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Monday, October 4. 2021FB WhistleblowerI've read, and watched, quite a bit on this Facebook Whistleblower. I can't say I disagree with much of what she is saying, although I think you can apply all of it to most of our major media outlets today, not just Facebook. I began to question her motivations, in particular after she told her story of a friend who went from being a like-minded Progressive liberal to something other than this (implying 'lies' on Facebook turned that person into a conservative, I'm assuming). God forbid information should make you change your mind or your views - particularly if there's one less of these Progressives in the world! I may agree with much of what she says she's seen or even believes. I'd even like to stop what she's hoping to stop (hate speech, misinformation, lies, bullying). I can't say she knows how to stop those things. In fact, I know she can't. She THINKS she can. After all, she writes algorithms for a living, and she believes algorithms can fix anything. She's clearly a socialist of some nature, after all, she points out that Facebook puts 'profit' before stopping 'hate speech'. I found that claim interesting, since all major media outlets do this. After all, what are CRT, Cancel Culture or Wokism if not hate speech? And the major outlets are sharing those ideas quite freely and openly. So yes, profit is put ahead of stopping hate speech. The critical part here is that she seems to think it can be reduced or stopped. I suppose it can, to a small degree. But if you want to (as she does) rely on algorithms, which she writes for a living, then what she's really saying is "I'd like to be able to control what information is fed to people at all times, and limit it to what I believe is acceptable." I believe in choices. And we all make them. We choose to be on (or off) Facebook, social media, the internet or TV. Once we've chosen what to engage, we choose what to believe or not believe in our information resources. Sometimes (whoops) it's a lie or misinformation, though most times it's probably not (though I suppose if you listen to Biden and Fauci and assume they are authorities on anything, you're welcome to believe almost anything is 'truth' or 'science'). Part of adulting is learning to use common sense and pursue productive, effective, and meaningful parsing of data and information. I'm not sure what the whistleblower is hoping to achieve, but if it is to 'save' Facebook (as she claims) then I'm likely to believe that she's hoping to engage more situational design leading to social outcomes she believes are 'best for society'. I doubt I share her views on what's 'best' for society. Trackbacks
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"I'd even like to stop what she's hoping to stop (hate speech, misinformation, lies, bullying)."
What is hate speech? Define it. I can define it; It is whatever the censor says it is. Today you can say horrible things about white males, conservatives and Christians but you cannot even speak truth about the protected groups and if you do THAT is hate speech. What is misinformation? Was "two weeks to flatten the curve" misinformation? Was "get vaccinated and you won't need to wear a mask" misinformation? Was "you can sit down in a restaurant and take off your mask and be safe" misinformation? Or is only criticism of government and their actions misinformation? Ditto for lies. Ditto for bullying. Every single one of these "whistleblowers" (watch the silly documentary The Social Dilemma) is making the argument that things will be better once they are put in charge. They never offer any concrete example of changes to the technology that might improve things at the margin.
We've come to think of the algorithms as an evil feature. Facebook controlling content, Amazon linking what Alexa has overheard and suddenly the ads pop up - all that.
What would happen if the algorithms were removed completely? Would the internet descend into chaos? Would it make searching for desired content impossible? What would be kept, and what would be discarded? Hard to know what to do, when you don't know how it's structured. It was said that these social platforms harm children cause them to have negative feelings about themselves or some such BS. I don't doubt for a second that all of this is true what I disagree with is the conclusions that somehow it is the fault of the social platform. Don't you think that anyone who would be socially or mentally harmed by using these platforms already had a problem? They would be harmed simply by living life too. Perhaps 10%-20% of humans have mental health issues, perhaps, depending on how you define it, the percentage is closer to 50%. Just looking at a menu in a restaurant is a challenge for people with mental health problems. It has been noted that Gabby Petito AND her boyfriend are suffering from mental health issues. Wouldn't you have guessed that even if it was never exposed?
Should we structure our world to cater to those who are mentally deficient? Or should we create a society based on sanity and try to help the mentally ill become functional in a normal world? Well, that's part of the issue, isn't it? I said she can't.
The reasons you listed are part of the reason why she can't. That said, I'd like to stop these things. But not at the risk of undermining everything else that we have in life that comes with freedom. I just don't know what these things really are. It's like saying I want to stop bullying. I want to. I can probably even define it pretty well. But I'll never be able to stop it EVEN IF I can define it. About 7 years ago I was taking a class on leadership.
