-Principles-Podcast 702.

Sponsored by Ryan Plumbing and Heating of Saint Paul

Gun Control Fight Hides Important News-Internet-Spending-Taxes-Principles-Podcast 702

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