Pearls Before Swine by Stephan Pastis for April 26, 2022

  1. Img 0910
    BE THIS GUY  over 2 years ago

    Facebook is not a news site. It’s where people gossip and BS.

     •  Reply
  2. Cane immagine animata 0071
    Renatus Profuturus Frigeridus Premium Member over 2 years ago

    Now Twitter and Elon will fix all the problems.

     •  Reply
  3. Zooey girl
    ronaldspence  over 2 years ago

    same problems, different delivery systems…

     •  Reply
  4. Badger 4 360
    sirbadger  over 2 years ago

    You can post stuff on Facebook for free. If multiple lawsuits were filed against Facebook over user content, then Facebook would shut down user content. That might be why Zuckerberg is pushing virtual reality. He may see that Facebook is doomed. This website has to worry about the same thing.

     •  Reply
  5. Brain guy dancing hg clr
    Concretionist  over 2 years ago

    That’s actually an interesting thought. Our local paper is now completely written by stringers. There still is editorial oversight, but they could fire the editor and then it would be entirely “other people” writing… and perhaps the company that owns that (and dozens of other) papers could argue that they’re just supplying a platform… Hmm.

     •  Reply
  6. Bluedog
    Bilan  over 2 years ago

    As much as I dislike Facebook, I agree with the point. Facebook shouldn’t be any more responsible for what people send through it than the post office is responsible for what people send in the mail.

     •  Reply
  7. Figaro 1
    Wilde Bill  over 2 years ago

    It isn’t just a Facebook problem. Almost nothing anyone posts anywhere on the internet is vetted for accuracy.

     •  Reply
  8. Grandbudapesthotel cr alamy
    Imagine  over 2 years ago

    Everything posted to social media should be required to have the following disclaimer added in big lettering:

    WARNING: NONE OF THIS IS VERIFIED. IT IS ONLY OPINION. DO NOT CONFUSE WITH FACTS OR NEWS.

    Maybe I will add this to all of my posts from now on.

    Nah.

     •  Reply
  9. 345 the puss in boots 3
    Boots at the Boar Premium Member over 2 years ago

    Can we hold facebook responsible for all the targeted scam ads?

     •  Reply
  10. Ann margaret
    Caldonia  over 2 years ago

    Yes! Pastis’s vendetta against social media continues! Good luck, dude!

     •  Reply
  11. Edb4beaa 19ab 437d a460 cf4fba2a5e74
    syzygy47  over 2 years ago

    So, someone uses the phone (old style 70’s phone) to prank call, make an obscene or threatening call …and Ma Bell is responsible?The other difference is real time vs planned and prepared media. Even radio has enough lead time (the ten sec delay) to exercise due diligence, to a degree.

     •  Reply
  12. Fb img 1539673502205
    GeorgeInAZ  over 2 years ago

    Newspapers’ content is determined by editors who report to management.

    Facebook’s content is censored by “editors” who report to management.

    There’s a difference, but it’s a matter of degree, not either / or.

     •  Reply
  13. Mrpeabodyboysherman
    iggyman  over 2 years ago

    Wikipedia is a good source for some info but it has some wrong information as well!

     •  Reply
  14. Missing large
    pontiac59  over 2 years ago

    On Facebook, if anybody doesn’t like what you said for any reason whatsoever they complain and you can’t use any account feature for 30 days.

    I find that rather asinine. So I left.

     •  Reply
  15. Photo
    AndreasMartin  over 2 years ago

    My sons tell me that ‘only old people are on facebook’.

     •  Reply
  16. Missing large
    nicka93  over 2 years ago

    If it doesn’t match your beliefs then you will not read it.

     •  Reply
  17. A0aa4143 088c 4296 85af e0065b6a9fee
    mrwiskers  over 2 years ago

    Facebook recently posted a request on my FB page. It requested I take their survey. After exploring the request, I agreed. Most of the questions wanted my opinion about my view of their social responsibility for everyone’s postings. If you have a fb page, have you seen this request?

     •  Reply
  18. Ellis archer profile
    Ellis97  over 2 years ago

    I can’t tell which news is fake and which is real.

     •  Reply
  19. Boston
    MS72  over 2 years ago

    What’s a newspaper? :-)

     •  Reply
  20. Missing large
    jfh0555  over 2 years ago

    The difference being that nothing published in a newspaper was put there randomly. The publisher and editor chose to publish the content. Twitter is more like the free bulletin board where anyone can post.

     •  Reply
  21. Mr haney
    NeedaChuckle Premium Member over 2 years ago

    Twitter is going to be the next great wasteland!! Truth Social is definitely doomed now as Twitter will take up the slack!!

