In addition, we can ask some more serious questions.
Freedom was the ideal behind the advent of personal computing and Internet. Quote John Barlow,
> "We are creating a world that all may enter without privilege or prejudice accorded by race, economic power, military force, or station of birth. We are creating a world where anyone, anywhere may express his or her beliefs, no matter how singular, without fear of being coerced into silence or conformity."
And people believed, once you have the Internet, it will be an inherently platform of democracy and equality, which empowered the individuals to be free from the social and political establishment. However, this narrative from the 80s has been proven to be partially correct, partially wishful thinking.
It appeared to be true, because it coincided with the economic boom of 80s neoliberalism until ~2010. When middle east politics started to become destabilized, people celebrated because the revolution was liberal, there was even the "cute cat theory of digital activism", which says when there are funny memes involved, people are more likely to join the political protest of Internet freedom. And it was seen as a good thing - a faceless dictatorial government was overthrown by lolcat. Isn't it the miracle of the postmodern Internet?
But it has been clear that ANY idea, can by popularized and supported by a free Internet. Now in the current age of deglobalization and political and economic failure, naturally, conservative, nationalistic, or even racist and fascist ideas are getting more and more support. Suddenly, the same medium (Like the social media, or the political memes) are being called hate symbols and should be banned by major platforms. It has been clear that the Internet can surely empowers "individuals to be free from the establishment", it is very true, but unfortunately, any ideas, not only ideas of "democracy and equality", as long as long as it has support, can be empowered by the Internet. Not even needed to be popular support, support from a portion of people with shared identity is enough.
When we've realizing an free and open Internet does not necessarily support liberalism, or democracy, or equality, the next question naturally arises - when the central argument for Internet freedom, that it brings democracy and equality, no longer works, should the Internet be free and open? And should we even have the right to free speech anymore, at all? I believe the answer must be yes, including those unpopular ones.
But the media, as I see it, just blindly discredit the trolls, and only solution they purposed was "don't feed the trolls", or Twitter and Facebook should ban "hate speech" and "fake news". If the mainstream cannot actually to study and understand its mechanism, and the underlying social-economical basis this conflict, of this new online anti-establishment trends and trolls, and to provide a social solution, I don't think the problem is going to be solved at anytime, and the answer to free speech, and a free, open Internet is going to be "No" soon.
Freedom was the ideal behind the advent of personal computing and Internet. Quote John Barlow,
> "We are creating a world that all may enter without privilege or prejudice accorded by race, economic power, military force, or station of birth. We are creating a world where anyone, anywhere may express his or her beliefs, no matter how singular, without fear of being coerced into silence or conformity."
And people believed, once you have the Internet, it will be an inherently platform of democracy and equality, which empowered the individuals to be free from the social and political establishment. However, this narrative from the 80s has been proven to be partially correct, partially wishful thinking.
It appeared to be true, because it coincided with the economic boom of 80s neoliberalism until ~2010. When middle east politics started to become destabilized, people celebrated because the revolution was liberal, there was even the "cute cat theory of digital activism", which says when there are funny memes involved, people are more likely to join the political protest of Internet freedom. And it was seen as a good thing - a faceless dictatorial government was overthrown by lolcat. Isn't it the miracle of the postmodern Internet?
But it has been clear that ANY idea, can by popularized and supported by a free Internet. Now in the current age of deglobalization and political and economic failure, naturally, conservative, nationalistic, or even racist and fascist ideas are getting more and more support. Suddenly, the same medium (Like the social media, or the political memes) are being called hate symbols and should be banned by major platforms. It has been clear that the Internet can surely empowers "individuals to be free from the establishment", it is very true, but unfortunately, any ideas, not only ideas of "democracy and equality", as long as long as it has support, can be empowered by the Internet. Not even needed to be popular support, support from a portion of people with shared identity is enough.
When we've realizing an free and open Internet does not necessarily support liberalism, or democracy, or equality, the next question naturally arises - when the central argument for Internet freedom, that it brings democracy and equality, no longer works, should the Internet be free and open? And should we even have the right to free speech anymore, at all? I believe the answer must be yes, including those unpopular ones.
But the media, as I see it, just blindly discredit the trolls, and only solution they purposed was "don't feed the trolls", or Twitter and Facebook should ban "hate speech" and "fake news". If the mainstream cannot actually to study and understand its mechanism, and the underlying social-economical basis this conflict, of this new online anti-establishment trends and trolls, and to provide a social solution, I don't think the problem is going to be solved at anytime, and the answer to free speech, and a free, open Internet is going to be "No" soon.