Re:Open Letter to the Linux Foundation
by rmtech on Tuesday November 12, 2019 @06:53AM
(#21513385)
I think you're misunderstanding the reasons for free speech.
As soon as some entity gets a license to start banning speech, you have given bad ideas an advantage over good ones.
This is because a bad memeplex can co-opt the censorship apparatus and kill off any competitors without having to face them in a fair fight.
The criterion you mentioned about hate speech etc is extremely flexible and dependent on a bunch of definitions and interpretations that the censors will be in control of - exactly the kind of thing that the free speech principle protects us from!
As soon as some entity gets a license to start banning speech, you have given bad ideas an advantage over good ones.
This is because a bad memeplex can co-opt the censorship apparatus and kill off any competitors without having to face them in a fair fight.
The criterion you mentioned about hate speech etc is extremely flexible and dependent on a bunch of definitions and interpretations that the censors will be in control of - exactly the kind of thing that the free speech principle protects us from!