October, 2021 archive
It’s All about the Algorithm 0
Bryan Greenspun, publisher of the Las Vegas Sun, remembers a chance encounter:
They happily explained that the law did not find them to be publishers in the traditional sense. Since they did not ”curate” the information — meaning no humans made decisions about what to publish on their sites — they could not be held responsible for truth, falsity, defamation, lying, incitement and a whole host of other proscriptions that applied to traditional publishers.
I told them I didn’t agree; the way they disseminated information and news to their users was no different that what we did for our readers. And, I asked them, if you are not responsible, who is? They laughed as in they didn’t care.
More memories at the link.
Plus, here’s some more thoughts about the algorithm.
Vaccine Nation 0
Twits on twitter. fomenting fabrications.
All the News That Fits 0
John Oliver reacts to the news that AT&T is the primary funder for the far right One America Network.
Video via C&L, which has commentary.
Aside:
The company that now calls itself “At&T” can change it name as often as it wants to (remember Cingular?), but it’s still Southwestern Bell, arguably one of the worst of the “Baby Bells.”
Facebook Frolics 0
Writing for the EFF, Katherine Trendacosta argues that Facebook, like Crabby Appleton, is rotten to the core. A nugget:
Ms. Haugen told Congress that she thinks Facebook should be reformed, not broken up. But Facebook’s broken system is fueled by a growth-at-any-cost model. The number of Facebook users and the increasing depth of the data it gathers about them is its biggest selling point. In other words, Facebook’s badness is inextricably tied to its bigness.
It Was All about the Benjamins 0
Dartmouth professor Randall Balmer tells the story of the rise of the “religious right.” It’s not what you might think, and certainly not the stories they tell themselves. A nugget:
Follow the link for the rest.
Aside:
Many years ago, I visited Bob Jones U. while researching a paper I was working on for some class I forget which one but most likely a sociology class my senior year.
It was one of the spookiest places I have ever seen.
Easy Marks 0
The editorial board of the Las Vegas Sun is somewhat taken aback by Republicans’ willingness to believe anything. Here’s a bit:
Imagine his fellow legislators’ surprise in learning the findings of the report, including that the vaccine contains a “living organism with tentacles” and is causing the babies of vaccinated parents to be born “transhuman” with “pitch-black eyes.”
Amazing. And, of course, completely insane.
Follow the link for a litany of lunacy.
“The Republican Virus” 0
David runs the numbers. (Warning: Short promotion at the end.)
QOTD 0
John Nettles as Inspector Barnaby and Laura Howard as his daughter, Cully Barnaby:
Cully Barnaby: So, how’s your witch hunt?
Inspector Barnaby: The witch hunt is not concluded.
Cully Barnaby: Witch hunts never are. You burn one, you have to find another.
School Daze, Reprise 0
Today’s local rag took a close look at disruptive behavior, threats of violence, and even occasional acts of violence at school board meetings in these viral times. Adam Laats, a historian at New York’s Binghamton University, was one of the persons cited in the article; he pointed out that this is not a new or isolated phenomenon, but a recurring one in times of stress and change, supporting that point with numerous examples.
One phrase, in particular, caught my eye:
The full article is at the link.
The Call of the Cult 0
At Psychology Today Blogs, Darcia F. Narvaez explores the psychology of cults and how they maintain control over their adherents.
(She uses what I consider an absurd term, “totalist,” in the piece, in order to differentiate from the term “totalitarian”; I think she does so in order to include non-governmental entities. But it’s still absurd.)
Here’s a bit:
Mind control occurs thorough an alternation of fear and love within the isolating environment. Followers are threatened by the leader at the same time they are promised love. They are entrapped within the group, glued in anxious dependency to the group, in a constant state of fear arousal but seeking proximity to the group in a failed attempt for comfort.
I commend the rest to your attention.
Utter Incoherence 0
Arizona Congressperson Paul Gosar utters incoherence about 2020 election results.
Via C&L, which has commentary.