The Political Epiphany Of Brianna Wu

Brianna had an epiphany after seeing the rush to war in Iraq from an insider’s position and she changed her politics to reflect who she was becoming.

That’s understandable.

It would be the same as working IN a meat packing plant and deciding to be vegan.

4/ But what PERMANENTLY CHANGED me was this: I saw people I respected RUSHING TO WAR in Iraq. And I knew their reasons were bullshit.

— Brianna Wu (@BriannaWu) April 7, 2017

A very human reaction.

I get that Americans are desperate for civility. I get that Americans pine for a president that will uphold the honor of the office.

But George Bush killed 109,032 civilians for weapons of mass destruction that never existed. He got friends of mine killed in Iraq.

Never forget.

— Brianna Wu (@BriannaWu) September 1, 2018

 

George Bush seems to have the same conscience.

George Bush spends his time now painting portraits of soldiers killed or injured in Iraq War following his orders.https://t.co/rfsX3Z79xA

— Brianna Wu (@BriannaWu) March 3, 2017

There is NO sign that Trump has a conscience at all.

Resist Trump.

Pick your best Democrat in primaries that reflect what you believe most closely.

Vote Republican now at your own peril.

An Email From Brianna Wu Accusing Me Of An “Outrageous, Baseless Lie.”

Apparently Brainna Wu went digging through archives and found a 2 year old blog I’d taken out of publiction where I said she’s a “former GOP fundraiser” and is wrong for Progressives.

Brianna, a former GOP staff member for Trent Lott (R -MS) and intern for Michael Steele apparently worked for 5 years for the GOP according to her own tweets.

@glennf Did you know I spent a summer interning for Michael Steele, who I thought got a very unfair rap in the press.

— Brianna Wu (@BriannaWu) December 24, 2013

http://archive.is/2FB5C

She was also “as Republican as you can be” until age 25 according to her own tweets.

I don’t think that’s “briefly” according to the standard dictionary definition.

Since I am happy to correct any unintional mistakes I emailed back a pretty extensive set of questions.

1..  What party did she fundraise for?

@glennf Some day, Glenn. I will tell you about my job fundraising for a certain political party. And the awful things I saw along the way.

— Brianna Wu (@BriannaWu) April 2, 2014

http://archive.is/WPXy7

2. How long did she work for Trent Lott (R – MS)

I used to work for the Republicans in DC. I will tell you, working in the game industry, I routinely deal with more misogyny here than there

— Brianna Wu (@BriannaWu) November 17, 2014

http://archive.is/GBHwM

When I was 19, I launched my first $200k startup. When I was 22 I threw all my stuff in my car, moved to DC and got a job in politics.

— Brianna Wu (@BriannaWu) October 8, 2014

http://archive.is/K3KAf

@collinsz i'd also say this. I believe this because I was his Republican as someone could possibly be up until I was 25.

— Brianna Wu (@BriannaWu) October 23, 2014

http://archive.is/1y58h

Is “fundraising” a part of a political campaign?  She said she’s worked at every level of a campaign.

As someone who has worked at every level of an election, there is work everyone can do. Data entry, phone banking, emailing friends.

— Brianna Wu (@BriannaWu) September 5, 2017

http://archive.is/QOYQe

5/ Eventually, I left a career in D.C – primarily over the Iraq war. Went home to Mississippi. We had the most soldiers serving per capita.

— Brianna Wu (@BriannaWu) April 7, 2017

http://archive.is/vZaxB

Is 5 years a “brief” period?

@andriajensen @jwilker Oh, that's cool. I spent 5 years doing the politics thing in DC, right next door. ^^

— Brianna Wu (@BriannaWu) January 13, 2014

http://archive.is/b7lGI

Brianna Wu emailed back saying,

Okay, that’s fair to base it off that Tweet. I was trying to sum up a summer where I attended a lot of fundraisers in the evening as part of my job and saw a lot of really weird shit. It was an imprecise statement on Twitter, back in 2014 when there was only 140 characters.

But, I’m telling you directly, I never worked as a fundraiser.

 

Brianna’s job duties included some activities linked to fundraising.

That’s certainly reasonable and expected in Washington D.C. where networking is a critical job function.

She was not a “Fundraiser” which some may take to mean “rain maker” or “bundler” or something illicit.

I apologize for any negative implications that may have been inferred by others based upon the title of the blog.

Social Media & “Big Data” Responsible For Character Assassination, Inc.™ Repeal CDA 230.

Big data.

New @datasociety report “Alternative Influence” by @beccalew covered in @guardian https://t.co/XqVK0FrQI2

— Data & Society (@datasociety) September 18, 2018

Flow charts of who talks to who, who was seen by whom and little is said about what was said at those meetings.  Or public events.  Or if the nature of the “discussion” was an attempt to understand another or just pure propaganda.

https://twitter.com/Bernstein/status/1042787226244075522

Imagine for a moment that the algorithms and API’s that provide the data “big data” scienists use to evaluate networks is itself biased.