     •  Reply
  22. Lifi
    rossevrymn  over 2 years ago

    An’ that’s why I seriously curtailed my FB activity, clowns like Friedbird waterpistol, patrick murphy, loony squiggles, montana bill, rikitikirussianbot, klemubermoron, ammosexuallydysfunctional, opspecial ed, JAwholikesbluegrass, jane b thinkin’ VERY ignorantlee, 60 rottenbuzzardbrains adhered to a scorching sidewalk, sammy ugly avatar, leonarddonk have unfettered access to it……………Clownland?:

     •  Reply
  23. Eyeballs
    P-B  over 2 years ago

    Blame Section 230

     •  Reply
  24. Missing large
    ladycyg  over 2 years ago

    Actually – there are two classifications of content. There is curated content (newspaper) where the material is vetted. They are responsible for what they post because it goes through a vetting process. Sites like Facebook are not liable for what is posted specifically because they say they are not curating content – they allow people to freely post. They cannot be held responsible for what people post because they are supposed to be an open forum. They can remove actual illegal content, but should allow everyone to post apart from that.

    The problem is the supposed “open forums” actually curate content and restrict based on their own views and opinions. They want their cake and eat it too. They want the legal immunity of an open forum as well as the ability to curate ideas they don’t like.

    Open debate is the key to a healthy society. If you have fact checkers pre-determining what is misinformation you end up loosing free speech and stifle dialog and discussion. We need to be able to disagree, debate, and tear apart bad ideas. The truly terrifying part is that you are giving that ability over to someone who could misuse it. You may agree with the fact checkers today, but what happens tomorrow when the people in power change and suddenly what you consider truth is being banned?

     •  Reply
  25. Portrait thumb 1 charcoal 2
    FrankLeeMeiDere  over 2 years ago

    Someone has trouble distinguishing between the purpose of newspapers and social media.

     •  Reply
  26. Photo 1501706362039 c06b2d715385
    Zebrastripes  over 2 years ago

    The wise ass on the hill, offered NO solution to the misinformed and the sites who provide lies and conspiracy theories…..so much for being a wise ass…..

     •  Reply
  27. Photo
    GlenGoodwin  over 2 years ago

    Im

     •  Reply
  28. Photo
    GlenGoodwin  over 2 years ago

    Im still worried about rats halitosis. Pastis has tricks like paris

     •  Reply
  29. Missing large
    S Prada  over 2 years ago

    With Musk in charge of twitter, I expect a lot more of this type of thing from him. Maybe he’s just trying to arrange things so that it’s twitter that is found at fault and pays the penalties for libel rather than from his own personal wealth: https://apnews.com/article/thailand-north-america-lawsuits-international-soccer-courts-4f4ddea4fa0c43ae984447fae85cf644

     •  Reply
  30. Missing large
    DM2860  over 2 years ago

    But the news can say that “an anonymous source said” something they know to be a lie and they are not in trouble.

    That is basically where Facebook is. They are not saying “X”. They are saying “someone else said X”

     •  Reply
  31. Win 20201204 12 32 23 pro
    oakie817  over 2 years ago

    i would never rely on one or even two news sources

     •  Reply
  32. Missing large
    198.23.5.11  over 2 years ago

    When do we meet “The Dumb Ass Who Lives underground”?

     •  Reply
  33. 96480   copy  2
    Goat from PBS  over 2 years ago

    Pig is on to something. He really is smarter than we all think.

     •  Reply
  34. Missing large
    landon Premium Member over 2 years ago

    Section 230 would disagree with this. Not defending the utter, stupid hellpit that is Facebook, but it’s not how things work. Protection of the content of online services is a double-edged sword.

     •  Reply
  35. Missing large
    philospher77  over 2 years ago

    Is the first panel true? Serious question looking for honest responses. I know that the newspaper is held responsible if they write something false or misleading. But if I send in a false and misleading piece to the Letters to the Editors column, is the newspaper held responsible? I thought that that was the whole reason that you couldn’t hold Facebook et al responsible… they are providing a platform, but not the content, as opposed to a newspaper, that is dedicated to providing content.

     •  Reply
  36. Missing large
    MollyCat  over 2 years ago

    So do I.

     •  Reply
  37. Missing large
    robertelyke Premium Member over 2 years ago

    Folks who provide articles in newspaper work for paper. Whereas folks on Facebook do not… Is that the same thing?

     •  Reply
  38. Missing large
    kevinclark  over 2 years ago

    Ask Sarah Palin how easy it is to hold a newspaper accountable for false or misleading content.

