We lost another free speech website: Voat

by Dr. Eowyn

Voat, like Reddit, was a news aggregator and social networking service where anyone could submit content such as URL links (I had used Voat to post links to FOTM posts) and text posts and comments. Content entries were organized by areas of interest called “subverses”. Unlike Reddit that began censoring pro-Trump subverses, Voat was genuinely a free speech site and, for that reason, is described by Wikipedia as “a hub for the alt-right”.

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On Christmas Day, December 25, 2020, Voat shut down because its owner could no longer financially afford the site, having lost an “angel” investor. Below are excerpts from the owner’s announcement.

I Can’t Keep It Up (announcements)

by PuttItOut

It’s embarrassing but it’s true, I just can’t keep it up. I’ve tried meditation, I’ve tried prayer, I’ve tried reaching out for help. Some solutions worked for a little while but nothing has remedied the underlying issue. No matter what I do, I simply just can’t keep it up. I expect most will be disappointed and let down, while others will just point and laugh. So be it, it’s a problem every man like me will face at some point.

One thing is true though, while I kept it up, it was glorious in many ways. It was the hardest (website to corrupt with CCP rules), it was the biggest (bundle of laughs ever… 4chan raids us and we didn’t even notice), it was bulging (with red pills and truth that you can’t find anywhere else), it was throbbing (with people eager to teach others the deception of the world). It’s so great in so many ways that it has a list of haters who will be extremely aroused by this post….

I fight not being bitter and resentful. You see, this wasn’t supposed to happen, at least not now. The short of it is that the “Angel” defaulted on the contract in March 2020. This is when Voat lost all of it’s funding. I personally decided to keep Voat up until after the U.S. election of 2020. I’ve been paying the costs out of pocket but now I’m out of money.

Instead of feeling pity or vengeful, I’m instead going to celebrate the fact that Voat stayed up for so long…. Some say life is worth it all if you can help just one single person. In this way I know Voat was worth it because you guys have changed thousands and thousands of people’s hearts and minds. You’ve made so many people aware of the lies taught as truth and the truth taught as conspiracy. It’s beautiful. What a great thing….

Another great thing is that we stayed true over here on our end. Atko and I never betrayed our users. Never once. In fact, I can list example of example of how we ended up doing the right thing over what we wanted to do or what we felt like doing. I’ve come to find that doing the right thing is often the hardest thing. But we did it. We didn’t sell out and we passed the test.

I will lay Voat upon the cross on December 25th 2020 at 12 noon PST. I have chosen Christmas as the day to do so in honor of the only True thing you will find in this world and that is Jesus Christ, the son of God, and the only way to the Father. I chose 12 noon in honor of the twelve disciples who spread the message of salvation to the world. In this way, my hope is that perhaps 12 people will carry the cross for Freedom of Speech and sacrifice part of their lives for an ideal in the way I did, but hopefully with much more success, glory, and reward….

The secret reality of the world we live in is that winners and losers are chosen by the power structure. If you don’t play the game, you don’t get any prizes (aka $$$). Shutting down is the consequence of not compromising ideals.

I chose a noble death.

~Eowyn

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