This is probably the shortest post I'll ever write, but it is something I believe to be of note, although anecdotal. I've been reading a lot about how Elon Musk has saved the day, at least saving free speech on Twitter after buying the platform so I decided to put it to the test.
Back when I was writing for Zenith News my Twitter account was unceremoniously shut down. I decided a few days ago to attempt to resurrect my account which I was able to do without incident. However, I wanted to see just how dedicated they were to free speech so I posted a few memes, sayings by Orwell, Ayn Rand, etc. Again, no problem.
I decided to push the envelope and posted an article about Covid vaccines that I had posted here on Hive awhile back. I tagged it with #Covid and #Vaccines. Within an hour I recieved a notice that my account had been suspended for a week or two, perhaps longer (I suppose until the snowflakes still at Twitter recover from their trauma and emerge from their safe spaces). So much for Free Speech!
On a more personal note: I was absent from Hive for some time. For over a year Google wouldn't allow me to access my account either here, Protonmail, or several other sites. Then one day a couple of months ago, it just stopped. It's also been a challenging year healthwise; I'm 77 years old and I just can't spend a full day at the computer writing like I did before. I spent the last eight years taking care of my good friend and former boss and he died last June. Enough about that... Suffice to say that my absense was not of my own doing.
I hope your friend found peace.
Nobody gets out alive.
Glad you are still ticking, I was wondering why you had left.
If you need more rc's ping me and I will delegate you some.
Weird stuff with your Twitter account. I don't trust Elon Musk, he tries to come across as the good billionaire, but, as the saying goes, if it seems too good to be true....
Anyway, nice to see you around. I've just come back to the platform after a too long absence.
That's what I found out
It's good to see you back too. Keep coming on that way I remember you being before.
Thanks!
Thanks! Nice being among so interesting people again!
I really do not know what to think about Elon Musk.
He puts up a good talk. BUT...
He took over Tesla, kicked out the guys who actually made/designed the car.
He then was able to manufacture and paint cars in Komifornia, something that Delorean was unable to do.
(why this car is brushed stainless steel)
He has several projects that are just wrong. As in, engineering doesn't work that way.
His neural link thing was shown to destroy brains by the guy who pioneered the field...
And Space X... People are not just allowed to fly to space.
So, who the bleep is this Elon Musk?
BTW, i delegated you some HP so that you HIVE won't stop you from posting due to not having enough RC.
Nah, I think Musk is an actor, honestly. There's something off about the whole good-guy charade. And as your example perfectly exemplifies, I think he's a case of talking the talk without walking the walk in many instances.
At the end of the day, the overwhelming majority of people won't bother to run this kind of experiment. They'll see a headline (leaning whichever way the paper's owners want it to lean) and form their opinion of Musk based on that.
He just flows too smoothly to be the actual good guy, I feel.
anyhow, it's good to see you around, dear friend <3 It really is. And I hope your friend is in a better place. Then again, with the way the world's going right now, that wouldn't be too hard.
I never trusted the guy. I know too well what goes into making electric cars.
Good to be seen again dear friend. I'm halfway done with another article that I'm ashamed to say has taken almost 3 weeks.
Given the state of the world, I wouldn't miss much if I was called away. My grandkids and great-grandkids keep me going... I want a better world for them
I look forward to it! Three hours, three weeks, or three months, I'd argue the important thing is to keep writing. It'd be such a shame not to.
Thank you for the support, I need it!
Bingo. Actor is right! Everything We see in the "news" is part of Their script.
Glad to see You're back! [hugs] As for twatter - what a farce. I barely get any RT's - like one Person is RTing Me, unless I tag People. And I do find that odd, because when I first started, and had 50 followers, I would get 2 or 3 RT's. Sometimes 5. Now I have over 1700 followers, yet only one of Them is RTing? Seems... Odd. Pretty sure I'm (still) shadow banned for Most.
You can pretty much count on it (shadowbanned). I had something like 3500 followers and the same thing happened to me. Then they just kicked me off.
It's great to be back (hugs back)
I am damn glad you're back, entirely sorrowful at what you've had to endure while away, and even happier you're pushing that envelope they're trying to sign, seal, and deliver us in.
I'll look to you for leadership, since you've negotiated the difficulties we face all around. You've shown you were capable of pushing through troubled waters, and we're all about to face them together. We should all be grateful you've blazed a trail we can follow.
Thanks!