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For those not keeping up with internet drama (I don't blame you one bit), a trans identified male launched a harrassment campaign against the security provider for internet archive forum and discussion board Kiwi Farms, ostensibly because they were "doxing and threatening" him. In reality, they simply had a thread detailing how he had groomed minors, and he wanted it off the internet (this person had previously run for public office in Canada). Mere days after Cloudflare (the security provider) published a statement saying that they would not drop a customer simply because people don't like their content, they caved to the pressure, and blocked traffic to the site. The response has been a mix of rejoicing from groomers whose sordid internet history is now harder to find, and full mask-off gloating about how they're planning to go after female-run sites like Mumsnet and Ovarit next. Why Mumsnet? Because if there's something these men hate more than being called out for their own behavior, it's women having a space to themselves that men aren't allowed to join (even if they put on a dress and start calling themselves women when it's convenient to them). This goes hand in hand with women being fired from jobs or even arrested (in the UK) for saying something "unkind" on Twitter. It's no coincidence that the victims in these cases are women.
Now I won't pretend that Kiwi Farms isn't filled with basement-dwelling incels and alt-right chuds who were kicked off of Reddit, but it is a dangerous precedent to set that any site on the internet (even if self-hosted) must recite certain rhetoric or be silenced. So what does that mean for female-run sites like us? Where do we go from here? There's no shortage of men who would love to see us banished from the internet. How do we keep ahead of men like these? I'm not posting this because I have a plan (I wish I did), but because I want to start a discussion about how we feel about increasing internet and personal censorship (especially against women), and what we might be able to do about it.
On a practical level, I don't know how this site is run or managed on the back end but I think it's important to have a backup plan. The site and its content needs to be regularly backed up, ideally by multiple folks / via multiple methods, and a backup URL should be created.
Just like places of employment / schools / etc. would rather fire or expel someone than deal with the fallout of protecting someone who challenges the auth-left narrative, web hosts are likely to just wipe their hands clean of any drama / trouble for a single site than actually stick up for free speech.
The patriarchal capitalist system that runs the west unfortunately leaves little room for dissenting ideas. Web hosts are businesses that care more about saving face for profit than taking the morally correct stance.
On a personal level I treat all my socials as temporary; and every few years I pretty much re-brand and start from scratch. You just gotta do it. But we have to be outspoken when we can, cause the things is more women would align with FDS if they weren't afraid to be cancelled which is a big risk. I won't speak on dangerous topics publicly on FDS forums and only in private channels to protect the community - and I always said this whenever someone brought up trans issues on the sub before It closed. They will use ANYTHING to get us cancelled. WE have to be as meticulous and calculating as them; even more so, because men run the show and run the businesses and can silence us on a whim.
It sucks that communities like ours have to be so gate-keepy but it's just necessary for the survival of ideals that challenge the status quo.
I agree that women don't act as a collective when a serious issue arises but that's partially coz they are rightfully scared for their lives in some cases and in other ways they are kept 'busy in many ways' by men. I don't agree that virtue signalling or practice of publicly expressing opinions or sentiments intended to demonstrate one's good character or the moral correctness of one's position on a particular issue, is to portray women in a bad light coz we shouldn't be blamed for voicing our opinions aka silenced. There should be more communication, not less and less violence not more.
It's so scary. It's not enough for men to encroach on female only spaces in real life and stamp them out. It's not enough for them to consistently push our boundaries at every opportunity. It's not enough for them to erase our entire identity as women in the first place with all this self determination bs. They want to erase female only spaces on the internet too, so we can't even discuss their oppression in a safe place. If anyone wants more proof that the patriarchy oppresses women, here it is in action. The only thing I can think of is more pushback against libfem thinking and women who pander to men. If more women act as a collective, stand up and speak out against this blantant censorship at least we will not disappear quietly.
It really confounds me how men can have all the male spaces they desire, and act annoyed when a woman tries to join said spaces... but when we go on to create our own spaces to be with likeminded women, we're treated like we're bringing back Nazi-like sentiments. 🙄
I feel very angry.
I don't think we need to talk about feelings when we all feel the same.
Our anger is valid.
Let's use our energy and time left on this earth to solve this issue permanently.
I have an idea or about how women might tackle censorship and abuse but not all women will stand together globally.
According to Reddit, Kiwi farm is still accessible via an .ru address, as opposed to .com
This is so disappointing but not unexpected. I’m already furious right now bc of the trains, having unwillingly watched another “day 73 of girlhood!! Squeeee” by that Dylan freak on my fb feed. I know it’s unrelated in a way, but the handmaidens/pickmes who support this bullshit are 60% of why this hasn’t been stomped the fuck out. Men will do everything in their power to erase us, take away our realities, our biology and our safe spaces. First, in person. Now online too. They can’t deal with women’s dissent. We need to find a solution, and fast.