     •  Reply
  39. Profile pic
    The Orange Mailman  over 2 years ago

    How many people get their wisdom from the comics or from a wise a__ on a hill? Just spotted another problem.

     •  Reply
  40. Avatar
    Rick Smith Premium Member over 2 years ago

    Facebook posts are not worth the paper they are printed on.

     •  Reply
  41. Missing large
    buflogal!  over 2 years ago

    Are you near Western New York? Mr. Pastis will be appearing in the Buffalo area Friday evening. Announcement in PBS in the Buffalo News.

     •  Reply
  42. Picture 001
    rshive  over 2 years ago

    Does the Wise Ass get Facebook via wireless?

     •  Reply
  43. Missing large
    old_geek  over 2 years ago

    When a certain prominent individual said, a few years ago, that ‘fake news is the enemy’, the reaction among news organizations was ’he’s talking about us’. I laughed and laughed, and am still laughing of how they unwittingly acknowledged their own dishonesty.

     •  Reply
  44. Nowyoulisten
    zeexenon  over 2 years ago

    Thereupon, no crazy POTUS of late.

     •  Reply
  45. Skyswim animated
    SKYSWIM  over 2 years ago

    Unfortunately, few people have developed any independent critical thinking skills, and have intelligence enough to look at MULTIPLE sources of information, including (and maybe especially citizen journalist on-scene reporting), and be able to DECIDE FOR THEMSELVES what is most likely the truth on any given matter. Otherwise, you just have arrogant mindless people parroting mainstream news, or on the other end of the spectrum, just somebody making up stuff. I actually appreciate Musk for buying Twitter, and the fact he just tweeted that he wants his biggest critics to continue to stay and tweet there. Dialog, even if it gets heated, hopefully not just name-calling, is a good way to get to the truth of any given topic. Censorship always discourages dialog, and leads to only hearing propaganda. We have to allow for people to make up their own minds, and not let some “elite” people tell them what to think.

     •  Reply
  46. Froggy with cat ears
    willie_mctell  over 2 years ago

    Newspapers and the “traditional” media pay the people who write. Social media doesn’t.

     •  Reply
  47. Ding a ling
    BasilBruce  over 2 years ago

    Actually, nobody gets their news from Facebook; they get their daily dose of BS.

     •  Reply
  48. Screen shot 2022 06 05 at 6.38.52 pm
    No One in Particular  over 2 years ago

    Sorry Pig – your revelation is a few years too late.

     •  Reply
  49. Missing large
    Otis Rufus Driftwood  over 2 years ago

    That’s a feature, not a bug.

     •  Reply
  50. Thinker
    Sisyphos  over 2 years ago

    There are a lot of problems.

    And the Wise Ass is not so wise, IMO, that being one of them….

     •  Reply
  51. New badger avatar
    tudza Premium Member over 2 years ago

    Does the person on Facebook work for Facebook?

     •  Reply
  52. Missing large
    bunrabbit99  over 2 years ago

    kind of a false analogy. look, i hate fb as much as anyone but if you want to put it in terms of a “newspaper,” fb is the “letters to the editor section.” anyone can write one with their own opinion. reporters are paid professionals & newspapers are sources of official record. fb is just people throwing stuff out there.

     •  Reply
  53.  k3 6383
    AndrewSharpe  over 2 years ago

    This is a false equivalence. In the newspaper case, the reporter works for the newspaper. In the second case, the person does not work for facebook. It’s a fairly simply difference. It’s facebook’s private property to do with as they please, and you are on their private property. Ethics and fomenting violence and hatred are totally different, and if they have signs on their private property telling you what you can’t do on their private property, then they can kick you off their private property.

     •  Reply
  54. Nollanav
    DaBump Premium Member over 2 years ago

    It’s worse — the newspaper may be responsible, but they’ll never admit they were wrong, or they’ll print a small notice somewhere after the Help Wanted ads.

     •  Reply
  55. Donald duck2
    gmu328  over 2 years ago

    good point

     •  Reply
  56. Hitcher
    Wizard4168  over 2 years ago

    This is simply not true. Thanks to the much-maligned S230, the same rules apply to newspapers and Facebook. Newspapers and FB face exactly the same liability for user generated content. If a newspaper publishes a “letter to the editor” that contains false and defamatory content, then the liability falls on the letter writer, not the newspaper, exactly the same as FB. If you’re going to criticize social media, at least try to be honest and get your facts straight.

     •  Reply
  57. Missing large
    CalLadyQED  over 2 years ago

    Blaming Facebook is like blaming convenience store at which you bought the newspaper. FB isn’t publishing posts like a newspaper is publishing articles. This is silly

     •  Reply
Sign in to comment

More From Pearls Before Swine