Where is the free speech platform we were promised? 

For someone with millions in available funding and a functional commercial website, it beats me how Mike Lindell can put his name on a crap website that should have been designed to inspire trust and confidence in users, especially those who think Lindell is a self-promoting conspiracy theorist or right wingnut-job.

Sounding like former President Trump, here is what Lindell had to say about his platform, which he claims will be a “platform like no other.”

• “It’s kinda like a YouTube Twitter combination.”
• “Working on it four years.”
• “Over the last four weeks, I’ve spent millions of dollars making it the most secure.
• “We're going to handle the capacity.”

  Here is a look at yesterday's frankspeech.com page…

To the credit of the techies, the site's code was fixed within a short time, and the site was at least readable. However, there was no login, no about page, no real content except for Mike Lindell’s “Lindell TV" videos – mostly starring, wait for it, Mike Lindell and friends who constantly praise Lindell.

However, the 24/7 live broadcast is a godsend for insomniacs – always available and may put you to sleep. Whoops, I am not sure if I can use the word “godsend” as the site claims to scan and censor “free speech” containing the n-word, the c-word, the f-word, or anything that uses the Lord’s name in vain.  Curious for a “free speech” platform, no?

Not so coincidently, Brannon Howse moderates some of the programs. Howse, a Christian broadcaster/host, has been described as one of the site’s developers and a Christian broadcaster,  conspiracy theorist, and worse. Much of what I have viewed looks suspiciously like election conspiracy tv. Much of the election information presented is curious and should be investigated, but far from conclusive without corroboration.

Pissed off…

I signed up as a VIP member, and all of the delays – and now promotional phone text messages – make me want to delete the account. It appears that the only thing users can get right is video and the use of your log-in phone number to promote Lindell videos.

While I believe in startups offering MVPs (Minimum Viable Products) and using iterative product development, to put amateurish crap on display is unacceptable. Especially when Lindell puts out videos with moderately high production standards. To say these are launch-day errors rather than sloppy planning and execution is to confuse hype with reality. Here we have a clear case of over-promising and under-delivering.

About those conspiracy theories of foreign interference…

Given the demonstrable interference of the nation’s premier intelligence and law enforcement agencies in past elections, it is not a stretch of the imagination to believe that foreign intelligence services, some at the request of U.S. government officials, were involved in an attempt to defeat President Trump and to put a corrupt, clueless individual in power. They apparently have succeeded, and nothing may stop them in 2022 except widespread exposure of the deed. For that, we should be thankful to Lindell for keeping on the public stage. 

Bottom line…

Until proven otherwise, Lindell remains a JARG (Just Another Rich Guy) who believes his story and money gives him superpowers, superior insight, and the moral certainty of leadership. Unfortunately, many of these wackadoodles never replicate their initial success in other areas because they lack the good fortune to be in the right place, at the right time, with the right circumstances, and the right people behind them to make things happen.

We are so screwed.

-- steve