
Tumblr Suspends Violent Extremism Researcher's Account - gee_totes
http://boredjihadi.tumblr.com/post/161111919522/bring-ibn-siqilli-back
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imode
this brings into discussion what identifying propaganda actually entails when
corner cases like this pop up. interesting circumstances.

it makes me wonder: if you're actively doing research on these modern day
areas of conflict and the culture that's in them, would you rather ask for
forgiveness or permission when posting your material to a site that monitors
material of that nature? and if it was so easy to gain forgiveness, what would
stop people from framing said areas of conflict in different lights under the
guise of research?

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pvg
I can't see how one would ponder either of these things before the much
simpler 'is this a good platform on which to distribute my research on a
highly sensitive topic' and then somehow arrive at 'yes, yes Tumblr is'.

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wordupmaking
I can't believe that apparently some people see "Tumblr" but not the
"researcher employed by NATO". It's just text and images and video, the
"place" where it's at matters only for the people having to pay for pipes,
really. Some of the best things in the world get posted in totally random
places, it has always been thus.

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pvg
The 'place' matters an awful lot. For instance, it's perfectly fine to take a
poop in your own bathroom. Something being digital doesn't magically free us
from context and norms.

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k-mcgrady
Somebody's account has been suspended. Ok, why? "I assume he has been
suspended because Tumblr thinks Chris is spreading jihadi propaganda.". So
(unless it wasn't posted for some reason) nothing to back this up at all and
we actually don't know why he was suspended.

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ben0x539
So we're not allowed to draw inferences now? It's not like tumblr is gonna
issue a press release to spell it out, so waiting for that before talking
about the thing seems counterproductive.

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archgoon
Signal is preferred to noise.

If you have actually worked at Tumblr, or another social company that has to
deal with blocking accounts, and can provide some analysis of what goes into
these decisions (is it automated? How many people are involved? How much
discretion is given to individual employees? What are the legal implications
if Tumblr did nothing?) that would be interesting and informative.

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sheraz
Tumblr always felt like an odd place for anything academic or serious. Am I
alone in that thought?

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mcguire
Not at all.

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JCzynski
As it is said on Tumblr itself: "This Blue Fucking Hellsite"

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sverige
This is one of the taboo subjects of our times. It's ok to be a jihadi and
post your stuff, but to criticize the jihadi culture and expose its inner
workings is not ok since it implies moral judgment. We can't have any of that.

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archgoon
There is no evidence that is the case. In fact, the linked article says:

'I assume he has been suspended because Tumblr thinks Chris is spreading
jihadi propaganda'

Which would be Tumblr doing the exact opposite of what you say they do.

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sverige
But then he goes on to say that "Suspending his account makes all the less
sense considering the numerous genuine jihadi propaganda blogs that Tumblr has
not taken action against." Which would be Tumblr doing the exact thing I said
they did, as are the down voters.

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hellbanner
Are jihadist's tumblrs suspended?

