Silicon Valley censorship/bias

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Extremely disturbing.  Needs serious scrutiny but who runs the government wing of this, the NSA.  I’m sure they’re already in cahoots with these companies. 

 
easily glossed over and put on page 6...

Yeah, except it's on page -0, and it is a democrat that is testifying on a great misuse of power.  The left was always about speaking truth to power...

Imagine you went to the library one week and saw a section of books. The following week you return and discover the whole section is gone. You ask the librarian how they made their choices and they reply that they don't need to tell anyone how they arrived at their decision...
 
boji said:
Yeah, except it's on page -0, and it is a democrat that is testifying on a great misuse of power.  The left was always about speaking truth to power...

Imagine you went to the library one week and saw a section of books. The following week you return and discover the whole section is gone. You ask the librarian how they made their choices and they reply that they don't need to tell anyone how they arrived at their decision...

yes but it makes them look bad and we can't have that.  So they ignore it.
 
This is not exactly news, at least about silicon valley being left of almost everybody but the "four freshmen". 

One new criticism from Peter Thiel (the one rich conservative out there) that seems to be getting traction is linking Google's AI work to the Chinese military. In china pretty much everything is linked to the government/military. Google resists working with the US government on principal, but China is OK?  :eek:

Even the swamp doesn't want the chinese to get an advantage over us in AI. Does anybody believe Huawei will not spy on internet traffic, for China?

I pretty much expect big tech to co-opt the government the same way the tobacco companies did with promises of huge revenue streams. When the government started getting big revenue from cigarette taxes, the talk about disappearing the cigarette companies pretty much stopped cold.

The EU is a few steps ahead of the US at negotiating a revenue stream from big tech... Our politicians are not completely stupid, just distracted by POTUS twitter bombs.  ::) So they'll get on board the gravy train soon enough.

Zuckerberg from FB is all but begging the government to regulate his business (making the moat protecting him from smaller competitors that much bigger).

I'm shocked, shocked I say......

JR

PS: Here is one amusing (to me) data point. Facebook has recently stopped pushing local MS ads at me, and now pushes local NJ ads. The only profile data I ever provided them was that I graduated HS in NJ 50+ years ago. NJ ads are even easier for me to ignore, but this could cost FB more than paying off the swamp  if all their advertising becomes this ineffective. They know exactly where I am, but for some reason stopped using that location data.
 
 
I'm not sure what the point is here...do we want government regulation? Thats not a Ted Cruze talking point...these ARE private corporations...and from what I can tell the GOp is pretty much against internet freedom...

I'm a little confused as to what the point is here.
 
iomegaman said:
I'm a little confused as to what the point is here.
If we wait long enough, we'll hear about how it's all Obama's fault.

If the tech companies have banded together to push left wing ideologies and subvert the power of the right, they've done a terrible job of it.  I'm not sure what there is to worry about.
 
Matador said:
If we wait long enough, we'll hear about how it's all Obama's fault.

If the tech companies have banded together to push left wing ideologies and subvert the power of the right, they've done a terrible job of it.  I'm not sure what there is to worry about.
I'm amused that anybody is confused...

There is a lot of classic science fiction that draws a clear lesson.

Is nobody concerned that search engines and news feeds might preselect what you see...  ;D ;D Instead of the full story.

No problem (for me), I'm old.... tag you are it...  8)

JR
 
If you're worried about Google, use something else.

Anybody remember Echelon? That hasn't suddenly disappeared...
 
At the least we ought to maintain the illusion of fair elections. If on a lark, the Zuck posts something and it sways a quarter million people, I don't like that.

Regarding the 'what's wrong here, they are private companies',  if SV gets to pick and choose what people get to see on their sites then that makes them publishers, not platforms.  My understanding was the special immunity congress gave to FB, YT and such was predicated on them hosting people's content, not filtering content based on whatever vitamin supplements the google execs are taking this week.

