TikTok users including myself moved to Xiaohongshu, they banned me for life for posting a comical video critical America through Mao.
It’s been nice to see ordinary Americans open up to life in China but everyone is acting blind to their censorship. Makes me thankful for the fediverse and being able to self host my own instance.
I've noticed a very pro-China shift on Lemmy since Trump became president. Yeah, Trump is awful, but it's not like that makes China or Russia better. It makes them all bad.
Pro or anti X nation state rhetoric is rarely helpful. I fully agree that blind support of another country just because it’s not the US is just silly. I don’t know what you mean by all bad. How’re you labeling all three of those countries?
Have you been to China? The thing that is affecting so many US users on xiaohongshu is waking up to how many aspects of Chinese daily life and society are actually better than the supposed best country in the world. This has been my experience on my most recent of many times in China. It shocking how many issues and stressors exist in America that don’t in China.
I don’t know what you mean by all bad. How’re you labeling all three of those countries?
Do you have your head under a rock? Over the past few years China has been putting the Uighur people in concentration camps while Russia has been invading and genociding Ukrainians.
Xiaohongshu bans all politics, even references. There's more serious platforms for those type of people, whereas xiaohongshu is to have fun and connect with others.
I've been in a lot of political discussions on Xiaohongshu. It seems people learn a little Marxism even in high school and are happy to share about it.
Not everything has been super fabulous about China, but nothing critical of Mao, and a big consensus that living in China is kinder to people who aren't wealthy than the US
This is it. Self hosting, federation, not for profit is the way. We need an internet that is made by just regular people for no better reason than it's fun. Not just social media either. We need an entire open internet, free and clear of all ulterior motives (or more likely still having bad actors mixed in, but at least they're not pulling any strings at the upper levels).
I don't know how possible that is, but I know we need it.
Fully agree! Thanks for putting my thought into much better words.
The only issue I see now is how to surpass bad mods and admins? The balance between filtering off topic or bad content versus anything goes but then nazis come out seems to be a challenge plus power tripping.
I just don't understand why it's a problem that the nazis come out. Would we not rather they utter their opinions in the open so they can be refuted? That way people can also just ignore that user if they don't like viewing what he has to say.
It's not like they don't exist just because we ban them here.. They'll go somewhere to discuss where only other people who agree with them is allowed to be.
Unless we're talking direct threats or doxing I'm always an advocate for free speech online.
Ironically enough it's actually super popular in China to "Rent-a-Mao" or Chiang Kai-Shek or whoever else from China's modern history. There are a lot of Mao impersonators, just like we have impersonators of Elvis.
It's like how companies don't like satirical use of their trademarks even if positive. Brand control. Or for China, propaganda control. They don't want you to get comfortable using jokes about it.
Weird. Weird how I post about Chinese leadership quite often on Weibo and haven't been canned.
Here's a thought: maybe it's how you go about it that counts?
Criticism of Mao in particular is perfectly cromulent here. The Party itself criticizes Mao, especially for the Cultural Revolution, with some fairly harsh language.
But if you don't know how to do it or when, then ... ah ... yeah, you're going to get people pissed off at you.
Well yeah, Mao Zedong is kinda like Chinese Muhammad or Chinese Charlemagne (not supporting the guy, but still). Were you not expecting to catch some passionate attention? I mean, I'd also ask that of everyone; China is kind of known for censoring things, like Italians and cheese or Icelanders and their elves, so it's weird to see people think the equivalent of "I'm going to a flock of crows dressed up as an owl because it's exercising freeeeeeeedom!"
I don't "support" that from a Chinese government perspective, as their journey for power and reach, like a lot of territorial groups, involved lots of death and domination over things that couldn't "ethically" be owned, but from a service owner's perspective, I mean, if it's rightfully the child of your own two hands, it's just your right to ban as you wish.