Brian Smith's avatar

Brian Smith

@theactualbrian.bsky.social

208 followers 317 following 2690 posts

I am the Brian, thy Brian. Thou shalt have no other Brians before me!


Brian Smith's avatar Brian Smith @theactualbrian.bsky.social
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If you look under the hood of Bluesky, you'll realize that this is a Tech Bro's libertarian nightmare. Real moderation will never happen. As it grows the issues will also grow and there's no stopping it. You might block all the Nazis, but they'll still be here and isn't that why you left Twitter?

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Brian Smith's avatar Brian Smith @theactualbrian.bsky.social
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And, just to be clear I'm the short space we have to write, they deserve a label.

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Brian Smith's avatar Brian Smith @theactualbrian.bsky.social
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A moderation service shouldn't have to label itself, and while we may quibble about the particular label for this one, they're clearly not impartial. They've literally outlined what opinions they will allow and won't. While most of the choices are not bad, the fact that they picked a side is.

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Brian Smith's avatar Brian Smith @theactualbrian.bsky.social
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Brian Smith's avatar Brian Smith @theactualbrian.bsky.social
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And his attempt to make this place some online, libertarian utopia has severely limited how moderation can work. What moderation there is, it's weak and has no accountability. They're really as bad as he is. They're trying to micromanage opinion on individual issues rather than general behavior.

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Brian Smith's avatar Brian Smith @theactualbrian.bsky.social
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Their approach allows people to weaponize moderation because they're defining protected groups and those groups can get away with the things they don't want others doing to them.

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Brian Smith's avatar Brian Smith @theactualbrian.bsky.social
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That's not their problem, really. Calling not hating "the left" only shows that "the right" is hateful. Their problem is that they think they need to solve every, individual problem with hard set rules. They need to look at GENERALIZED Z behavior and language and judge from that.

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Brian Smith's avatar Brian Smith @theactualbrian.bsky.social
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Right. He has this libertarian delusion that everyone should be responsible for their own moderation. It allows hate to flourish. It encourages the worst of bubbles. It encourages people to judge and block on a whim and never know how wrong they are.

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Brian Smith's avatar Brian Smith @theactualbrian.bsky.social
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It's because he has this vision of what's supposed to happen when the world uses his things, and the world NEVER uses programs the way the coder intended, so he's going to keep trying until his libertarian social media platform brings about Internet utopia.

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Brian Smith's avatar Brian Smith @theactualbrian.bsky.social
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Nope. This place is destined to fail because, despite people building their personal bubbles and not realizing that's what they're doing, at its base, this is all tech bro/libertarian theory on how social media should work and far too many normal people will be alienated.

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Brian Smith's avatar Brian Smith @theactualbrian.bsky.social
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You may not realize this, but Bluesky is doomed to failure because, at its core, it's a tech bro, Libertarian structure. It held up, more or less, under the weight of fewer, handpicked users, but a sustainable platform needs more than 12 employees and "good vibes."

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Brian Smith's avatar Brian Smith @theactualbrian.bsky.social
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They're five volunteers who do this as a hobby. They won't explain. They'll just judge. These are not the right people for the job, but Bluesky is never going to be more than the hobby of a dozen former basement dwellers, so it'll never do better.

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Brian Smith's avatar Brian Smith @theactualbrian.bsky.social
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You can't trust them. They're five or six volunteers. This is a hobby. All these statements don't read like anything a professional would write or someone with a degree in psychology or sociology or something relevant. Hell, most of it is social media buzz words and copy and paste. It's a joke.

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Brian Smith's avatar Brian Smith @theactualbrian.bsky.social
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Banks and credit unions now let you see your new card info online/in the app before it's sent. You can use it to make online payments, but in person stuff you've still got to wait for the physical card to show up and activate.

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Brian Smith's avatar Brian Smith @theactualbrian.bsky.social
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They have to be watched. Someone must do it. If we don't, they'll get away with far worse.

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Brian Smith's avatar Brian Smith @theactualbrian.bsky.social
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I think I showed tonight that it's basically a tool for people who feel abused and bulled to rapidly become the abuser and bully. I dared question it. Even if the five or six volunteers were qualified psychologists or sociologists, it's still highly problematic and has zero accountability.

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Brian Smith's avatar Brian Smith @theactualbrian.bsky.social
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So, for the past few hours, while the power was out, I went on the labeling post and asked a few questions and was attacked non stop by people who called me all sorts of names and accused me of being all sorts of things and then gamed the system to get me labeled, pretty much proving how shit it is.

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Brian Smith's avatar Brian Smith @theactualbrian.bsky.social
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...I wasn't even replying to you. So judgmental.

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Brian Smith's avatar Brian Smith @theactualbrian.bsky.social
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There's a lot of people like that. You disagree with them a little and suddenly you're whatever they want to attack.

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Brian Smith's avatar Brian Smith @theactualbrian.bsky.social
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Did you think I was actually apologizing? You were tiring to bait me in. It was a sad attempt too.