Edit: To be clear, these electorate-swaying posts needn't have a chain of custody. Not when you're a super-duper admin.

If the tech companies have banded together to push left wing ideologies and subvert the power of the right, they've done a terrible job of it.  I'm not sure what there is to worry about.
Hit me up in 2021 on this one.  8)  <--those are Hoffman lenses  hehe
 
JohnRoberts said:
I'm amused that anybody is confused...

There is a lot of classic science fiction that draws a clear lesson.

Is nobody concerned that search engines and news feeds might preselect what you see...  ;D ;D Instead of the full story.

No problem (for me), I'm old.... tag you are it...  8)

JR

I am not confused. I am surprised anyone is surprised. Before Google et al it was the newspaper barons. Nothing has changed, just the players.

Cheers

Ian
 
A news paper in print is very different from online news , first off in the old days you might have had a couple of prints of the paper but generally everyone got the same news on the same day from the same paper . With online content theres no guarantee I see the same headlines as you on the same site , it can be tailored to suit , just like adverts are already .
There no question in my mind that ,lets call them 'the nation builders' are and have been involved in social media from the very beginings , with an eye too ,nation building of course  :D

It kind of reminds me of the Thatcher affair some years ago , where the former prime ministers son and a handful of mercenries  was involved in a failed coup attempt ,  wreaking havoc in countries and causing civil wars is easier than ever today , its fly by wire now , barely a need for boots on the ground anymore , just make sure theres state and anti state guns in the country ,then when everythings set you can light the fuse via social media(like Mr Trump does)  and watch Rome burn , ringside seats ,maximum plausible deniability .
Lets face upto it 'Global rule by social media' is giving 'democracy' a bloody good ass kicking for itself ,
and its just another round of extremists who are ascending to power .
 
ruffrecords said:
I am not confused. I am surprised anyone is surprised. Before Google et al it was the newspaper barons. Nothing has changed, just the players.

Cheers

Ian

There is an old saying, "don't pick arguments with people who buy ink by the truckload"  ::).  It is no accident that Jeff Bezos bought the Washington Post in 2013, but indeed the influence of modern electronic media is far more pervasive, then print.

The task of media (aka the fourth estate) is to inform the public and keep government (politicians) honest.  But who keeps them honest?

Modern social media builds up detailed profiles about all of us that they can use to press our buttons. Mostly to buy stuff, but political vote decisions generally are decided by one issue we find important personally. Political influencers can either hit those single personal hot buttons, or finesse around them if inconvenient.

It appears the recent drama about vote interference was mainly to weaken our democratic process and the team politicians in the swamp from both sides are acting like "useful fools" to help them.

I keep waiting for everybody to wake up from this fever dream, but doesn't appear likely soon.


JR
 
Tubetec said:
A news paper in print is very different from online news , first off in the old days you might have had a couple of prints of the paper but generally everyone got the same news on the same day from the same paper . With online content theres no guarantee I see the same headlines as you on the same site , it can be tailored to suit , just like adverts are already .
There no question in my mind that ,lets call them 'the nation builders' are and have been involved in social media from the very beginings , with an eye too ,nation building of course  :D

I was not saying print and online media are the same.  I am saying they were used by the same kind of people for the same kind of purpose. That it is nothing new, nothing to be surprised about. If anything the surprise is folk have taken so long to realise it.

Cheers

Ian
 
Print media's stranglehold on news is well and truly gone , along with it its  filter ,for better or worse,
look at Max Clifford ,one time 'paly paly' facilitator to the stars ,turned out to be a glorified nonce,
Now its a media free for all ,its looking like even faster/further downhill were heading ,
.









 
I don't watch youtube videos, but to brand the "Silicon Valley elite" as "left" is absurd.

If anything, these people are libertarians. They reap the fruit of government (= taxpayer) funded research and tell (and probably believe) fairy tales how they innovated all by themselves. They believe in making as much money as they can and paying as little taxes as they can get away with. They're secretly planning on how to stay at the top after the societal collapse they are helping to advance (no kidding).

