This post was originally planned for yesterday, but circumstances conspired to prevent me from doing the necessary research. It’s probably for the best, though, because the story of Mister “Jim” Metokur’s near-simultaneous YouTube and Twitter suspensions has taken a different direction than I’d initially suspected. Which I should have suspected.
If you don’t follow Jim’s exploits, you should. He is to the internet what Bill Murray was to Punxsutawney, PA in Groundhog Day: not God, but he’s been around so long he knows everything.
Jim was there at the start of #GamerGate under the aegis of the Internet Aristocrat. His video series on the Five Guys scandal led Adam Baldwin to coin the hashtag, and he quit when the consumer revolt filled up with e-celebs. His main racket, though, is documenting and ruthlessly mocking the dregs of the web like a current year Robert Ripley with a mean streak. It’s important work. If any vestige of our age survives, future historians will cite Jim’s videos in their papers–almost certainly as warnings.
Based on that description, you’re probably not surprised that Jim got the Alex Jones treatment the other day. What makes this story noteworthy is the air of shenanigans surrounding the whole business. First, Jim’s YouTube channel was yanked after he published a scathing video about the Jacksonville shooter.
Google long ago abandoned their “Don’t be evil” motto, but it would be quiet a leap, even for them, to ban a video producer in the name of a dead murderer. Also anomalous: Jim only received two strikes before being banned from YouTube instead of the normally requisite three.
Just before 1 PM the next day, Jim’s Twitter account was suspended. It’s OK, though. You can follow his good friend @MisterAntiBully instead.
Jim’s YouTube mystery has a happy ending, though. Keemstar, co-MVP with Zidan of the Killstream’s pantsing of the Quarry King, managed to get Metokur’s channel restored and the strikes removed. But the question remains: Who falsely flagged Jim’s video for spam, harassment, and bullying?
Mister Metokur presented a list of likely perps on his most recent lives stream. The suspects range from disgruntled furries to a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. Remember when that set of possibilities would have been considered beyond the pale?
Listen to the stream and weigh the evidence for yourself. Who do you think killed Jim’s account?
Whoever the culprit turns out to be–and Metokur will find him out–this tawdry episode proves Jim’s lament from the stream. The internet used to be a Wild West barroom where anything was fair game. Thin-skinned snowflakes have spoiled the fun.
Big tech’s monopolistic power to deplatform anyone to the right of Jerry Brown isn’t helping matters, either. Which is why it’s yugely encouraging that the GE said this:
As for Twitter, don’t be surprised if the Trump Organization just buys it when Jack Dorsey drives the stock price low enough.
It's something like this that will probably kick CWII off. By itself, tech companies conspiring to kick a documentary maker off their platforms is one thing. As part of a bigger trend of fascism, it's fightin' words.
I remember first discovering Metokur back when he was called Internet Aristocrat. Even though I didn’t know it back then, that was my first introduction to the ever widening culture war which I intend to embroil myself in. Quite the redpill dispensary he is
If you're taking flak…
Spit it right back
Don't be a bully, be a friend.
Jim's been saying that the future isn't going to be fun for a while now. And these idiots like those who coordinated to silence him (and cheered it on, which all of his suspects did I might add) are contributing to this problem.
The internet has, at most, 10 years left. And I'm being generous.
What do you predict the end of the internet will look like?
A UN-approved "browser" which exists to only access a heavily-moderated Facebook-like service that neatly parses out carefully massaged news stories. No comments on those, of course. The browser directly links to your bank account and tracks purchasing history from its storefront service.
That's pretty extreme, but I think we will end up there by the end.
Have to disagree, JD. My bet is on a balkanization of the Internet, with major powers setting up their own ICANN and YP master servers (ICANN is nothing special or unique). Smaller nations would align under the larger nations — an Internet NATO, Warsaw Pact, and Sino-Soviet Bloc of nations that communicate. Communication between these blocs would likely be heavily regulated and monitored.
The UN would likely be minimized by any significant downturn in economic fortunes rather than elevated, and it's losing mind share daily under the GE's presidency.
Man of the atom,
Pretty much and we'll have a real life version of Soda pop soldier where Eastasia has always been at war with Oceana.
Followed by strategic strikes that cripple a bloc's economy or kill people without wars.
xavier
It's not hard to imagine countries east of the Hajnal Line setting up their own breakaway net. They're building physical walls to keep out invaders. It's only a small step to building virtual walls to keep out the poz.
Result: By 2030, all the cool kids will be surfing a new web based in Poland and Hungary while leaving the old internet to the freakshow hivemind.
I did not factor Trump, Poland, or Hungary, in properly. Probably too much black pill recently.
Either way, I'm glad to be wrong.
Related: Share with your friends before September 27th.
WH Petition to Protect Speech in the Digital Public Square
Good idea. Signed!