One item the teacher discussed was how social media led to depression and low self-esteem because people thought others' lives were better than their own, based on what was posted. I laughed. The teacher asked why. My answer was 2-fold. 1. I'm on social media, and I don't give a rat's ass if someone else is living a 'better' life. Do they travel more? Eat at great restaurants? Have a nice home? Beautiful car? Lots of money they flaunt? Some do, but so what? I see that in my everyday life, too. But what other people have doesn't change what I have or how I feel about myself. If it did, I had poor parents and poor self-esteem. It's not the social media causing the low self-esteem, it's how you raised your kid or taught them to manage things in their lives. So stop blaming the source of the information and address the individual misusing the information. 2. Removing social media, or putting limits on it, means you have to remove contact with people in real life, and remove all sources of information that would make me feel bad about myself. Those sources are ENDLESS. IF I allow them to make me feel bad. I pointed out to him that people say perception is reality. I disagree. Reality is reality, and our job is to determine what the objective reality is, utilize that in our lives and learn to care for ourselves. That means discerning how our perception is distorting reality. One of my favorite scenes in a movie was the character of John Nash in "A Beautiful Mind" when he realized the people he was seeing never aged. He'd 'seen' them for years - but they never aged. It allowed him to cope with the fact they probably weren't real. Does that happen in real life with real psychosis? I don't know. I'm not a psychiatrist. Probably not, and it's just a movie. But it illustrates my point. Stop thinking your perception is the reality. Use some common sense, and sort through the information. This final point aligns with OneGuy's comment, above - what is misinformation or hate speech? Well, to me it's like pornography. We all know it when we see it. But we're unlikely to always agree on what it is. So there needs to be a lot of personal analysis put into that before limiting this stuff. I think far too many people see self-determination and personal responsibility as hardships, rather than seeing them as enabling, hence liberating. Not only liberating, but the only honest way to live cooperatively.
I have an idea (borrowed)...
Freedom from nags, cranks, government, do-gooders, control-freaks and idiots is all that (I) we ask for. Is the purpose of a company to make money for it's owners (stockholders) or not?
Just recently someone threw paint at the George Floyd bust. The police declare it to be a hate crime. Where were the hate crime accusations over the last few years for all of the defacing and destruction of other statues? This is a perfect example of how hate crime laws are used in "lawfare" only by the left aimed at their opposition.
My definition of a hate crime is that all crime is a hate crime.
You're unlikely to commit a crime against someone if you care about them, love them, or even like them. Point is, most people do not commit crimes if only because they have a general love for humanity and would prefer to not damage or otherwise injure people or society. Which would imply that crime itself comes, at least, not from a place of caring, but high dislike or lack of care - and usually even hate. Exceptions exist (theft of a loaf of bread to avoid starvation is just survival instincts kicking in), but they are rare. Crimes of prejudice (killing/injuring someone due to hating blacks, Asians, women, etc) are still crimes. Are they 'worse' because there is a innate hate of a group? I'd argue they are not. Murdering someone can lead to the death penalty. If someone kills 10 people due to their race, how do you penalize them more than if they killed only 1? While scale, or even reasons, can shock people, they don't change much in terms of the crime itself. To some degree a 'crime' is whatever society says it is. But the law here in the US is supposed to apply equally across all people. So regardless of how 'society' (whatever it is or how you define it) views crimes against a mural of a particular item, it should not vary if other murals or statues are damaged. But it does today. Which says more about our politicians than it does about 'society'. I think she wants to be special, and she wasn’t all that special at FB. (Celiac, huh?)
FB is evil, stupid and corrupt but no one is forced to make account or even look at the site. The enemy of my enemy isn't always my friend.
I love it when anyone causes Facebook et al to suffer pain and cost and shame. But I cannot get on board when someone does it by claiming that FB is not enough of a censor. I am somewhat suspicious if she is an actual whistleblower, or if she is a plant to get congress to act. Even though Facebook and other media sites did blatantly censor political speech not to their liking during the last election it is still difficult for them to do it continually without losing a huge chunk of their customer base. What I expect to see come from this is a demand from "progressives" (socialists in sheeps clothing) that media be regulated so that opinions in opposition to theirs be kept offline. The tell, for me will be where does the "whistleblower" go from here? If she gets treated like a hero and hired by another media company, something that would never happen to a real whistleblower, then we will know this whole thing was a sham and a setup.
QUOTE: M: I like to knit. Facebook algorithm: You should friend N. She likes to knit too. QUOTE: Q: We should burn the place down. Facebook algorithm: You should friend T. He wants to to burn the place down too. Aggie: What would happen if the algorithms were removed completely? Then people would spend a lot less time on Facebook, and Facebook would make a lot less money. OneGuy: What is hate speech? Let's try an example: A white manager calls his black employees the n-word. OneGuy: Was "get vaccinated and you won't need to wear a mask" misinformation? No. That would be changing information due to changing circumstances (evolution in action!). Bulldog: Are they 'worse' because there is a innate hate of a group? I'd argue they are not. If some kids wrap your house, it's vandalism. If some kids burn a cross on your front lawn, it's vandalism—and a hate crime. The difference is that burning a cross is an attack on the entire Black community meant to instill fear. "What is hate speech?
