A Social Media Platform Has Banned Support of Trump – Reason.com - Katrina Gulliver:
June 25, 2019 - "The primary social network for a large and growing community has banned all positive discussion of Donald Trump and his administration. The official explanation proclaims "We cannot provide a space that is inclusive of all and also allow support for open white supremacy. Support of the Trump administration is undeniably support for white supremacy'....
"I've been a member of Ravelry for years. The site is much greater than a place for craft chat; it has over 8 million members. For lots of us, it is our main social media destination.... Ravelry allows users to create groups — and there are groups for pretty much everything: work, food, travel, literature, relationships, kids, pets....
"Although Ravelry has users from around the world, it is U.S.-based and its political discussions are largely U.S.-focused.... Those people have always worn their left-progressive perspectives on their sleeves. They have long made a point of their LGBT-friendliness, with rainbow flags during Pride month—sometimes to the consternation of older, conservative, users. Feminist and pro-choice messages abound. And designers who use the site regularly announce that they are giving a portion of sales to organizations such as Planned Parenthood or the American Civil Liberties Union.
"Those who are surprised that the site has declared itself part of the #resistance seem to be people who have never visited Ravelry, and who think it is just some noticeboard for grannies discussing baby booties. But to anyone familiar with the site, such a move does not come as a shock. Even the members who think this ban is ill-judged seem ... not surprised....
"Ravelry ... offers the world's largest database of patterns for knitting and crochet, and is the first stop for many crafters looking to buy patterns — even if they don't participate on the site in other ways. In many independent yarn stores, you can expect to find a computer set up entirely for shoppers to find patterns on Ravelry. As an online merchant, it is the main point of sale for lots of designers. Indeed, offering a pattern for sale on Ravelry is often the first step for a fledgling designer.
"This market dominance is what makes Ravelry's move important. It is a bold move for a site of this size and commercial reach to ban pro-Trump speech. It remains to be seen if large numbers of non-vocal Republicans will leave in protest. The hashtags #byeravelry and #walkawayravelry are active on Twitter, and some angry users are also sharing their thoughts on Ravelry's Facebook page. ... I expect the Ravelry owners will stick to their guns — as is their right.
"For a large social networking site to ban a political viewpoint might be a bellwether for where the culture war is headed. It is also a test of the 'go woke, go broke' theory, which posits that taking a strong political stand will hurt a business' bottom line. Other social media sites will certainly be watching to see if Ravelry suffers or succeeds."
'via Blog this'
June 25, 2019 - "The primary social network for a large and growing community has banned all positive discussion of Donald Trump and his administration. The official explanation proclaims "We cannot provide a space that is inclusive of all and also allow support for open white supremacy. Support of the Trump administration is undeniably support for white supremacy'....
"I've been a member of Ravelry for years. The site is much greater than a place for craft chat; it has over 8 million members. For lots of us, it is our main social media destination.... Ravelry allows users to create groups — and there are groups for pretty much everything: work, food, travel, literature, relationships, kids, pets....
"Although Ravelry has users from around the world, it is U.S.-based and its political discussions are largely U.S.-focused.... Those people have always worn their left-progressive perspectives on their sleeves. They have long made a point of their LGBT-friendliness, with rainbow flags during Pride month—sometimes to the consternation of older, conservative, users. Feminist and pro-choice messages abound. And designers who use the site regularly announce that they are giving a portion of sales to organizations such as Planned Parenthood or the American Civil Liberties Union.
"Those who are surprised that the site has declared itself part of the #resistance seem to be people who have never visited Ravelry, and who think it is just some noticeboard for grannies discussing baby booties. But to anyone familiar with the site, such a move does not come as a shock. Even the members who think this ban is ill-judged seem ... not surprised....
"Ravelry ... offers the world's largest database of patterns for knitting and crochet, and is the first stop for many crafters looking to buy patterns — even if they don't participate on the site in other ways. In many independent yarn stores, you can expect to find a computer set up entirely for shoppers to find patterns on Ravelry. As an online merchant, it is the main point of sale for lots of designers. Indeed, offering a pattern for sale on Ravelry is often the first step for a fledgling designer.
"This market dominance is what makes Ravelry's move important. It is a bold move for a site of this size and commercial reach to ban pro-Trump speech. It remains to be seen if large numbers of non-vocal Republicans will leave in protest. The hashtags #byeravelry and #walkawayravelry are active on Twitter, and some angry users are also sharing their thoughts on Ravelry's Facebook page. ... I expect the Ravelry owners will stick to their guns — as is their right.
"For a large social networking site to ban a political viewpoint might be a bellwether for where the culture war is headed. It is also a test of the 'go woke, go broke' theory, which posits that taking a strong political stand will hurt a business' bottom line. Other social media sites will certainly be watching to see if Ravelry suffers or succeeds."
'via Blog this'
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