Erin GallagherDec 17, 2022
Mike Masnick ✅

If you're over here, you may have missed that Matt Taibbi is pushing a new batch of "Twitter Files" over on the other site... and once again seems to not understand the context of ANYTHING he's looking at, while presenting it in the most conspiratorially misleading way possible.

Yes, the FBI alerted Twitter to tweets that told people to vote on the wrong day. And asked Twitter if they violated policy. That's basically it.

Dec 16, 2022 at 10:21pmWeb
Show threadMariya DelanoDec 16, 2022
@mmasnick is there any way to read this nonsense without having to go on the bird site directly?
Show threadbunnyAdvocateDec 16, 2022

@mariyadelano @mmasnick There's a thread reader post here:

https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1603857534737072128.html

Although it should come with a health warning that you may suffer multiple facepalm incidents reading through its deceptive slant.

Thread by @mtaibbi on Thread Reader App

@mtaibbi: 1. THREAD: The Twitter Files, Part Six TWITTER, THE FBI SUBSIDIARY 2. The #TwitterFiles are revealing more every day about how the government collects, analyzes, and flags your social media content. 3. Twit...…

Show threadMariya DelanoDec 16, 2022

@bunnyAdvocate @mmasnick THANK YOU

I have been craving my daily dose of cringe 😂

Show threadaltobaseDec 16, 2022
@mariyadelano @mmasnick I finally went and uninstalled bird app from my phone. I didn't want to give them my traffic and wanted to give mastodon an honest shot. But the feeling that I am 'missing out' on developing stories like this is a tough one to shake.
Show threadmaxDec 16, 2022
@altobase @mariyadelano @mmasnick you’re not missing anything. The slow drip of each tweet takes hours to complete and once it’s all out people will be sharing it here. the other 6 parts shouldve convinced you there’s really nothing to see.
Show threadMariya DelanoDec 16, 2022
@maxXx @altobase @mmasnick you're probably right. It's hard to shake the FOMO after getting so used to Twitter
Show threadmaxDec 16, 2022
@mariyadelano @altobase @mmasnick trust, if there was truly something earth shattering in that mess he would not be releasing it on a Friday afternoon. Major bombshells are generally dropped earlier in the week in order to dominate the weekly news cycle. Fridays are where stories go to die.
Show threadMariya DelanoDec 16, 2022
@maxXx @altobase @mmasnick oh I know this isn’t a big deal, I’m just curious at this point to see what else they are twisting / misrepresenting more than anything
Show threadBundleOfStixxDec 16, 2022
@mariyadelano @mmasnick maybe nitter?
Show threadMike Masnick ✅Dec 16, 2022
@mariyadelano not that i know of...
Show threadMariya DelanoDec 16, 2022
@mmasnick will wait for someone here to share screenshots / cover it in more detail then
Show threadAris TeonDec 16, 2022
@mmasnick the only way to cover this new far right propaganda strategy is to just expose it for what it is. I also won't read any media articles that regurgitate the phrase "Twitter files", which, like the X Files, is the title of a conspiratorial fiction
Show threadDavid ColburnDec 16, 2022
@mmasnick Egregious interference in elections by...wanting people to know the correct date for the election.
Show threadPappyDec 16, 2022
@mmasnick My sense is that Twitter was acting like a news publisher. It's common for newspapers to delay publishing stories until they have more context and information. To withhold information from stories they do publish, to cooperate with the govt, refuse to publish something at some rich person's request. What goes on the front page vs the last page, how things are laid out, etc...are all part of the editorial process. In Twitter's case, the users are creating the news in realtime.
Show threadJesse VanderlaanDec 16, 2022

@mmasnick I just don't understand how they can frame it the way they are with a straight face. He says one thing and posts evidence that shows the opposite.

Like he says the FBI pressured Twitter, and then shows an image of a very polite request from the FBI for Twitter to review some tweets for possible ToS violations and demands nothing.

No pressure, no compulsion. It's truly aggravating to read.

Show threadMike Masnick ✅Dec 16, 2022
@jvanderlaan extraordinarily aggravating. like he says the FBI "demands action" when the actual message is literally "can you check to see if these maybe violate your policies?"
Show threadBlanding S TurtleDec 16, 2022
@mmasnick Did Matt Taibbi recently adopt a pet raccoon?
Show threadMike Masnick ✅Dec 16, 2022

@peatbog i am trying, and failing, to understand this reference.

(Of note: one of my colleagues, has a pet raccoon, so I'm trying to figure out if this is a reference to that, but then still not understanding it)

Show threadBlanding S TurtleDec 17, 2022

@mmasnick Raccoons can give you brain worms.

"Symptoms may include drowsiness, confusion, loss of muscle coordination or decreased head control. Humans may have permanent nervous disabilities or vision loss and in severe cases, blindness or death may occur."

https://www.mass.gov/service-details/raccoon-roundworm

Raccoon Roundworm

Learn how to protect yourself from this parasite.

Mass.gov
Show threadMike Masnick ✅Dec 17, 2022
@peatbog i'll have to let @TimCushing know
Show threadBlanding S TurtleDec 17, 2022

@mmasnick @TimCushing The disease isn't one I hear about often even though lots of people play with squirrels and raccoons. Still it's terrifying. If I put a plate on the back porch for the possum, I'm mindful of possible contamination when I bring it in and I wash it carefully.

I thought I was making a clever joke about Taibbi's judgement but I failed to read the room, lol.

Show threadMike Masnick ✅Dec 17, 2022
@peatbog @TimCushing no worries... I was legit confused because of Tim's raccoons, and many people who know me and Tim on Twitter joke about his raccoons, so I wasn't sure if that's what this was about or... what you actually meant it to be.
Show threadBlanding S TurtleDec 17, 2022

@mmasnick @TimCushing I understand about strange coincidences in conversations on the Internet.

Years ago I got involved with researching a cult famous for sneaky ops against critics. If I met someone with the same unusual last name as a bad guy, I'd have to google to see if there was a connection. Never found anything though.

Show threaddmvindcDec 16, 2022
@mmasnick My favorite part was where FBI was like, hey, these accounts might be violating your terms of service, do whatever you see fit to do about it, if anything at all. And Taibbi basically reads that as WHOA FBI GAVE TWITTER MARCHING ORDERS.
Show threadWildGorillaManDec 17, 2022
@mmasnick Just waits until Elmo takes a break from dragging Weiss and turns on him.
Show threadMatt ⎊ Dec 17, 2022
@mmasnick aside from all of the main Twitter Files nonsense, it would have at least been nice for Elon & Co. to rollout the supposed 4000-character tweet update *before* passing these docs to Taibbi and Weiss. Content aside, those threads are absolutely unbearable to slog through
Show threadErin GallagherDec 17, 2022

@mmasnick Here are screenshots of the 7 tweets in the email from Matt's tweet # 29. What he called "low engagement" tweets wrre either in the replies of large accounts or had popular voting hashtags. One had a thing about killing commies in his bio. Also note they were targeting R's & D's.

Pretty meh tweets if you consider the astronomical amount of bullshit that was circulating from large verified accounts then but I guess it's all "Free Speech" to Matt.

Show threadMegaeraDec 17, 2022
@mmasnick trying to remember if he was always this bad. or if i was more forgiving in my 20s.