Tech Breh Q&A: How Can We Combat Online Trolls and Hate Speech?

[null]

A feasible process like that works where punishment and be linked to something of value like bitcoin. How does that apply to a troll farm who has no problem with spawning new identities once they are discovered? What algorithms will be in place to say - hey, this person has done this before.

The "value" lost is degree of access to the platform in both cases.

You are talking about a "barrier" (see my post below). At least we are nearly on the same page now

Spoiler: already raised at time-0 in this thread - for those who read it

i trust you can join the dots based on the consequences of my statement above. the next hurdles are replay-ability and barriers and prevention of pre-materialisation / lookup dictionaries. but like I said at the outset I was looking at an exchange of ideas and on thecoli rumour has it that this place is better than TLR for that.

You throttle ID creation. You make it prohibitive to generate many.

I'm not decided on the second point. As the ratio of policers to policed is high and the effect of a sanction is high it might not matter if people re-create.

So yeah ... ideas.. all I am seeing is invalid and near-sighted "no we can't"' which are really just "no I can't".

 

[2Quik4UHoes]

thanks for your brilliant ideas

i'll add them to the rest

My pleasure, glad to be of assistance

 

[jj23]

The "value" lost is degree of access to the platform in both cases.

You are talking about a "barrier" (see my post below). At least we are nearly on the same page now


You throttle ID creation. You make it prohibitive to generate many.

I'm not decided on the second point. As the ratio of policers to policed is high and the effect of a sanction is high it might not matter if people re-create.

So yeah ... ideas.. all I am seeing is invalid and near-sighted "no we can't"' which are really just "no I can't".

I can never figure if you are being a troll, in which case maybe we can get you banned using you model, or deliberately obtuse.

Either way, have at it!

 

[null]

it ain't hard to tell.. this

is not troll posting.

Spoiler: ....

As it says on the tin, what technical steps can be taken to combat online trolls over and above what is being done now?

Is there a solution out there or is it an intractable or impossible problem (for the time being)?

This is a question for techies who understand the underpinnings of the Internet.

Today Instagram announced ("waffled") the following (spoilered) and it got me thinking:

Spoiler: ..

Instagram FINALLY say they will get tough and remove accounts that send racist messages and stop abusers creating new profiles after sickening abuse sent to football stars including Marcus Rashford, Anthony Martial and Reece James

• Instagram revealed new measures to tackle online abuse after recent attacks
• Company does not use technology to proactively detect content in private chats
• Aim to remove accounts in a bid to reduce abuse people get in direct messages

Instagram have finally announced they will crack down on online a**** by removing accounts that send racist messages and prevent abusers from creating new profiles in the wake of the latest spate of sickening racist attacks on footballers.

Instagram vows to get tough and REMOVE accounts that send racist messages | Daily Mail Online

Facebook content policy manager Fadzai Madzingira

from now on non-tech topics == no response

 

[acri1]

let's delve into "shadow ban" then. you could allow users to determine what they see from other users. that is not censorship, that is choice .

just like the madman chattering in the square in the real world, you might not be able to stop him, but people can ignore or walk away from him. that same principle could carry over to online but rather than having to un-see individually on each platform you "un-see" once for all participating platforms. or you pre-emptively "un-see" ID's who match some criteria.

just because someone is talking (well typing) it doesn't mean that you have to listen (well see it ).. see this thread for examples

I'm not sure that would really help that much tho, might even just make it easier for people to stay in their bubble.

Conservatives would just un-see anything they perceived as liberal and vice-versa.

 

[null]

I'm not sure that would really help that much tho, might even just make it easier for people to stay in their bubble.

Conservatives would just un-see anything they perceived as liberal and vice-versa.

good point.

the mass filterable criteria could be limited to T&C type violations ("abuse", doxing etc) rather than (as in your example) political persuasion.

more generally by removing the less palatable actors you might find people more willing to tolerate a more civil middle ground (in terms of behaviour).

at the end of the day this isn't about perfecting interaction but more about removing the more egregious behaviour - or making such behaviour more readily ignorable.

anyway I ain't here to preach. any ideas (along with the objections) might be useful ..