Twitter Is Working On Anti-Harassment Keyword Filtering Tool, Says Report (bloomberg.com)

Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey has made it a top priority for company to limit hateful conduct. In late December 2015, for example, the company changed its rules to explicitly ban "hateful conduct" for the first time. A new report says Twitter is working to further curb the rise of hateful conduct as it is "working on a keyword-based tool that will let people filter the posts they see, giving users a more effective way to block out harassing and offensive tweets." Bloomberg reports: "The San Francisco-based company has been discussing how to implement the tool for about a year as it seeks to stem abuse on the site, said the people [familiar with the matter], who asked not to be identified because the initiative isn't public. By using keywords, users could block swear words or racial slurs, for example, to screen out offenders. The filtering tool could eventually become a moderator for any kind of content, the people said. For example, users could block a hashtag about an event they don't care to read about."

Comments

it'll still be political

[Anonymous Coward]

I bet all the keywords will be carefully chosen to avoid hitting political allies like the social justice nutters.

Re: it'll still be political

[serviscope_minor]

There are already three tools for filtering: (1) block, (2) mute,

Except we both know those are ineffective against harassment swarms.

(3) don't bother logging in.

So the only option is currently to let a bunch of assholes bully you off the site so you can no longer engage in the conversations you actually want to engage with.

I seriously do not understand why you object to people having control over their own feed. It's almost like you think you should be able to either force your opinions on them or force them off the site.

Are you fucking serious? Twitter is a public platform.

Yes I am serious. Being in public is also in public. Just because something is in public does not give you some sort of moral right to be an asshole without consequences. If some people are having a conversation on a park bench, they can't stop you joining the conversation without leaving. If you do that and the only way to make you stop is to leave then congratulations, you're a major asshole.

People on twitter having public conversations is not all that dissimilar to having a conversation in public. If you keep butting in on people's feeds o the point where they leave twitter, then congratulations, you're a major asshole.

Simply existing in public does not give every jerk with an axe to grind some sort of ethical free pass on being a dickhead.

Oh and if not being enabled to be a massive dickhead by twitter actually hampers you in any way, then you really, really need to reconsider your life.

Feminist/SJW Echo Chamber Circling The Bowl

[Anonymous Coward]

The problem for Twitter is there just aren't enough Feminists/SJWs out there to keep a dying social media platform alive.

Re:Feminist/SJW Echo Chamber Circling The Bowl

[Mashiki]

No one is stopping you from spewing whatever inane stupidy passes for incitement commentary among your crowd. You'll be just as free to make an idiot of yourself on Twitter once these changes are in effect.

Really? You should pay more attention, because that's exactly what's happening. This is just one case of many, where there is one set of rules for one group of people and another for the "right kind of people."

Keep in mind that Milo never did that, but Leslie Jones sure did. So have several other people who were verified including a rapper, reporter, and a EiC of a magazine ...all of whom sic'd their followers on other people for engaging in wrong think. There's also another case of a person threatening a reporter with rape...for weeks(wish I could remember her name but it escapes me atm). Those are just off the top of my head. You know what the difference between them and Milo is? Milo doesn't carry the same political ideology as them. That reporter? She's a conservative. But in both cases when there are actual threats against them? Twitter has done nothing.

Disagree all you want, but when you cross into harassment then GTFO. No one is under any obligation to stand there while you abuse them.

Sure thing. Let me know when they actually start going after the actual harassers okay? You know people like Zoe Quinn, Kathleen Cross, Randy Harper, Izzy Galvez, Chris Kluwe and so on. You know, the people who claim that they're against harassment...right out there...harassing people, doxing people, and so on.

Who gives a shit

[Anonymous Coward]

What ever happened to "sticks and stones may break my bones but words can never hurt me?" If someone offends you, ignore them. If you can't bear to do that, a Block option has been on Twitter forever, use that. If you're still getting triggered, maybe you should step away from the computer for awhile.

Re:Who gives a shit

[negRo_slim]

What ever happened to "sticks and stones may break my bones but words can never hurt me?"

In the Age of Feels what you speak of is now unthinkable. Just like sending your kids out to play until dark and limits on screen time, being able to handle mere words with tact is loooong gone my friend.

Re:Who gives a shit

[Shadow of Eternity]

these are the de facto leaders of the MRM. You'll notice that the majority are women, one's black, and one's a bisexual single mom. The elderly woman in the center is the woman who founded the very first domestic violence shelter in the modern world... and had a drive by shooting at her house for daring to shelter male victims as well as female ones.

The only people that can't stop being offended by women and minorities seem to be feminists and the regressive left.

Does it filter #FREEMILO?

[jafiwam]

Well? Does it?