Let's try an example: A black manager calls his white employees whitey, cracker, peckerwood. Or a black "youth" punches a white or Asian male/female because of their race. Or four black women beat up a white/Asian restaurant greeter because she asked them to put on masks. Or school boards require CRT where white children are bullied and made to feel inferior because of their race. Or black men on public transportation hit a white or Asian man/women because of their race. Or a gang of black "youths" attack your home or business because your white and they are BLM. Or BLM beats up whites and burns cities because you are white and they are racists. I could go on but it would be a waste of time. I have thought about that, too.
I agree, she could be a plant. But, remember, lots of these people (including FB management) want all the things she's pushing for. FB management, however, would prefer to keep earning boatloads of cash and keep gov't at a distance. They want the power. She would prefer to have the power to herself, it seems to me. Or at least be part of the process to give it to those she deems "worthy" OneGuy: Or a black "youth" punches a white or Asian male/female because of their race.
That wouldn't be hate speech, but a hate crime. Non-Whites are still the victims of most hate crimes, but there are several hundred anti-White hate crimes reported to the FBI each year. https://www.chicagotribune.com/nation-world/ct-whites-hate-crimes-20170106-story.html None of that is a definition.
Again, you can see it and you know it when you see it. But DEFINE IT. Is it "oh that offends me?" Yeah, pretty much it is - today. Bulldog: None of that is a definition.
There are two parts for defining a real phenomenon; the definition of the category, and showing that there exists at least one instance. QUOTE: American Heritage Dictionary: "Bigoted speech attacking or disparaging a social group or a member of such a group." QUOTE: Oxford: "abusive or threatening speech or writing that expresses prejudice against a particular group, especially on the basis of race, religion, or sexual orientation." The category has chaotic edges. Nevertheless, we can identify speech that we should all agree represents hate speech, so the category exists and is meaningful. ∃ {hate speech} 1. If algorithms were removed, there is no clarity on whether people would spend less time on it. We are TOLD they will. By FB. But in my experience, that's an excuse to use them - to "improve your experience." In reality, everyone I know is complaining about what the algorithms show, because it's not what their friends are posting, and that's what interests them...and it's why so many people have been LEAVING FB.
If they were removed, FB MIGHT make less money. But that, too, is unclear. I'd posit (and since I work in the industry, I know this) that's NOT true. There are lots of ways to drive revenue without algorithms. I know. It's part of what I do. Not everyone has algorithms. But you can use algorithms to maximize revenues, by pushing content that is revenue-driven...like the Russian stuff everyone complained about in 2016. Since I was intimately involved in this portion of the business, I'm familiar with the companies that were mentioned. While political motivations may have played a role, the reality is I dealt with blocking all these companies (no I don't work for FB, but I came to know them because they are endemic to digital) because they are all involved in ad fraud. All they want to do is make money. FB was a GREAT source for making money using the FB algorithm. Contrary to what many believe, these firms pushed ads which supported both Hillary and Trump, in equal measure. PUSHED. What they got results on is what drove the algorithm to a slight Trump favoritism. So, basically, FB was at fault in all that. Because their algorithms suck - all of them suck. Your example of "hate speech" is an example, but not a definition, and is therefore useless. Is calling an Italian a "Wop" hate speech? Gee, my friends must all hate me... Get a vaccine and not wear a mask WAS misinformation. The information didn't change. They lied about what the vaccines could do. That's documented. You don't have to believe it. You won't. But it's true. If kids wrap my house (which they've done) that's them out having a good time. It's kids being kids. It's not vandalism unless you're an old dude telling them to get off your lawn, and frankly just an asshole. If they burn a cross on my yard, it's vandalism, which as I pointed out is a crime. And basically, all crime is rooted in some form of hate. You didn't expand it or define it differently. You simply feel if a law is on the books that's all you need to define it as something. I tend to look at things more holistically and logically. Something I've noticed you never do. All forms of crime instill fear. Ever have your pocket picked? I have. Once it happens, everytime you're tapped walking down the street, you fear you were picked again. I always check. Fear is part of crime. Again - you're just a massive failure. Modern explanations don't make this more 'real'
We all know how politically correct speech has infiltrated even dictionaries. Denying that they are motivated by politics is a lie. Blondes are stupid. That's hate speech? Give me a f'in break. The point is that it is almost never considered a hate crime if a POC does it to a white or Asian. That is because the fascist left intentionally created the hate crime laws to favor only POC and NOT to fight actual hate crimes.
