Stephen T. Stone 's Techdirt Comments

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• On the post: Military Official Admits Boat Strike May Have Murdered Human Trafficking Victims

  

  Stephen T. Stone ( profile ), 17 Jun, 2026 @ 03:38pm

  Technically, they already can. If Trump orders it and everyone in the causal chain thereafter⁠—from Hegseth to the people dropping the bombs⁠—says “yes sir”, who’s going to stop it from happening?

• On the post: Internet Age-Gates Are A Growing Global Threat

  

  Stephen T. Stone ( profile ), 17 Jun, 2026 @ 03:33pm

  Let’s see. There’s the growing explosion in popularity of AI/LLM services, the death of Jeffrey Epstein and the subsequent broadening of investigations into his web of human trafficking, American conservatives gaining massive political power and using it to push measures designed to censor porn (itself a gateway to censoring otherwise anodyne speech that conservatives don't like), Roblox’s big problem with sex exploitation, underage sexting becoming more prevalent, the push by financial institutions to debank sex workers and adult content creators (as well as the sites that host adult-oriented content)…and that's just from a couple of minutes of thinking. No one drop is singularly responsible for the flood, but the flood happens all the same.

• On the post: You Have Less Than A Week To Tell The FCC That Carr’s Censorial Attack On ABC Is Nonsense

  

  Stephen T. Stone ( profile ), 17 Jun, 2026 @ 02:11pm

  Hey, where’s “The Phule”? I want to see him tell us why the FCC attacking ABC is a good thing because those attacks mean the government is trying to regulate speech and determine what’s “real” journalism and such.

• On the post: Xbox: A Mess, Moving Back To Exclusivity Deals, & The Layoffs Microsoft Promised Wouldn’t Happen

  

  Stephen T. Stone ( profile ), 17 Jun, 2026 @ 01:20pm

  At best, people kind of tolerated Microsoft because Windows was so ubiquitous and seemingly unstoppable. But now that we have numerous Linux distros that replicate the Windows “feel” without all the garbage of Windows⁠—and now that Microsoft is shitting the bed worse than ever⁠—the XBox situation is destroying that tolerance. Shit, if I get forced to have some AI bullshit on my laptop, I’m installing some kind of Linux and running with that. And since I’m on that topic: Could anyone recommend a Linux distro for someone with a laptop and a couple of decades of experience using Windows that will make transitioning into Linux easier? Asking for a friend… 👀

• On the post: Fox News Viewership Increases Belief In False Conspiracy Theories About Immigration

  

  Stephen T. Stone ( profile ), 17 Jun, 2026 @ 01:10pm

  Do you want to be the person who sends someone to jail because they said “Epstein didn’t kill himself”?

• On the post: Fox News Viewership Increases Belief In False Conspiracy Theories About Immigration

  

  Stephen T. Stone ( profile ), 17 Jun, 2026 @ 01:09pm

  Most kids only survive them by leaving

  The irony is that some small towns operate similarly to the “socialist agenda” conservatives pretend to fear (e.g., they have community programs to take care of the less fortunate, people barter when they can’t pay). When the children in these towns "turn liberal" after moving to big cities, the parents never realize how their children were unconsciously “leaning left” well before escaping.

• On the post: Fox News Viewership Increases Belief In False Conspiracy Theories About Immigration

  

  Stephen T. Stone ( profile ), 17 Jun, 2026 @ 01:04pm

  You’re the guy who implied the government should be able to certify what counts as “real” journalism and who counts as a “real” journalist, then ran away from the discussion when he got told how that’s a road to fascism. What makes you think you’re breaking an (alleged) echo chamber with anything but a giant fart noise?

• On the post: The VCs Who Screamed That Biden Would Kill Powerful AI Models Seem Quite Chill About Trump Actually Doing It

  

  Stephen T. Stone ( profile ), 16 Jun, 2026 @ 11:21pm

  Given that he’s a Trump cultist? Yeah, that tracks.

• On the post: And Now Basically Everyone In This LEGO Dispute Looks Sketchy

  

  Stephen T. Stone ( profile ), 16 Jun, 2026 @ 11:20pm

  Two things.

  1. L⁠—and I can’t stress this enough⁠—OL.
  2. Signing your comments like you’re writing a letter is weird⁠—doubly so when there’s an empty name field waiting for you to dump a pseudonym into it.

• On the post: Fox News Viewership Increases Belief In False Conspiracy Theories About Immigration

  

  Stephen T. Stone ( profile ), 16 Jun, 2026 @ 08:16pm

  This is the most likely explanation. It’s the danger of echo chambers: When all you hear is the same thing over and over, it distorts and twists until it becomes something far worse in your head.

• On the post: Xbox: A Mess, Moving Back To Exclusivity Deals, & The Layoffs Microsoft Promised Wouldn’t Happen

  

  Stephen T. Stone ( profile ), 16 Jun, 2026 @ 08:15pm

  Remember when people actually liked Microsoft as a company? …yeah, me neither.

• On the post: Fox News Viewership Increases Belief In False Conspiracy Theories About Immigration

  

  Stephen T. Stone ( profile ), 16 Jun, 2026 @ 07:19pm

  Were we expecting there to be a big hive of nativist paranoia among recent non-white immigrants or something?

