Gab Dissenter
It has been suggested that this article be merged into Gab (social network). (Discuss) Proposed since February 2019. |
File:Dissenter logo.png | |
Screenshot of Dissenter.com | |
Original author(s) | Andrew Torba and Ekrem Büyükkaya |
---|---|
Developer(s) | Gab |
Initial release | February 24, 2019[1] |
Type | Social news, social network aggregation, and discussion forum |
Website | www |
Dissenter.com (or simply Dissenter) is a social news aggregation and discussion service developed by the creators of Gab,[2] a social network website known for its mainly far-right user base.[3][4][5] Dissenter was created to allow commenting on any Web page in an associated third-party forum outside of the site owner's control.[2] The platform includes a website and a browser extension.[2][6]
Dissenter was developed as a response to multiple social media platforms' and online news sites' moderation practices, which involve removal of individual comments or deleting or disabling comment sections altogether.[2]
Features
Users with registered Gab accounts may submit content to Dissenter in the form of a URL to a page on which they want to comment. This creates a discussion page where users can post a comment (or "Dissent"), and the comments can be up- or down-voted by other users of the site.[2] By using the Dissenter browser extension, users may read and post comments in an overlay while viewing page content. The Dissenter website also features a news ticker on which users can follow current events.[6]
History
Dissenter was released in February 2019, describing itself as "a free, open-source[7] utility that allows people to dissent from orthodoxy and express what they are really thinking, without fear of reprisal".[8]
Readers of Tommy Robinson began using Dissenter to comment on a BBC article about Robinson's ban from social media websites following the removal of Mohammed's Koran, by Robinson and Peter McLoughlin, from Amazon.[9][10] After Rotten Tomatoes announced that it would be removing its comment section on their review page for Captain Marvel, users of Dissenter used it to comment about the movie and Rotten Tomatoes' decision to remove comments.[6]
Reception
In the Financial Times Izabella Kaminska wrote, "There is a clear demand for this sort of freedom. Some argue the concept is therefore a billion dollar idea with the potential to completely disrupt conventional media's control of its comment real estate."[11] Ana Valens of The Daily Dot wrote, "Dissenter isn’t doing anything new for the internet. It’s just an extension for the alt-right, one to help them mobilize against journalists, critics, and progressive websites."[12] Engadget has called Dissenter "a far-right comments section on every site" and Gab's "latest attempt at attracting fringe voices".[13]
References
- ^ "WHOIS". WHOIS. Retrieved 2019-02-28.
- ^ a b c d e Carson, Erin (February 27, 2019). "Gab wants to add a comments section to everything on the internet". CNET. Retrieved 28 February 2019.
- ^ Hess, Amanda (November 30, 2016). "The Far Right Has a New Digital Safe Space". The New York Times. Retrieved December 3, 2016.
- ^ Robertson, Adi (September 6, 2017). "Far-right friendly social network Gab is facing censorship controversy". Archived from the original on April 4, 2018. Retrieved April 3, 2018.
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suggested) (help) - ^ "Feeling Sidelined By Mainstream Social Media, Far-Right Users Jump To Gab". NPR.org. Archived from the original on November 21, 2018. Retrieved November 21, 2018.
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suggested) (help) - ^ a b c Gilbert, David (2019-02-27). "Users of far-right social network Gab can now comment on the entire internet". Vice News. Retrieved 2019-02-27.
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(help) - ^ "gab-ai-inc/gab-dissenter-extension". GitHub. Retrieved 2019-04-01.
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(help) - ^ "Press release for Dissenter.com". Twitter. 2019-02-26.
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(help) - ^ "Amazon stops selling Tommy Robinson's book on Islam the day after he was booted off Facebook and Instagram – but he can still broadcast on YouTube". The Sun. 2019-02-28. (also see [http://brianoflondon.me/2019/02/breaking-tommy-robinson-news-book-burning-begins/ co-author's comment)
- ^ Joe Roberts (27 Feb 2019). "Tommy Robinson fans find new way to get round Facebook and Twitter bans". Metro.
- ^ Kaminska, Izabella (1 March 2019). "Introducing the Shadow Comment Sector". The Financial Times. Retrieved 1 March 2019.
- ^ "Meet 'Dissenter': A far-right 'comment section' for hating on journalists". The Daily Dot. 2019-02-28. Retrieved 2019-02-28.
- ^ "Gab browser extension puts a far-right comments section on every site". Engadget. Retrieved 2019-03-18.