Better Offline The Streisand Effect with Mike Masnick
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Nov 6, 2024 
Mike Masnick, CEO of Techdirt and the mind behind the 'Streisand Effect,' shares fascinating insights on information control in the digital age. He discusses the irony of attempts to suppress knowledge leading to greater public interest. The conversation transitions into the evolution of blogging and the legal hurdles faced in tech. Masnick also addresses the tension between free speech and content moderation, and envisions a decentralized future with initiatives like Bluesky, emphasizing user empowerment and community over corporate profit.
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The Streisand Effect Origin
- Barbra Streisand sued a photographer for capturing her Malibu home in a coastal erosion project.
- The lawsuit backfired, boosting the photo's views from single digits to hundreds of thousands, coining the "Streisand Effect."
TechDirt's Early Days
- TechDirt, approaching 30 years old, maintains a consistent design.
- It started as an email newsletter in 1997, transitioning to a website six months later, inspired by Slashdot's format.
TechDirt Embraces Blogging
- TechDirt adopted Slashcode, an early blogging software, to facilitate daily posting.
- Mike Masnick resisted calling TechDirt a blog initially but eventually embraced the term.