  The funny thing is, I read a story yesterday about conservative Muslims in Texas who went looking for a place in the GOP and ended up being told to GTFO of both the convention and the country (and told to convert to Christianity). It’s darkly hilarious that the GOP could probably have more allies in minority demographic groups if the party wasn’t so dedicated to holding onto its various bigotries.

• On the post: The UK’s Teen Social Media Ban Is Political Theater, Not Child Safety Policy

  

  Stephen T. Stone ( profile ), 16 Jun, 2026 @ 04:21pm

  Mike, can we flag this guy for being a VPN advertiser? Like, I know he’s not mentioning any brands, but this Dollar Tree Double-O Doofus may as well be working for at least one of them.

• On the post: FBI Raids Offices Of Ohio Voter Registration Group That Fought GOP Redistricting Efforts

  

  Stephen T. Stone ( profile ), 16 Jun, 2026 @ 04:19pm

  it turns out there is lots of evidence of fraud

  Trump and his cronies had sixty chances to show that evidence in court. They came up lacking every time. What evidence can some dumbshit pissant troll have that the ostensible leader of the free world and the government he controlled at the time didn’t? Prove you’re right, son. Show us the evidence. Show us what Trump couldn’t show the courts. Go ahead. I’ll wait. But I want you to show us the evidence⁠—no insults, diversions, or deflections. You made a claim; you carry the burden of proving it. (And watch now as he runs away to a different article to call me “cakeboy” or overuse a slur that really should’ve been the signal to have his posts shunted into a permafilter…)

• On the post: The VCs Who Screamed That Biden Would Kill Powerful AI Models Seem Quite Chill About Trump Actually Doing It

  

  Stephen T. Stone ( profile ), 16 Jun, 2026 @ 04:13pm

  It’s worth noting that you’re not criticizing any of his major policies, including his decision to start a war of choice that crippled a global shipping route and fucked up the economy. You’re criticizing unimportant aesthetic bullshit. I can point to Biden’s failures to clean up after Trump’s mess⁠—his unwillingness to go after Trump and his cronies in the wake of the insurrection immediately upon assuming office⁠—as among the many reasons that centrist needledick was a shitty president. You can’t or won’t criticize anything Trump does that has an adverse effect on Americans at large because you’re either a cultist or a way-too-dedicated troll⁠—and either way, your whole presence here is about pissing people off just to get yourself off, which is really fucking weird on multiple levels. Also: “cakeboy”? Still? The best insult you have for me is an admission that you misunderstand both non-discrimination law and my position on compelled speech in re: commercial activity? That’s even weirder than your whole “I’m all about pissing everyone off” personality. No wonder your family hates your guts, dude.

• On the post: And Now Basically Everyone In This LEGO Dispute Looks Sketchy

  

  Stephen T. Stone ( profile ), 16 Jun, 2026 @ 04:07pm

  Then I guess the “Coward” in “Anonymous Coward” is more appropriate than usual in this instance. What, you ain’t got no way to make me stop referring to Legos as “Legos”? You ain’t even gonna threaten me or anything?

• On the post: The VCs Who Screamed That Biden Would Kill Powerful AI Models Seem Quite Chill About Trump Actually Doing It

  

  Stephen T. Stone ( profile ), 16 Jun, 2026 @ 01:56pm

  I am not NEARLY as partisan as you

  …says someone who would uncritically defend Donald Trump saying the N-word. Seriously, dude, even I call Joe Biden a centrist needledick, but you can’t ever be bothered to criticize Donald “look at this redneck bullshit we did on the White House lawn for my birthday” Trump? You’ll never criticize anyone unless they go against Dear Leader. You’re a cultist or you’re trying to act like one; either way, it’s weird as fuck.

• On the post: Trump DOJ Friday News Dumps Its Approval Of The Job-Killing Paramount, Warner Bros Merger

  

  Stephen T. Stone ( profile ), 16 Jun, 2026 @ 01:51pm

  Hey, so, weren’t you the guy saying the government should decide what counts as “real” news and who counts as “real” journalists?

• On the post: FBI Raids Offices Of Ohio Voter Registration Group That Fought GOP Redistricting Efforts

  

  Stephen T. Stone ( profile ), 16 Jun, 2026 @ 01:49pm

  it’s because there is evidence of fraud

  Trump and his cronies claimed this five-and-a-half years ago after he lost the election. They were effectively laughed out of every court in which they made such claims because they had no evidence to support those claims. Trump even demanded that Georgia election officials “find” (i.e., fradulently declare the existence of) enough votes to give him the win in Georgia and shift the Electoral College in his favor. (And don’t say “he didn’t say that” because we’ve all heard the recording of him asking for exactly that.) You can claim the 2020 election had widespread fraud, but until your evidence is stronger than “trust me bro”, your claims have as much truth to them as Trump’s. The 2020 presidental election was, like every such election before it in modern times, safe and secure. I’m sorry that you can’t accept the truth⁠—but that alone isn’t enough reason for me to accept your lie.

• On the post: The SpaceX IPO Sends Elon Musk And Trump’s Starlink Cronyism Into The Thermosphere

  

  Stephen T. Stone ( profile ), 16 Jun, 2026 @ 01:44pm

  Hot DAMN you are not smart.

  Every accusation, a confession.

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