Supreme Court agrees to hear a case that could determine whether Facebook, Twitter and other social media companies can censor their users
The case, Manhattan Community Access Corp. v. Halleck, No. 17-702, centers on whether a private operator of a public access television network is considered a state actor, which can be sued for First Amendment violations. The case could have broader implications for social media and other media outlets. In particular, a broad ruling from the high court could open the country's largest technology companies up to First Amendment lawsuits.
I'd prefer they decided social media companies should censor their users. That way, they'd be responsible for everything on their service. Good luck with that. Speaking of which...
Spotify ad banned for causing 'distress' to children
The advert mimicked a horror film and showed young people being menaced by a scary doll when they played a particular song. In its ruling, the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) said the setting and events were "particularly likely" to scare younger viewers. Spotify has been told to make sure its future adverts are fit for children to watch and are targeted appropriately.
In the SJW pantheon, Halloween is now a combination of Christmas, Easter, Ramadan, and Passover, so anything goes. It's their high holy days, and it lasts for months. I say bring back All Saints Day, and keep your candy.
Kerch blast: Crimea college 'bomb' kills 13
Officials said an "unidentified explosive device" detonated at the technical college in Kerch, where Russia has built a bridge between the peninsula and Russia. Initial reports had suggested that the blast was some sort of gas explosion.But a Russian national guard official said the incident was a deliberate "terrorist act".
There's trouble in the Crimea? I blame the Scythians, the Persians, the Greeks, the Pontics, the Romans, the Goths, the Huns, the Bulgars, the Khazars, the Byzantine Empire, the Arabs, the Kypchaks, the Russians, the City State of Venice, the Mongols, the Turks, the Cossacks, the Russians some more, the English, the French, and Kingdom of Sardinia of all people, Germany, the Soviets, the Ukrainians, and the Russians some more. And Donald Trump, because why not.
Advertisers allege Facebook hid the fact that no one watches video ads
In addition to Facebook knowing about the problem far longer than previously acknowledged, Facebook's records also show that the impact of its miscalculation was much more severe than reported. The average viewership metrics were not inflated by only 60-80 percent; they were inflated by some 150-900 percent. Facebook did not wish to draw scrutiny to its viewership figures because it knows that the majority of video ads on its platform are viewed for very short periods of time—users scroll right past.
Half of the money I spend on advertising is wasted. The problem is I don't know which half. This is somebody's half, I imagine.
Tax evasion: blacklist of 21 countries with 'golden passport' schemes published
Three European countries – Malta, Monaco and Cyprus – are among those nations flagged as operating high-risk schemes that sell either residency or citizenship in a report released on Tuesday by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development. The Paris-based body has raised the alarm about the fast-expanding $3bn (£2.3bn) citizenship by investment industry, which has turned nationality into a marketable commodity.
Then again, if turning a particular nationality into a marketable commodity is outlawed, America will turn into a one-party state.
I Sent Fake Versions of Myself On TV and Everyone Fell for It
I know what you're thinking: there's no way broadcasters, journalists and producers will fail to realise they're interviewing the wrong guy. I get that. But I have reason to believe this will work. Whether it's the segment on Brazil's Globo TV, or the hour-long documentary on Japanese TV, every interviewer has asked me the same questions about the shed. It's not really me being interviewed; what I did has some recognition, but I don't. So, for six weeks, I'm stepping aside to see whether these superior versions of myself can excel in my place.
This fellow gamed TripAdvisor reviews to make a shed in his back yard the most highly rated restaurant in London. It worked, so he actually opened the shed up as a restaurant, and he charged big money to serve cheap microwaved food on paper plates to patrons, who dutifully raved about it on social media because they're dullards. Now the whole world wants to interview him about his exploits, so he sends an army of random people in his place. No media outlet notices. Fake news? Is there another kind?
How to not be weird on the phone when you have a job interview
Answer the call. Okay, duh. But, says Thompson, “a lot of people don’t even answer the phone anymore.” You can’t do that when you’re expecting a call from a potential employer. It doesn’t matter how nervous you are, or how little sense you see in having a phone call when email exists, you can’t ignore the ringing and hope that a follow-up note will solve your problem.
Get out of here with that email alternative. An email is like receiving a radioactive registered letter from the Gestapo to these kids. They won't answer that, either. The average college graduate has never spoken to a real adult about any topic, in any setting, and is terrified of answering their ringing phone. A generation of mannerless housebound agoraphobes who dress their pets in costumes for Halloween, which lasts for six months. Good jerb, social media.
What Emails Reveal About Your Performance At Work
Praful Tickoo, the head of people analytics at Genpact, has been working with MIT to study the communication patterns of the company’s top 650 leaders. His findings were astounding: a 74% statistical correlation between communication patterns and the highest levels of individual performance (using a 9-box performance process). What did they find? The highest performing leaders use simpler words to communicate, they respond faster, and they communicate more often. In other words, they are more engaged, more efficient, and more action-oriented.
And I'll bet they know how to answer the g*ddamned phone. Never mind all that. Let's get to the really interesting part of the story. Praful Tickoo is the greatest name I've encountered since reading about Hercules Mulligan in grade school.
Canada becomes second country to legalise recreational marijuana
Canada has become the second country after Uruguay to legalise possession and use of recreational cannabis. Medical marijuana has been legal in the country since 2001. But concerns remain, including about the readiness for police forces to tackle drug impaired driving. Information has been sent to 15m households about the new laws and there are public awareness campaigns.
Once again, Uruguay leads the way! Said no one, ever.
The U.S. Spy Hub in the Heart of Australia
The base, which was built in the late 1960s, was once focused only on monitoring missile tests and other military-related activities in countries such as Russia, China, Pakistan, Japan, Korea, and India. But it is now doing “a great deal more,” said Tanter. It has shifted from “a national level of strategic intelligence, primarily to providing intelligence — actionable, time-sensitive intelligence — for American operations in [the] battlefield.”
Sort of in their job description, fellas, despite your breathless reporting style.
Facebook Finally Admits That Its New Spy Equipment Can Spy on You
It sounded a little slippery last week, when Facebook announced Portal, a new voice-activated speaker and video chat gadget, and the company said that it would not use data collected through the device to target ads. It was, in fact, very slippery. Facebook just admitted that Portal is completely capable of collecting data about you and using that data to target ads. But don’t worry, Facebook probably won’t do this right away.
I'm constantly reminded of a demented form of the Lady Godiva story. Everyone simultaneously wishes to ride naked through town, sometimes forbidding everyone else to look, sometimes forbidding anyone from looking away, all the while reserving the right to be a peeping Tom, 24/7.
Bon mercredi à tous! Oops again
