Elon’s tweet disparaging the need to support the Wikipedia has stuck with me. How could anyone, even a creepy libertarian who hates government find fault with wikipedia? The wikipedia is an independent not for profit corporation. It’s the way the libertarians always assure us public goods can still exist even in their fantasy futures. And in this limited area the wikipedia largely works. A backbone for the web of human knowledge. But somehow even this is still objectionable.
Anything democratically controlled beyond absolute subservience to financial influence is alien to this guy, and therefore a threat. They can be important and say things you don’t like and there is nothing you can really do about it (except by becoming a person about whom people wish to say nicer things, but that’s unreasonable, isn’t it?)
@futurebird
I mean he tried buying his way into being well-liked by being the EV guy, the space guy. People like those things. It's just that eventually it was obvious that he wrecks the things he's in charge of. People don't like that as much.
@futurebird It seems to me that Elon has this tremendous halo effect - Even though his actions have proven over and over that he’s largely clueless, his adoring fanboys spin his behavior into some mad brilliance, when his only real talent is capitalizing off others’ ideas.
@futurebird he often seems to despise anyone who documents basic facts about how incompetent he is. And I'm guessing the wikipedia pages on Twitter, Musk, and Tesla probably don't boost his ego.
there are lots of things to find wrong with Wikipedia, starting with its insistence on secondary sources, which are randomly wrong or incomplete -- however, Musk's rant seems to be anger about the relative success of the platform vs. Twitter/X-- as a disinfo platform, Wiki makes Twitter look ineffective since many many many people don't understand that WIkipedia doesn't work from primary sources & is really not a great reference
@peachfront@futurebird I think this is a great take. Wikipedia has a ton of problems but Elon's not concerned about any of the real ones. I also have long been frustrated by their fundraising, which I think plays up the fear of Wikipedia going away, despite them (Wikimedia) having an enormous pile of money way beyond what it costs to operate the sites. Elon's nonsense here probably will play into that for them, to some extent.
The CIA has been editing (rewriting) Wikipedia since 2008.
If it's political, WIKIPEDIA CAN NO LONGER BE TRUSTED. Science subjects are less tainted, but if it's "who are the international bad guys", forget it.
Just one example: The search term MAIDAN COUP used to be redirected to MAIDAN REVOLUTION, but that page has since been renamed REVOLUTION OF DIGNITY -- see? Whose dignity?
If you look for confirmation of my allegations, you will find it.
Jimmy Wales is NOT A GOOD GUY and he's NOT LOOKING OUT FOR YOUR INTERESTS. He's just fine with the perjury of Wikipedia.
@futurebird Its like what the west does when a country decides to try an alternative economic model. Think Cuba, Libya, Allende’s Chile… It must be crushed. Same with a successful internet community where knowledge is generated, based on cooperation and not fueled by anger. It could show a different internet is possible.
@futurebird While I respect the value Wikipedia brings as a decentralized platform for knowledge, it's essential to maintain a critical eye on any information source. Libertarian ideals advocate for freedom of information and minimal central control, but there have been concerns about attempts by certain groups, including woke extremists, to influence or censor Wikipedia content. #Libertas#Technologia#Privatus
@futurebird I dunno - I think he's merely being facetious and it's (in this one instance!) Faux ignorance, purely to drive some engagement (enragement?)
@futurebird
You know why. He and others like him want you as ignorant as possible, because then you are easier misled and controlled. Same reason they defund public education, and now attack libraries. Knowledge is necessary for democracy to function properly, and they are desperately trying to control and restrict it to undermine democracy and increase their total control.
@aral@futurebird I can't be arsed to research it but my guess would be that they have some sort of petty personal beef between them. After all, the only thing billionaires hate more than poor people is other billionaires.
@futurebird Anything that paints Muskrat in an objectionable light is something he either wants privatized or destroyed. His fragile ego cannot take criticism of any sort.
@futurebird therefore, Wikipedia is a threat. He cannot control the version of truth they publish. It’s free & accessible to everyone, therefore it’s uncontrolled. It’s widely (and wildly) accessed by everyone from elementary-aged schoolchildren to members highly placed in world governments. And the Elongated Muskrat is powerless to exercise any control whatsoever.
@futurebird Musk’s description of himself as Libertarian is misleading at best. He is part of the American Oligarchy, and is very invested in furthering both that system of government by a few rich & powerful entities, and his place in it. Libertarianism is simply his vehicle to achieve that goal
@futurebird musk is not a libertarian, no matter what he'd have you believe. He wants to amalgamate all knowledge and power for himself. It hurts his ego to see others achieving that goal better than himself
@futurebird Elon's terrible, but there are legitimate problems with the Wikimedia Foundation's fundraising practices. It's nonprofit, but most of that money goes for things other than running Wikipedia. Here's a good overview of some of the problems.
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