Mammon category archive
Facebook Frolics, It’s All about the Algorithm Dept. 0
The Attorneys-General of New York and New Jersey explain why they have joined 40 other states in suing Meta for knowingly endangering the mental health and well-being of children and teenagers. Here’s a bit of what they have to say:
Remember, “social” media isn’t about being social or sociable. It’s about making tech bro fat cats fatter and fatter.
You don’t use it. It uses you.
Incensed To Kill 0
Richard Lettieri, writing at Psychology Today Blogs, takes a look at what research to date tells about mass. He notes that the recent shooting in Maine “mass shooting of 2023, a year that has witnessed 565 such massacres as of this writing. That’s almost two such calamities per day.”
He goes on to look at qualities mass shooters tend to have in common and identifies six; follow the link for a detailed discussion of each one.
- The majority of random mass murderers are white men (emphasis in the original–ed.), middle-aged or younger.
- They have histories of mental health problems.
- Chronic cynicism and brooding distrust are why mass murderers tend to be loners.
- Ninety percent of future mass murderers had prior contact with the law.
- The revenge motive is another animating force behind random mass murder.
- They typically have a history of difficulty maintaining employment, and are frequently out of work at the time of the killings.
In my view, though, he failed to address perhaps the most significant characteristic, though, granted, it’s not a psychological one: the ready availability of weapons of war at your local store.
Courting Disaster 0
It seems that the hot new hobby amongst right-wing billionaires is collecting judges.
The Crypto Con 0
Above the Law’s Joe Patrice thinks the whole thing is a wee bit sketchy.
Sweat Shops 0
In an article at The Roanoke Times, Hayleigh Colombo takes does a deep dive into the supply chain for college-branded apparel. The article contends that colleges and universities who profit from the sales could and should do more to ensure that workers are fairly treated.
It’s not a pretty picture. Here’s a tiny bit:
The Crypto Con 0
The Southern Poverty Law Center follows the funny money.
Spoiling the System 0
Lindsay M. Chervinsky looks at Donald Trump’s plans to effectively destroy the civil service and replace career civil servants with his dupes, symps, and fellow travelers.
Much more at the link.
Facebook Frolics, No News Is No News Dept. 0
Bloomberg tech columnist Dave Lee explains why the Zuckerborg is turning its algorithms away from promoting news content. A snippet:
(snip)
So now Meta has decided it’s had enough. It’s not that news isn’t allowed — Canada excluded — but that Meta doesn’t feel it’s in its interests to support news organizations the way it once did.
Read the whole thing. It reinforces the obvious: “social” media isn’t.
Afterthought:
Indeed, I think an argument can be made that “social” media in the hands of companies motivated primarily, if not exclusively, by their bottom lines is anti-social media, as it is inclined to give persons what they want to hear, not what they need to hear.
The Crypto Con 0
Just in case you wondered what “Effective Altruism” means . . . .
Flying the Fiendlier Skies 0
Robert Reich explores why traveling by airline has become so unpleasant. He lists five reasons; here’s one of them (emphasis in the original):
While their jobs have become more difficult, many flight attendants haven’t had a raise in years.
And a lot of their hardest work is totally unpaid, because most flight attendants don’t get paid during the boarding process. They’re off the clock until the plane’s doors close.
And if the flight is delayed, those are often extra hours for no extra money.
Again, this mirrors trends in the overall economy, where too many workers are pushed into unpaid overtime or made to do work or be on call during their off hours.
Follow the link for a detailed exploration of the other four.
The Label behind “No Labels” 0
Jim Hightower follows the money.