Bulldog: We all know how politically correct speech has infiltrated even dictionaries.
You asked for a definition. We provided the definition. Are you saying that a White yelling "no good n-word" at the neighbor's Black kids is not "Bigoted speech attacking or disparaging a social group or a member of such a group"? Perhaps you could argue that it isn't important, though that argument seems weak as well. People have the right to be bigoted, but that doesn't mean bigotry doesn't exist. The point seems to be that bullying and success (hurt feelings or envy or something) happens on Facebook and therefore Facebook is guilty of something or other. But from what I read these things also happen in our public schools and in fact are now being orchestrated to happen in public schools and somehow that is acceptable. Shouldn't the government clean their own house first?
OneGuy: The point is that it is almost never considered a hate crime if a POC does it to a white or Asian.
Gee whiz. We just noted that hundreds of anti-White crimes are reported each year. https://nypost.com/2021/07/23/maricia-bell-arrested-for-anti-asian-attacks-left-four-injured-in-queens-over-course-of-months/ Bulldog: 1. If algorithms were removed, there is no clarity on whether people would spend less time on it. We are TOLD they will. By FB.
It's something Facebook has tested extensively. How do you think they make so much money? They target ads based on algorithms by keeping people engaged based on algorithms. QUOTE: Facebook algorithm: You should friend T. He wants to burn the place down too. By the way, here's a deal on matches. Bulldog: and it's why so many people have been LEAVING FB. Facebook has seen phenomenal growth. http://cdn.statcdn.com/Infographic/images/normal/10047.jpeg Bulldog: Your example of "hate speech" is an example, but not a definition, and is therefore useless. We provided an unambiguous example. Or so we thought. Are you saying that a White person angrily yelling the n-word at Blacks is not hate speech? Seriously? (We provided the conventional definition below.) Bulldog: Get a vaccine and not wear a mask WAS misinformation. The change was a mutation in the virus that made it much more contagious. The vaccine still works, but there is a greater probability of a breakthrough infection, extending the pandemic. Bulldog: If they burn a cross on my yard, it's vandalism, which as I pointed out is a crime. It's a form of intimidation directed at the entire Black community. If you are not an American, then perhaps you are unfamiliar with the history of racial intimidation there, and the use of the burning cross as part of the effort to keep Blacks under oppression. Bulldog: And basically, all crime is rooted in some form of hate. Most crime is due to greed. Gee whiz they are reported and the DA can never quite decide that they were "hate crimes".
OneGuy: Gee whiz they are reported and the DA can never quite decide that they were "hate crimes".
Maricia Bell was charged with multiple hate crime violations, along with assault. The prosecutor has to prove the original crimes and that the crimes were motivated by racial or ethnic hatred. You're hopelessly out of touch, aren't you?
FB growth being "phenomenal" ignores the MASSIVE fraudulent number of profiles created. Personally, just to test this a few years ago, I made 3 profiles and left them fallow. They "exist" to this day. FB says it can identify and remove 'fake' profiles. Yet this simply IS NOT TRUE. It is estimated that upwards of 10% of all profiles are fake. Not to mention FB themselves warned of slowing growth BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE LEAVING. Don't talk my business with me. I know this. Just because Wall Street and FB refuse to admit the truth doesn't make it true, and you posting a picture of utter nonsense is laughable. Yes, your definition IS laughable. Yelling the "n" word is part of many, many rap songs. Are these all hate speech? Sorry, your point is lost as the desire to make it is undermined by its use as a compliment on a regular basis. Creating a 'situational' doesn't prove anything except the fact you are a silly twat. It is now proven the mutation WAS NOT more "infectious" as you claim. And it was LESS DEADLY. Stop parsing bullshit. It makes you look more stupid than you are. It was a lie - misinformation, misleading. You fell for it. Now you're just rationalizing your position. And listen, fat boy in your mom's basement, there is no "we". Grow up and be a legitimate human. Anonymization is fine, hiding behind a pseudonym legitimate. Several of us do. But you're just a sad, fat, wannabe musician hiding in a basement. Grow up already dipshit. Burning a cross is a crime. You defining it as "intimidation" doesn't make it a hate crime. It's still a crime. Greed is a form of hate. Hatred of self, hatred of others, in love of filthy lucre. You know that. But you're vapid. And you prove it regularly. I've ignored you for years, but you come back because you're just such a low life and crave attention. Time to go fat boy. You're not educated. You're just empathetic. and stupid. Your definition, even the one in a dictionary of ill-repute, means little.
