They didn’t say that: none of their comments seem to be defending Facebook. They are giving their opinion that human moderation is not a simple solution. I super appreciate nindalf’s comments here. It is a shame that an ex-developer who knows the problem space and is clearly explaining some if the issues is getting flamed by association.
If human moderation won't work. And whatever they're doing now is an unqualified disaster. Then what is the solution?
Oil companies tell us that oil spills and pollution and ruined ecologies and the burning planet are just part of using oil. Sad face.
They're doing their very best to minimize the negatives. They hire the very best lobbyists and memory hole as much as possible and donate to some zoos and greenwash and "recycle".
What more could they possibly do?
Really, what do you expect? Stop using oil?! Please. That's crazy talk.
More seriously, I'm not saying that Facebook is an unmitigated evil, that their biz is the moral equivalent of trafficking (humans, arms, drugs, toxic waste), or that humanity would be better if it had never existed.
I'm only asking why they continue to create a mess that they are incapable of cleaning up, by their own admission.
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I understand these questions are for The Zuck, The Jack, and their cast of enablers (profiteers) like Thiel, Andreessen, etc.
If you're not morally comparing Facebook to oil companies & toxic polluters, why do you constantly analogize them to Facebook and describe their memory holes & ruined ecologies & the burning planet as if that's comparable to what Facebook is doing? Where does "unqualified disaster" even come from?
Toxic waste companies engaged in the conduct you described and had the impact you described and they were condemned after we found solid evidence that they were doing so. Do you have any argument or evidence whatsoever that Facebook is behaving similarly? If you want to argue the moral equivalency, argue it. Don't spin an evocative narrative about the disasters of the oil industry in the same breath as Facebook's moderation policies then disclaim it "I'm not saying that...".
