It's a flawed ideal because no one is owed a hearing from you, me, or anyone else and because it asserts all points of view or beliefs have equal value. The latter being the most troubling implication of free speech absolutism is why I don't bother to listen to or even take stock in the views of Creationists, New Agers, or "alternative medicine" crackpots. Their ideas are worthless until they can be tested by science or show some material results beyond wishful thinking. It's high time people actually take that position rather than cower behind the "there's truth in all things" nonsense.
Also, private parties are not legally obligated to carry any/all services/goods/speech just because you and others want it to be the case. There's no such basis of a Fairness Doctrine for the economy (even when taking into account the equal protection clause's interpretation or that of the Civil Rights Act of 1964's protected classes). The moment you try to create convoluted arguments that somehow one must hear, offer up a platform to, anyone without qualification or just compensation then you're supporting free speech but rather supporting forced association beyond what even the most liberal of legal theorists would entertain. Perhaps it's time to reign in this free speech absolutism and admit not everyone has to listen?
Free speech (in the "absolutist" sense you're describing) doesn't necessarily assert that all points of view are equal or equally valid, only that all points of view should be equally expressible. To me, there is nothing in that ideal which insists that lies need to be accepted, or can't be fought against, or disproved.
You seem to be arguing that free speech encompasses a greater breadth of opinion than certain ideologies care to admit, rather than actually discrediting it as an ideal. You're accusing others of false equivalence, by way of false dichotomy.
You also seem to be assuming that anyone who believes in "absolute free speech" does so to defend right-wing, anti science views, which if so is simply not accurate.
>...only that all points of view should be equally expressible.
Again, so long as private parties are not morally nor legally obligated to be a platform for all people that visit or use their site there can be no argument that they should act as one outside of their self-interests (or that of their shareholders).
>To me, there is nothing in that ideal which insists that lies need to be accepted, or can't be fought against, or disproved.
Then how would it work when Family Research Council sells their t-shirts and keychains or whatever through Shopify? How would they feel about such an organization which opposes LGBT rights using their service? I'm sure it would give some discussion among their employees. See the problem? At some point, you gotta admit that all economic actions are political ones (same with social actions).
>You're accusing others of false equivalence, by way of false dichotomy.
Far from it, I'm pointing out that free speech as so many fellow programmers/devs conceive of it as this perfect ideal to reach for rather than a legal right that we enjoy. And part of that comes from the faulty notion that there's a marketplace of ideas when ideas don't operate on the basis of a marketplace. So when you have that idea that ideas should be treated as goods in a marketplace your only option is to take the plunge and support free speech in all spheres of life, especially those which are private and personal (which gets dicey IMO).
>You also seem to be assuming that anyone who believes in "absolute free speech" does so to defend right-wing, anti science views, which if so is simply not accurate.
It's not that they defend such ideas but that they allow such ideas to infect and distort the public discourse by not opposing their dissemination in the private sphere. If you own a site and genuinely believe that global warming is a man-made disaster then it makes no sense to give denialists access to your platforms. At some point you have to take a stand for your beliefs beyond the ballot box or your campaign donations. At some point you have to push back.
http://sealedabstract.com/rants/re-xkcd-1357-free-speech/