It’s not unusual for any of us, at one time or another, to be blocked by another user on Twitter. I’m sure there are several over time, a few I am aware of, that have blocked me. That’s okay. I don’t actually take offense because I actually do not know any of these people. I might question the block if it were from a friend, but that has yet to happen.
Sometimes, I’m not exactly sure why someone blocked me, othertimes it’s very apparent: I’ve strayed from the official dogma of something and actually called out statements made by some that are blatantly false or over the top. that’s okay because if someone cannot defend what they say with something other than a block, then they have no argument. I will admit that sometimes, my response may be insulting, but hey, that’s the nature of the beast and I won’t apologize for the way I responded.
I recently discovered I was blocked by a journalist I followed. I’m sure journalists take a lot of heat from readers all the time for what they write or say, so for me to be blocked by this person was a bit of a surprise. I must have come accross as rude or something, but I will say I don’t muzzle myself when I notice someone, anyone, making statements that they are unable to prove so that must have been why I was blocked.
No big deal right? Except this person is one of those conservatives who’s constantly complaining online about being shadowbanned by Twitter, as well as Twitter suspending, even banning accounts of conservative voices, because, you know, Free Speech. Unless that speech happens to offend him, then it’s no longer Free Speech is it?
I’m one of those conservatives that as far as I know have never been shadow banned; My account has never been temporarily limited, and of course, as of today, I’ve never been suspended for any statement I’ve made on Twitter. Of course any of us can block or mute whoever we want, whenever we want, for whatever reason. I just find it interesting when so-called journalists do it because they either refuse to, or cannot back up some outlandish statement.
There are those that want us to believe that this behavior is from the left, but it occurs on the right as well. Probably more than we know. Again, that’s okay, just stop being a hypocrite about free speech/expression when complaining about Twitter TOS.
Conservative Skeptic 
Well, I don’t have a twitter account and still have just my flip phone, so my online time is at my desktop and I am not there very much and not at all for days at a time often.
But, banning someone or unfollowing someone is different from denying them their right to free speech, don’t you think? They can speak all they want, just not on your time or on your site. Certainly, the individual should have the right to not listen or not read what they do not want to hear or see.
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I totally agree, and said as much. But some people are filled with self-righteousness, and expect to not be challenged, ever, based on what they say. The same people that scream “Free Speech for all” then constantly hit the block button because the feedback they receive is not what they expected, to me are hypocrites
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The way I look at it, blocking or muting someone is similar to changing the channel. I realize that there is a big difference between blocking and muting in that blocking makes it somewhat harder for the blocked person to see one’s content, but I think of both of them as ways to remove content one isn’t interested in from one’s timeline.
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And again, I agree. The point of the post was the person I referred to is one of those people always screeching about Twitter, re: Free Speech, and that if you say something they deem inappropriate, will suspend your account. I said something to this person that was not in line with what he wanted to hear, and immediately blocked me.
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Well..that makes your life less complicated, then. Consider that he did you a favor. Cast not ye pearls before swine…and all that sort of thing.
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