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The threats of social networks


sunrat

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Facebook, Not Microsoft, Is the Main Threat to Open Source

 

Facebook scares the h3ll out of me. The title of this article is only part of what it discusses. The more frightening part is how FB enables influencing the whole fabric of society with disinformation, and now they are proposing more privacy through encryption which not only makes it easier for bad actors to communicate but abrogates FB's responsibility of governing evil content on the platform (such as terrorist groups) as FB themselves won't be able to access it.

Be sure to read that article's comments as they are pertinent and insightful, particularly Doc Searls' one.

 

A prime example of the threat is how Avaaz mounted a massive campaign to take down thousands of "fake news" FB groups who were attempting to influence the recent EU elections similar to what happened in the last US elections.

 

This article at Avaaz is essential reading:

We did it - Europe resists!

 

We’ve never been more proud of our movement.

 

After Trump, Brexit, and Bolsonaro, Europe was supposed to be next in last weekend’s elections. The last reliably democratic global power, drowned in the fake news and hate of the far right.

 

To meet this historic threat, Avaaz exposed and forced the takedown of likely the largest disinformation networks EVER. Networks that were racking up 3 BILLION views a year of their poison in just six countries. Enough to reach every voter an average of twenty times!!

 

And because hateful extremists also count on low voter turnout, we launched inspirational calls to defend democracy and go vote that were seen over 100 million times across Europe just in the last few days before the election!

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V.T. Eric Layton

> ...how FB enables influencing the whole fabric of society with disinformation...

 

Stone tablets, papyrus scrolls, paper pamphlets, newspapers, magazines, etc... all these things at certain times in history were used toward the spreading or mis or dis information and propaganda. If we're going to blame any one for this, we can blame Gutenberg, and more recently, Tim Berners-Lee.

 

The difference with FB is that it's being used by many factions to spread this hate and discontent. So, the many are using a much more efficient means of distribution to the masses. Ain't the Internet and technology wonderful. On the other hand, though, this same efficient mass distribution methods can also be used be folks spreading the TRUTH!

 

It's shaping up to be a nice cyber-war, it seems. What the majority of nice folks need to do, is learn to discriminate against the feces out there. They need to develop much more refined filtering mechanisms in their own heads. It's always been like this, though. The suckers will get suckered. The more discriminating, less naive folks won't. Sadly, these days, I believe that former group is the majority.

 

The ultimate solution to this problem is to just turn your computer or smarty-pants phone off. Walk away. Go outside and watch the birds and squirrels playing in the trees. Enjoy your day.

 

Signed:

 

The Proud Luddite

 

4ozdkdb.png

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Not to give FB a pass on this, but all technology can be seen as evil or good depending on how it's used.

Fritz Haber developed nitrogen fixation in the early 1900s, so that we could get unlimited supply of nitrates and ammonia. The Germans used his work to make all their munitions in World War 1; without it they would have run out of TNT long before the war ended. Haber's discovery led to the German defeat, rise of Hitler, and Haber's own exile from Germany and death in 1934. Not pretty.

At the same time the Haber process freed humanity from hunger as nitrogen fixation is essential for the growth of crops worldwide.

So what is it - good or bad? It depends.

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  • 3 months later...
Cluttermagnet

Another way to look at the threat social networks and Google et al pose to us all is-

 

These scummy actors are being very effectively used now to throttle any

dissenting views on whatever subject. It's all dreadfully Orwellian, my friends.

 

Are you a fan of natural foods, natural healing etc? Too bad. Those topics are

being rapidly marginalized. Ditto if you have any concerns about western

medicine. And you will be attacked by rabid fanboys if you dare to give voice to

concerns contrary to big agribusiness, big pharma, ad nauseum. It's a disgusting

and very disheartening environment. I am soooooo glad I never got started with

social media. What a darned shame. 👎

 

Clutter

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No social media here either. Avaaz are running an ongoing campaign to force Facebook et al to take down lots of these disinformation posts and accounts. I just donated 10 bucks to help them.

 

Quote

The climate kids are under attack!

New investigations just revealed that powerful networks of climate change deniers and far-right figures have gone into overdrive spreading toxic smears about the brave young people who inspired millions of us to march.

From suggesting they're puppets bankrolled by billionaires to claiming they're “brainwashed” and “abused” -- people everywhere are being bombarded with disinformation about these courageous kids. It’s just one example of how the far right is using social media to drown out the voices of those who speak truth to power, and spread their lies to citizens everywhere.