You "defined" it in a manner that makes YOU, and a few others, "feel good" about the definition. When I provided an example that refuted the "definition" you decided to move the goalposts to imply I said bigotry doesn't exist. Of course it does. But that doesn't mean that YOU can tell hate speech versus anything else. When a friend calls me a dirty WOP, by your definition hate speech has occurred. Yet I'm laughing. When I tell a blonde joke, hate speech has occurred, but others laugh (including a blonde like me or my wife). Nevermind that the number of Irish, Polish, Italian, British, French or Russian jokes I've made that disparage those groups all represent "hate speech" in JUST THE RIGHT COMPANY. It's not hate speech. It can be hateful if the situation warrants it - but who are you to say that the situation warrants it? Are you the judge and jury of that situation? Is a legal mind the judge and jury? Of course not. We have all seen examples of laws run amok and you trying to justify one of the most ridiculous ones running amok now doesn't make it meaningful. It just means you've aligned yourself with the mortally stupid. And you know it. But as the common garden troll you are, you're sitting back and enjoying this because you know that you're wrong and just tweaking noses thinking you're smarter than everyone else. Good for you. You're not. But keep pretending. You've proven nothing except that you're sad, lonely, fat and make shitty music. And yes, that's all hateful and offensive on my part.
But you are hateful and offensive. You know it, but you hide behind a veil of false logic and low moral codes. You've rationalized your position to align with a group that you hope will defend and support you. I'll warn you now, as I warned my son. Be careful who you align with. The groups you think are your friends will find you useless someday and then they'll cast you aside in a manner that won't benefit your health or life. But you'll feel like you did something useful with your life as the guillotine slams down on your neck - however literal or figurative that guillotine is. Your former friends won't pay you any mind at that point. After all, you supported their revolution...but now your turn to pay has arrived. The fact you tried to tell ME what the "real" story of Facebook is made me laugh. Read a story in media and you know everything, right? Find a chart, read a dictionary and find a definition that is utterly useless and somehow you're 'smart'. It would be amusing if it wasn't so sad. Go crawl back in your hole dumbass. People like you help me understand why Facebook actually does have a little bit of power. You're stupid enough to fall for the shit that they collect and spread. Bulldog: FB growth being "phenomenal" ignores the MASSIVE fraudulent number of profiles created.
They count active users, so your dummy profiles aren't part of the count. Another measure is revenue: https://www.statista.com/graphic/1/268604/annual-revenue-of-facebook.jpg Bulldog: FB themselves warned of slowing growth So growing. Bulldog: your definition IS laughable. It's the definition provided by two different groups of expert practical lexicographers. Are you saying this woman yelling the n-word is not hate speech? https://cdn.cnn.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/200818124700-elizabeth-eckford-little-rock-nine-white-woman-scream-1-super-169.jpg Bulldog: It is now proven the mutation WAS NOT more "infectious" as you claim. CDC: "The Delta variant is highly contagious, more than 2x as contagious as previous variants." Ong & Chiew: "There was a signal toward increased severity associated with B.1.617.2. The association of B.1.617.2 with lower Ct value and longer viral shedding provides a potential mechanism for increased transmissibility. These findings provide a strong impetus for the rapid implementation of vaccination programmes." Bulldog: And it was LESS DEADLY. More than 10,000 Americans died of COVID in the past week, mostly from the Delta variant. Bulldog: Burning a cross is a crime So, per your estimation, a gang of hooded men burning a cross in the front yard of a black family's home should be charged with a fine for vandalism, the same as some kids on Halloween wrapping a house. "You're hopelessly out of touch, aren't you?" Bulldog: You "defined" it in a manner that makes YOU, and a few others, "feel good" about the definition.
We provided two definitions from expert practical lexicographers; the American Heritage Dictionary and the Oxford Dictionary. Are you saying no speech is hate speech? No matter how egregious? Ever? Bulldog: When I provided an example that refuted the "definition" We already granted that the boundaries can be blurry, but some cases are clearly hate speech. You are basically saying a business can't limit hate speech in the workplace in order to promote a healthy work environment. Or your mother, for that matter. So anything goes. QUOTE: Owen Diaz, who worked as a contract elevator operator at Tesla's factory in Fremont, Calif., from 2015 to 2016, said in his lawsuit that he and others were called the N-word by Tesla employees, that he was told to "go back to Africa" and that employees drew racist and derogatory pictures that were left around the factory. https://www.npr.org/2021/10/05/1043336212/tesla-racial-discrimination-lawsuit |