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Brian Smith's avatar Brian Smith @theactualbrian.bsky.social
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Great example. That's trying to build a straw man. Other logical fallacies too. I can't ask how it's transphobic and, oh, I don't know, learn new things?

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Brian Smith's avatar Brian Smith @theactualbrian.bsky.social
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<sigh> Straw Man. Working for them with a good reference maybe. Just getting the job, no. Still dodging why they don't post actual qualifications.

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Brian Smith's avatar Brian Smith @theactualbrian.bsky.social
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It's basically five of six people and they think they can label someone for one, misunderstood post. Screw um.

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Brian Smith's avatar Brian Smith @theactualbrian.bsky.social
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Missed the point completely. I'm not mad, people just like to assume that because it makes it easier to dismiss me. Watching people do this is a study in social psychology. It's fascinating.

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Brian Smith's avatar Brian Smith @theactualbrian.bsky.social
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Tone? Another common Internet misconception. It's text. There's no tone. Whatever tone there is, it's only in your head as you read, so you're literally reinforcing your confirmation bias as you read.

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Brian Smith's avatar Brian Smith @theactualbrian.bsky.social
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🙄 "I don't like being labeled an abuser you smartass troll!"

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Brian Smith's avatar Brian Smith @theactualbrian.bsky.social
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Sorry, but you came into a thread with a bunch of people attacking me because I asked a question about trusting a highly dubious reporting tool that they're trying to abuse for fun and then post a "quote" that's completely out of context and expect me to not think you're mocking me?

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Brian Smith's avatar Brian Smith @theactualbrian.bsky.social
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It tends to trigger people. They imagine they know things about me that they don't.

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Brian Smith's avatar Brian Smith @theactualbrian.bsky.social
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Thanks for the insults.

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Brian Smith's avatar Brian Smith @theactualbrian.bsky.social
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Senators and corporations are never wrong with their hires? Why not give actually credentials? If they're qualifed, why not say it?

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Brian Smith's avatar Brian Smith @theactualbrian.bsky.social
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No, I didn't. I asked a question. People love to assume through. They get triggered by the profile pic. They feel good about attacking someone who they've imagined is all these terrible things, but they made that all up.

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Brian Smith's avatar Brian Smith @theactualbrian.bsky.social
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Typical. Self righteous. Ignore what you can't rationalize away.

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Brian Smith's avatar Brian Smith @theactualbrian.bsky.social
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Thanks for the insults. I guess you like perpetuating the cycle of abuse?

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Brian Smith's avatar Brian Smith @theactualbrian.bsky.social
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🤣 I wasn't hostile.

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Brian Smith's avatar Brian Smith @theactualbrian.bsky.social
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This argument again. Just let people abuse the system.

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Brian Smith's avatar Brian Smith @theactualbrian.bsky.social
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Didn't do that. Thanks for being like that.

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Brian Smith's avatar Brian Smith @theactualbrian.bsky.social
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They might have done the same for me, but they didn't.

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Brian Smith's avatar Brian Smith @theactualbrian.bsky.social
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🙄 Did I ask if it could be known? Is it important?

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Brian Smith's avatar Brian Smith @theactualbrian.bsky.social
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A) Who's mad? B) Their judgment seems off. C) Here's y'all abusing the system.

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Brian Smith's avatar Brian Smith @theactualbrian.bsky.social
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Childish mocking. Wow. Did that happen to you and now you need to do it to others?

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Brian Smith's avatar Brian Smith @theactualbrian.bsky.social
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So I have to have a Xhitter account and support Nazis for you? 🙄

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Brian Smith's avatar Brian Smith @theactualbrian.bsky.social
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I get that. Thanks. I do wish people here wouldn't just assume everyone knows the complete history of what they've read online. Thank you, though. You were kind.

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Brian Smith's avatar Brian Smith @theactualbrian.bsky.social
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You know, I asked and a few people actually talked about it and showed some proof. Everyone else, like you, just assumed I must have a counter position and attacked, feeling really snug and self important. Do better.

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Brian Smith's avatar Brian Smith @theactualbrian.bsky.social
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How is that? How is that word "ableist?" No one even tried to explain. Like you, they made assumptions about me and attacked.

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Brian Smith's avatar Brian Smith @theactualbrian.bsky.social
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Pilling on with the others. Good god but social media makes the bullied into bullies so quickly. All quick to attack.

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Brian Smith's avatar Brian Smith @theactualbrian.bsky.social
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Swipe type error. Does that make you feel superior?

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Brian Smith's avatar Brian Smith @theactualbrian.bsky.social
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What does it matter?

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Brian Smith's avatar Brian Smith @theactualbrian.bsky.social
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Yeah, why would it matter.

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Brian Smith's avatar Brian Smith @theactualbrian.bsky.social
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Why would it matter?

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Brian Smith's avatar Brian Smith @theactualbrian.bsky.social
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No, I was talking to the person above. Also, do you think intent isn't important?

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