Twitter Takes Steps to Address Safety; Jerks Flounce

Related to my ongoing interest in Internet civility, Twitter has recently announced the formation of a Trust & Safety Council. From Twitter's blog post about it:

As we develop products, policies, and programs, our Trust & Safety Council will help us tap into the expertise and input of organizations at the intersection of these issues more efficiently and quickly. In developing the Council, we are taking a global and inclusive approach so that we can hear a diversity of voices from organizations including: 

• Safety advocates, academics, and researchers focused on minors, media literacy, digital citizenship, and efforts around greater compassion and empathy on the Internet; 

• Grassroots advocacy organizations that rely on Twitter to build movements and momentum; 

• Community groups with an acute need to prevent abuse, harassment, and bullying, as well as mental health and suicide prevention.

The devil will be in the details of implementation, of course, but it is heartening to see a major social media company actually putting thought and resources into addressing the safe use of its platform.

Of course, some are already concern-trolling the decision, as can be expected anytime a forum purports to address civility, with the usual whinging about political correctness run amok and the threat to free speech.

Conservative/Actor/Gamergate um "personality"/opponent of "political correctness" (because of course) Adam Baldwin recently flounced from Twitter, linking to an absurd article about Twitter's Trust & Safety Council published at libertarian/conservative site The Federalist. A few other similar folks who shall remain nameless have also flounced apparently.

*shrug*

Well. Gotta say, I'm all in favor of jerks flouncing from social media platforms.  Truly.  It just saves some woman from having to take time out of her day to teach a jerk on-demand feminism, defend herself from harassment, or be a jerk whisperer.

Besides, how many thousands of women have quit Twitter due to harassment and safety concerns?  Our Fantabulous Free Speech Avengers never bring up the speech lost due to harassment and unbridled free speech/Anything Goes policies.

No matter what the policies are, someone's voice is always going to be silenced.  It's just a matter of whose and what kind of speech we collectively value more.