Does that sound impossible?

A woman that silenced LGBT with her bots meets with tech companies to influence their policies.

Fighting online abuse w/ @FeministaJones @TheQuinnspiracy @roseveleth @randileeharper @jamiaw @CCRInitiative @femfreq pic.twitter.com/5xPp3jVL0T

— Jigsaw (@Jigsaw) September 23, 2015

That’s right.

https://twitter.com/magicalfeyfenny/status/887894452311793664

https://twitter.com/magicalfeyfenny/status/887895854215946241

https://twitter.com/magicalfeyfenny/status/887896276519354368

https://twitter.com/emily_esque/status/707728619188187136

That same woman begged for “feminism” in the code.

We need more activism as code. We need more feminism in code. I want *these* politics in my code.

— chasing the dopamine (@randileeharper) July 2, 2015

Do you think a woman who became a renowned public speaker had any influence at Google and Youtube over how their algorithm was coded?

Brianna Wu has spent years asking Google to put “trusted sources” into the code.

Tech platforms, including Facebook Google and Bing, treat something a troll writes exactly the same as something vetted by a journalist at a reputable publication.

Tech platforms bear a HUGE amount of responsibility on this. It’a why none of us can agree on any common reality.

— Brianna Wu (@BriannaWu) July 30, 2018

Thank you! I was very honored to give this talk at @Google! https://t.co/qtIh6Nnuef

— Brianna Wu (@BriannaWu) October 11, 2015

Important to note: Google’s algorithm issues are congenital on YouTube, where young children are getting radicalized by the fringe right. https://t.co/pjFopmM3OV

— Brianna Wu (@BriannaWu) October 2, 2017

The Alt-Right is very successful at using bots to manipulate public opinion like this. It also manipulates Google/YouTube results. https://t.co/wj0K3mJbqA

— Brianna Wu (@BriannaWu) April 9, 2017

2/ I have been pulling out my hair in backchannel for years with Google, asking them to consider the trustworthiness of source in ranking.

— Brianna Wu (@BriannaWu) October 2, 2017

If we are considering “trustworthiness” isn’t it important that Randi Lee Harper, who worked with Brianna Wu, silenced LGBT with her bots on Twitter?

Dear @jack,

I’ve worked with your Trust and Safety department since 2014. I know @twitter is working hard and doesn’t get the credit you deserve. And I know it’s tempting to tune out critique.

But, I implore you to consider what your legacy will be if Trump starts a nuclear war

— Brianna Wu (@BriannaWu) January 3, 2018

I really believe that Anita, Zoe, Randi and I are changing history. We're fighting these battles so other women don't have to. @freebsdgirl

— Brianna Wu (@BriannaWu) February 28, 2015

Who is zooming who here?

Who elected Brianna Wu and Randi Lee Harper Chiefs of Social Ostracization™?

There is no equivalent of Milo on the left because we hold ourselves to higher standards. Our Milo wannabes get ostracized pretty quickly.

— Brianna Wu (@BriannaWu) February 22, 2017

I want a revote.

Hey all!! I'm excited to share my new @datasociety report. The tldr: a giant network of influencers on YouTube is broadcasting reactionary ideas to young viewers – and radicalizing them in the process. https://t.co/jvDUyiHjNK

— Becca Lewis (@beccalew) September 18, 2018

Tim Pool, who did excellent reporting on the water shortage (crisis) in East Porterville,CA …

…and who is a self employed journalist (multi racial) and non high school graduate finds himself lumped in with some actually awful people.

https://twitter.com/Timcast/status/1042794151358676992

https://twitter.com/Timcast/status/1042798285646389248

https://twitter.com/Timcast/status/1042170685127380992

https://twitter.com/Timcast/status/1042807065792659457

https://twitter.com/Popehat/status/1042798449144426496

How do you deal with data scientists that not only rely on biased algorithms and API data but falsify facts?

How to measure the harm to a self employed journalist who the Left appears to be trying to silence?  Tim Pool relies on Youtube monetization for his living.

Congress needs to heavily regulate these monoliths.  And investigate them for Antitrust violations.  CDA 230 needs to be repealed and social media held accountable for the falsehoods their ‘data” enables and their platforms spread by accounts they allow to exist.

In short, social media companies need to have the same risks and responsibilities everyone else int he United States. They have abused their privilege of immunity and have abused others Civil Rights in doing so.

https://twitter.com/Timcast/status/1042535807611953152

Si Se Puede!

Tech Bro Anil Dash is a Gaslighting Douchelord Troll!