But, we’ve found an *AWESOME* way to fight back ...

A small Avaaz investigative team in Europe uncovered disinformation networks that generated 3 BILLION views in just a year. We splashed it all over the media, reported it to Facebook, and within days, they took it down! This was just six countries in Europe -- now we need to roll this out across the globe!

If we all chip in now, we can launch urgent investigations into the biggest disinformation networks that are spreading lies and hate on everything from climate change to refugees. Our movement is a leading force in the global fight against these toxic lies -- and if we raise enough, we can scale up the team, and get to work right away!

Our beautiful Earth is on the brink, and all over the world people are taking to the streets to save it. But it won't happen if our people are divided by far-right lies -- so chip in now and let’s go all out to defend the truth and our planet.

 

https://secure.avaaz.org/campaign/en/war_on_planet_rb_loc/?fpla

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I disliked the idea even of MySpace, before Facebook, and never considered participating in any social media. Luckily, I was pretty much out of the job market before a Linked In profile became essential professionally.

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On 6/12/2019 at 11:38 AM, V.T. Eric Layton said:

> ...how FB enables influencing the whole fabric of society with disinformation...

 

Stone tablets, papyrus scrolls, paper pamphlets, newspapers, magazines, etc... all these things at certain times in history were used toward the spreading or mis or dis information and propaganda. If we're going to blame any one for this, we can blame Gutenberg, and more recently, Tim Berners-Lee.

 

The difference with FB is that it's being used by many factions to spread this hate and discontent. So, the many are using a much more efficient means of distribution to the masses. Ain't the Internet and technology wonderful. On the other hand, though, this same efficient mass distribution methods can also be used be folks spreading the TRUTH!

 

It's shaping up to be a nice cyber-war, it seems. What the majority of nice folks need to do, is learn to discriminate against the feces out there. They need to develop much more refined filtering mechanisms in their own heads. It's always been like this, though. The suckers will get suckered. The more discriminating, less naive folks won't. Sadly, these days, I believe that former group is the majority.

 

The ultimate solution to this problem is to just turn your computer or smarty-pants phone off. Walk away. Go outside and watch the birds and squirrels playing in the trees. Enjoy your day.

 

Signed:

 

The Proud Luddite

 

4ozdkdb.png

 

Bolded above is the key.  Confirmation Bias has become almost as impossible to break as the strongest encryption imaginable.  At first, if it was on the internet, it was true.  Now, you can find ANYTHING on the internet, both true and false, both pro and con, etc...  Therefore, if it confirms my pre-conceived notion, it is REAL information; if it refutes my viewpoint, it is FAKE news.

 

IMO, this is what has changed/is changing.  You used to be able to educate yourself if you were willing to look into things for factual content.  Now, there are entire eco-systems of dis-information, which only serve to support (and therefore, strengthen) the original lie.  Ergo, I am an enlightened warrior, while you are a mis-informed idiot who is too lazy to achieve enlightenment.

 

Like everything else in this world, it is neither good nor bad.  It takes on the color of the intended use.  But one truism that I think still applies is that "too much of a good thing, isn't good".  Moderation is always the key, isn't it?

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Cluttermagnet

Nice link, thanks. I read this one:

Idea Labs and Echo Chambers

Kind of long, makes sense, though. I choose the blue room.

Other one had a real ugly baby...

 

Clutter

 

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Because I was trained and then worked as a scientist, I can see the virtue of using the Scientific Method on the top rung of the thinking ladder. Though heaven knows, I don't always think that way.

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V.T. Eric Layton

Hello, Bookmem. Welcome here! :)

 

And yes, of course, you are correct. The idea itself must be formed before the hypothesis or theory can evolve.

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https://chem.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Introductory_Chemistry/Map%3A_Introductory_Chemistry_(Tro)/01%3A_The_Chemical_World/1.4%3A_The_Scientific_Method_-_How_Chemists_Think

 

In chemistry you normally would make some observations and formulate a question before making a hypothesis - which can then be tested. I think there's more to it than simply imagination - although that is important.

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V.T. Eric Layton
2 minutes ago, securitybreach said:

Sorry but why was this posted here?
 

 

I thought that at first, also. However, being that it was an article from Linux Journal, I just let it be.

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securitybreach
1 hour ago, V.T. Eric Layton said:

 

I thought that at first, also. However, being that it was an article from Linux Journal, I just let it be.

 

Ok, good enough reason ;)

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