Twitter isn’t censoring #GodisnotGreat. Gizmodo explains:
Twitter uses an algorithm to determine what’s trending. It’s not human-edited. It famouslyvalues novelty over popularity. That makes it really really hard for trends to stay alive, as they essentially have to keep snowballing in order to keep trending. That’s why it’s called a trend!
A Twitter spokesperson verified that the company still does not censor trends. Even if the trend was really, really offensive (see the #ReasonsToBeatYourGirlfriend trending topic above) the company would not intervene.
So, while your theory is nice, Internet, it’s also wrong. You’re not being censored, you’re just dull.
Not that I don’t enjoy watching my fellow atheists lose their shit, but c’mon folks you’re making us look ridiculous and petty here.
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Daniel Fincke says
If Twitter was in fact censoring, it would not be ridiculous and petty.
Crommunist says
I disagree. It would be just as meaningful as all those other immortal trending Twitter topics like… uh… wait… oh yeah right nobody cares about Twitter trends. Every major news outlet in the world is carrying news of Hitchens’ death, and people whose main source of information is Twitter Trends probably don’t read books anyway. A book title not appearing on the right-hand column of a popular webpage is really, sincerely not something worth getting upset about.
Crommunist says
I disagree. It would be just as meaningful as all those other immortal trending Twitter topics like… uh… wait… oh yeah right nobody cares about Twitter trends. Every major news outlet in the world is carrying news of Hitchens’ death, and people whose main source of information is Twitter Trends probably don’t read books anyway. S book title not appearing on the right-hand column of a popular webpage is really, sincerely not something worth getting upset about.
Daniel Fincke says
If they were deliberately suppressing atheist trends because they were offending the religious, that matters, regardless of how many other outlets were not doing so.
Crommunist says
Even if that was the case, I couldn’t summon any fucks to give. Also, it’s not “atheist trends”, it’s one particular atheist trend. I’d be more amused than upset if they did it.
sqlrob says
No, it’s trends.
Remember the No Gods merger?
Crommunist says
Nope, which is kind of my point.
N. Nescio says
Count me in the “not giving a shit about Twitter” camp. Didn’t care for it when I tried it in beta, haven’t bothered since.
I prefer YouTube, as it has 3.57 times more inanity per post.
Greg Laden says
So, that’s what they told you, eh?
Midnight Rambler says
Of course, it’s what THEY want you to believe. When in fact the Twitmasters are following the directives of their Papist overlords.
F says
Last I heard, the goddists were complaining about being censored on Twitter. Now it’s the atheists?
I have a hard time dealing with people who can use the word “trending” with a straight face, at least at that moment.
Riptide says
According to our hell-bound friends at Buzzfeed, #GodIsNotGreat is very much a “trending topic”, and has elicited much wailing and gnashing of teeth amongst those humble lamb-like faith-heads. Who then threaten to murder the people who started the “trend” and their entire families, several times over.
Thus rather proving the point, I would imagine.
leonpeyre says
Oops! I guess we got a little egg on our face with that one.
Still, this sort of thing actually does go on in places with people doing deliberate censoring. So we had reason to suspect funny business, even if it turned out it was all smoke and no fire.