TheDonald's owner speaks out on why he finally pulled plug on hate-filled site

[Eugene]

Source: Washington Post

TheDonald’s owner speaks out on why he finally pulled plug on hate-filled site

The Army veteran, a site moderator who owned its domain, watched with growing alarm as racism, threats and QAnon references flourished on the pro-Trump site. His former co-moderators called him a ‘sellout’ who went ‘rogue’ after internal schism.

By Craig Timberg and Drew Harwell
2/5/2021, 1:26:21 p.m.

Jody Williams knew things had gotten out of hand early last month, when a post on the pro-Trump message board TheDonald included a detailed diagram of how to tie a “hangman’s knot” on a noose.

Williams was a moderator for the board and owner of its Web address, so he removed the noose instructions. But within an hour, he said, another moderator quietly restored it near the top of the site. Three days later, on Jan. 6, a real noose was hung on makeshift gallows on the National Mall, amid a violent siege on the U.S. Capitol.

The battle over the noose diagram was just one of many over a site so infested with racist, anti-Semitic and violent content that Williams, 41, an Army veteran who lost a leg in a noncombat accident, often recoiled at what his fellow Trump supporters said and did.

“You might be happy being some ethno-nationalist, but I’m not,” said Williams, recalling his exchanges with a handful of particularly hardcore moderators. “I don’t want anything to do with this.”

The story of TheDonald, a furiously pro-Trump forum that became an online staging ground for the Capitol assault, is a cautionary tale about the Internet’s dark side. What began on Reddit as an online political rally for an upstart presidential candidate turned increasingly foul as Williams fought — and often lost — against what he said were “nefarious forces” determined to advance the most extreme ideologies, including white supremacy.

-snip-

Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2021/02/05/why-thedonald-moderator-left/

[OAITW r.2.0]

1. Thanks for giving the morons a place to infect each other.

You own your shitshow,

[Skittles]

3. he's just now figuring out Trump and his humpers are racist pieces of shit?

sometimes these excuses run a bit thin

I think what bothers them is "The Donald" gave racists permission to use a BLOW HORN instead of a dog whistle

WHY would an injured veteran support a five time draft dodging pussy grabbing con man? I know why - because they had something in common at one point, didn't they? Oh yes.

[Lancero]

4. He knew exactly what he was doing when he courted that collection of bigots.

...And now, he's just scared shitless that he'll be held to account for his actions so he's doing everything he can to cover his ass.

[machoneman]

5. He should call the FBI, turnover all his contact names, screen shots, linked email accounts.

Then, leave the site open with a silent link to FBI headquarters to monitpr more stuipd and dangerous messages.