Anil Dash was a “leading supporter” of Republican TERF Randi “Die In A Fire” Lee Harper.

@randileeharper I missed it last night and didn't get to give and am already a target, so let's say I'm a leading supporter?

— anildash.com (@anildash) February 28, 2016

http://archive.is/uGpmz

https://twitter.com/moebius_strip/status/1041116126359375872

 

Randi Lee Harper’s credentials are IMPECCABLE.

@tjslater haha, seems like everyone does! i like where i am for now. careful what you wish for – i come with a mob of harassers. 😛

— chasing the dopamine (@randileeharper) December 17, 2014

@freebsdgirl @harper I like their attempts to question your credentials. Hell, *I* spoke at OSCON & I know nothing except how to be cool.

— anildash.com (@anildash) June 9, 2015

Randi Lee Harper tweeted she lead a haraassment mob and now Anil in his “I am not listening, I am right about everything” mode, has decided harassment mobs don’t exist.

There Is No “Twitter Mob”

You see, there is no “Twitter mob”, there’s only people

Sorry, but mob leaders who attacked people FOR Randi have tweeted about how their abuse mob tactics worked before they were suspended, Anil.

Sorry LGBT silenced by a harassment mob leading Republican terf, but what you saw you did not see.  IT did NOT happen to you.  Anil Dash says so.

Anil Dash is STILL “this asshole.”

@randileeharper @izs I'm probably less understanding because I'm like "I know these guys are assholes because I have been this asshole!"

— anildash.com (@anildash) July 13, 2015

http://archive.is/8oQcd

How did a Republican TERF who silenced LGBT gain such prominence?

Early supporters like Anil Dash latched onto her message and didn’t listen to her victims.

We are on to you, @wadhwa. We fucking know all about your shitty tactics. And I won't be silent until everyone else knows, too.

— chasing the dopamine (@randileeharper) January 29, 2015

@anildash Anil, I maintain that your are misguided. These people are behaving as badly as the people they criticize. This is not right

— Vivek Wadhwa (@wadhwa) January 29, 2015

@wadhwa It's interesting you *never* simply ask these many women, "What am I doing wrong?" and then listen.

— anildash.com (@anildash) January 29, 2015

@anildash Because I don't know the people who are launching these incessant, unprofessional attacks on me. I expect more of you.

— Vivek Wadhwa (@wadhwa) January 29, 2015

Anil Dash is a gaslighting troll denying the very reality Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey says exists at Twitter and that we know Anil Dash particpated in.

Abuse, harassment, troll armies, propaganda through bots and human coordination, misinformation campaigns, and divisive filter bubbles…that‘s not a healthy public square. Worse, a relatively small number of bad-faith actors were able to game Twitter to have an outsized impact.

— jack (@jack) September 5, 2018

Not being holier than thou; it took me a few years to learn I should never hate-RT something. It activates a mob you often can't rein in.

— anildash.com (@anildash) February 17, 2016

biz stone is a pretentious little assbucket and i hate his face.

— chasing the dopamine (@randileeharper) May 22, 2018

He is condescending, rude and a participant in harassment.

Let the little boy fussing anonymously keep sputtering at me; I don’t mind.

— anildash.com (@anildash) September 16, 2018

Please ban Harassment Mob Foot Soldier/Troll Anil Dash.

The answer to reducing abuse (whether harassment or exploiting networks to manipulate media) is to promote or restrict accounts on the basis of their actual activity & behavior on the network. https://t.co/m4pAfTSpNe This is, ironically, how copyright enforcement happens already.

— anildash.com (@anildash) January 29, 2018

Anil Dash.  Gaslighting Troll.

I don't often ask the mob to do things. But please, please, tell @lauthinv to take down this exploitative post: http://t.co/FxFlmCbIer

— chasing the dopamine (@randileeharper) May 1, 2015

Gamergate: Where Are They Now? The Successes, Fails & Silencers of #LGBT

Gamergate pitted 2 sides against the other.  Which was right and which was wrong?

That depends on your politics and tolerance for abuse. Both sides employed/deployed bots, trolls and abuse mobs.

Where are they now?

The Women of Gamergate:

I really believe that Anita, Zoe, Randi and I are changing history. We're fighting these battles so other women don't have to. @freebsdgirl

— Brianna Wu (@BriannaWu) February 28, 2015

Brianna Wu:

The tech CEO and public speaker, former journalist, ran for Congress on a progressive ticket and had an impressive showing (starting from essentially zero) and is building her base for a 2020 run.

A record number of women are running for office. The men we’re running against didn’t build their careers in a day, and neither will we.

Every hand we shake, every vote we get is a stepping stone to a more equitable America. We will persist.