It's precisely due to these Silicon Valley types (as well as "traditional" rightwing outlets fuelled by big money conservaties like Fox News and talk radio) that people watch Youtube videos, read Facebook and Twitter posts etc. filled with misinformation.

I hope it doesn't take WW3 to finally burst that bubble...
 
living sounds said:
I don't watch youtube videos, but to brand the "Silicon Valley elite" as "left" is absurd.

If anything, these people are libertarians. They reap the fruit of government (= taxpayer) funded research and tell (and probably believe) fairy tales how they innovated all by themselves. They believe in making as much money as they can and paying as little taxes as they can get away with. They're secretly planning on how to stay at the top after the societal collapse they are helping to advance (no kidding).

It's precisely due to these Silicon Valley types (as well as "traditional" rightwing outlets fuelled by big money conservaties like Fox News and talk radio) that people watch Youtube videos, read Facebook and Twitter posts etc. filled with misinformation.

I hope it doesn't take WW3 to finally burst that bubble...
They seem decidedly left leaning with a few notable exceptions  (like Peter Thiel)..

I recall during the Kavanaugh hearing  when one high level facebook executive attended the hearing to support his old friend. It nearly caused a palace revolt back at facebook headquarters when a bunch of snowflakes head's exploded, equating his personal support with corporate endorsement.

Of course opinions vary... 

I do not care what they believe, I do care about when what they believe affects what they do on the job.

I stopped using google for searches because the results appear biased. I am pretty sure this is already being investigated along with numerous other issues, unless they can buy off the legislators first.

JR
 
JohnRoberts said:
They seem decidedly left leaning with a few notable exceptions  (like Peter Thiel)..

I recall during the Kavanaugh hearing  when one high level facebook executive attended the hearing to support his old friend. It nearly caused a palace revolt back at facebook headquarters when a bunch of snowflakes head's exploded, equating his personal support with corporate endorsement.

Of course opinions vary... 

I do not care what they believe, I do care about when what they believe affects what they do on the job.

I stopped using google for searches because the results appear biased. I am pretty sure this is already being investigated along with numerous other issues, unless they can buy off the legislators first.

JR

Well John, you always talk about civility here and now you throw around derogatory terms like "Snowflakes" yourself. So dissapointing.  ;D

Good example of a concious CEO:

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2019/jul/21/ex-unilever-boss-seeks-heroic-ceos-to-tackle-climate-change-and-inequality-paul-polman

BTW: Peter Thiel = Libertarian. And not a good guy (if you like freedom of the press). And equality and equal opportunity. You know, basic American values. he's part of the grifter class.
 
My apologies to snow flakes everywhere.


urban dictionary said:
Snowflake
A term for someone that thinks they are unique and special, but really are not. It gained popularity after the movie "Fight Club" from the quote “You are not special. You're not a beautiful and unique snowflake. You're the same decaying organic matter as everything else."

Began being used extensively as a putdown for someone, usually on the political left, who is easily offended or felt they needed a "safe space" away from the harsh realities of the world, but now has morphed into a general putdown for anyone that complains about any subject.

Comedians have a hard time performing on college campuses anymore because of all the little snowflakes running around that get offended by just about anything they say.

I think "snowflake" is a fair description for all the Facebook employees who got so upset because one Facebook executive supported a personal friend during a contentious congressional hearing, just by being there and sitting in the gallery behind him, while ugly unsubstantiated accusations were made, that upon later inspection did not turn out to be true. Looks like he was just standing up for a friend, like we all should.

The team politics in silicon valley is pretty evident.

JR

PS: wiki describes  Thiel " a conservative libertarian " whatever that means.  I am conservative and libertarian, so perhaps he is like me?  :eek:  But he is much much wealthier than I am, so only a very little like me.
 
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