I know a lot of you still think of the #Fediverse as just “Mastodon”.
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Just as a basic matter: Government owned and operated = "public". Yes, that's the definition. Neither of our beliefs, yours or mine, are relevant, btw. That's the definition.
The idea of what any particular government might or might not be interested in, politically, is a separate question.
@Mark_Harbinger @lippyduck You’re flat-out wrong if you think “public” only means government-owned.
In the corporate world, a public company is a company listed on a stock exchange, with shares that anyone can buy and sell. That’s why Apple, Microsoft, and Toyota are all called public companies—they’re subject to SEC filings, shareholder votes, and disclosure rules precisely because they’re open to public investment.
Meanwhile, in the government sector, public refers to state-owned institutions like schools, hospitals, and broadcasters.
And outside those spheres, the word just means open and accessible: public parks, public events, public records.
Your definition fits in one narrow lane, but it collapses everywhere else. Language depends on context, and in finance, “public company” is the industry-standard term worldwide.
Pretending otherwise is like insisting “bank” only ever means the side of a river—technically possible, but absurd in practice. -
@Mark_Harbinger @lippyduck You’re flat-out wrong if you think “public” only means government-owned.
In the corporate world, a public company is a company listed on a stock exchange, with shares that anyone can buy and sell. That’s why Apple, Microsoft, and Toyota are all called public companies—they’re subject to SEC filings, shareholder votes, and disclosure rules precisely because they’re open to public investment.
Meanwhile, in the government sector, public refers to state-owned institutions like schools, hospitals, and broadcasters.
And outside those spheres, the word just means open and accessible: public parks, public events, public records.
Your definition fits in one narrow lane, but it collapses everywhere else. Language depends on context, and in finance, “public company” is the industry-standard term worldwide.
Pretending otherwise is like insisting “bank” only ever means the side of a river—technically possible, but absurd in practice.Okay, as you've noted, words can have more than one meaning.
Yes "public" can mean various things. "Public" was also the name of Emm Gryner's 1998 album. And these various meanings do include 'owned by stockholders' in the private sector. None of which matters in this discussion.
What I am talking about is the public sector. I thought the context of the thread was clue enough as to which definition I was referring to.
Anyway, this might help:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_sector#Infrastructure -
Okay, as you've noted, words can have more than one meaning.
Yes "public" can mean various things. "Public" was also the name of Emm Gryner's 1998 album. And these various meanings do include 'owned by stockholders' in the private sector. None of which matters in this discussion.
What I am talking about is the public sector. I thought the context of the thread was clue enough as to which definition I was referring to.
Anyway, this might help:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_sector#Infrastructure@Mark_Harbinger @lippyduck Calling something “public and democratic” just because it’s government-owned is self-evidently ridiculous.
If that were true, then the CIA would somehow be “public and democratic.”
Your logic collapses under its own weight. -
@Mark_Harbinger @lippyduck Calling something “public and democratic” just because it’s government-owned is self-evidently ridiculous.
If that were true, then the CIA would somehow be “public and democratic.”
Your logic collapses under its own weight.Uh-huh. We've now reached the point where you are arguing with yourself—so I'll leave you to it.
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Uh-huh. We've now reached the point where you are arguing with yourself—so I'll leave you to it.