— Brianna Wu (@BriannaWu) September 14, 2018

Anita Sarkeesian:

Anita continues her work at Feminist Frequency with a podcast & social advocacy.  She wrote a book and continues her public speaking career.

Just got back from the gym to my upcoming book with @ebonyaster. TBH writing a book is really taxing so I was losing a bit of steam, but seeing it IRL is so cool. I'm having all the feels rn 😭🤗😍

It's out Oct 2, pre-order yours today: https://t.co/xzuV8jTP0m pic.twitter.com/s8bd1bX7qE

— Anita Sarkeesian ✨ NEW SHOW OUT NOW (@anitasarkeesian) September 12, 2018

Zoe Quinn:

The artist/programmer/social advocate is now involved in the comic book industry with DC Comics.  Something tells me the character is based on someone we know.

Get hype: I’m doing a cyberpunk magical girl comic with spider-Gwen co-creator @RobbiRodriguez for @vertigo_comics https://t.co/hOIgCPFTak

— zoë “Baddie Proctor” quinn (@UnburntWitch) June 7, 2018

Randi Lee Harper: 

The allegedly racist troll/doxer/hacker harassment mob leader Republican lives off donations to her patreon and is in hiding after daring people to dox her.

I'm just waiting for someone to try to "dox" me, which I think means releasing my personal info onto the internet. Already public, GG.

— chasing the dopamine (@randileeharper) October 2, 2014

Man, these kids don't understand trolling. Back in my day, it was an art form. 1990s hacker scene. Never forget.

— chasing the dopamine (@randileeharper) September 2, 2016

what does that have to do with me hiding for the past 3 years because of the abuse that a thing you built enabled?

— chasing the dopamine (@randileeharper) October 4, 2017

My patreon just dipped below the minimum required for me to pay my bills. whelp. That means it’s time to post it. https://t.co/NGP9HAcuDo

— chasing the dopamine (@randileeharper) April 2, 2018

Randi, according to journalist Jesse Singal, has silenced marginalized communities (LGBT) with her blocking and autoblocker bot.

this is why blocking vs engaging is totally the way to go.

— chasing the dopamine (@randileeharper) September 17, 2016

https://twitter.com/jessesingal/status/777252555722256384

"silencing" by blocking. lol. Someone should hook them up with grimachu's lawyer

— chasing the dopamine (@randileeharper) September 17, 2016

Randi herself knew that is a bad strategy to cut off people from their support networks but did it to LGBT advocates purposefully.

Do not tell someone to stop feeding the trolls. Do not tell someone to not respond. Do not cut people off from their support networks.

— chasing the dopamine (@randileeharper) July 19, 2016

Randi has also been called out for this silencing on Twitter where she remains free to troll others.

https://twitter.com/Herracks/status/707623338999328769

@eigenscape @GrizzlyWillis @Glinner (also, illberal, lol). Have fun, fuckboy. blocking you now. sorry about the free speech violation!

— chasing the dopamine (@randileeharper) January 12, 2016

The Pro Gamergate Side. Such as It Is:

Milo Yiannopoulis

After scoring a $13 million dollar startup fund for Dangerous, Milo has been ostracized by polite society for networking with white supremacists and trolls as part of his shtick.

Milo gets 13 million dollars on startup to harass women and PoC while I know women that LITERALLY INVENTED game genres and can't get funded.

— Brianna Wu (@BriannaWu) April 29, 2017

Milo ocassionally whines on Facebook about the injustice of it all.

Ethan Ralph

Proprietor of a muckraking site, The Ralph Retort, Ralph has returned to limited podcasting after being released from prison. He served time for assaulting law enforcement.

Ethan Ralph is a frequent guest on white nationalist podcasts such as Red Ice.

Ethan Ralph’s political editor Lane Davis shot his own father to death (called him a nazi) and is serving time in prison.

Ralph now spends his time tweeting people about being a convicted felon and suggesting they self harm.

https://twitter.com/TheRalphRetort/status/1040779265908908032

http://archive.is/wriZ8

 

Mike Ma:  Breitbart Journalist Mike Ma was suspended by twitter for abuse and disappeared into the void never to be heard from again. We think he’s “Admin” on Dangerous but who cares?

His Vines were funny but he was a bully.  C’est la vie.

As to a harassment mob leader leading a “war on harassment.”

Republican Randi Lee Harper’s worrying should have informed her behaviors better.

@jessesingal second to last paragraph is exactly what i'm worried about. "war on harassment" turning into a big fucking disaster.

— chasing the dopamine (@randileeharper) September 29, 2015

….GWU Research to tell them how many people had died in Puerto Rico (how would they not know this?). This method was never done with previous hurricanes because other jurisdictions know how many people were killed. FIFTY TIMES LAST ORIGINAL NUMBER – NO WAY!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 15, 2018