General Discussion

Big tech simply has too much power. It's alarming to me. Way too much influence on how we get news and how we communicate. It was inevitable. We rely on technology.

I thought Parler was stupid. But I'm not in favor of censorship at all. You don't have to tell people that you don't agree with to shut up. You simply have to make the choice to stop listening to them.

 

This is not a good situation. This can be a double edged sword. Sure, this time it's Trump. But next time it's going to be something that you guys believe in or think should be discussed. It's one of those "be carful what you wish for" things.

This all started with kids bullying each other online. And people were all up in arms screaming at Facebook and Twitter saying, "You guys have to police this stuff". Well they did. But now it's gone from the junior high school playground to national politics. Where are you going to draw the line?

 

OK. I deserved that.

 

It's human nature to want to control the discussion and to have the loudest voice. Look at how much money and power influencers have, it's profoundly disturbing.
People are not willing or interested in hearing opposing views. They crave the limelight and fame that retweets and likes give them. People are angry, intolerant, distrustful and filled with hatred. How do you see society changing any of this?

 

America is so far behind any regulation of tech monopolies, and it's scary. One of my hopes for this new administration is that they'll tackle this. Go get 'em, Elizabeth Warren.

That said, I have no issue with this Parler thing. The platform was literally a breeding ground for terrorists. And not in a Facebook way, where it resulted from gross incompetence (oh, f*** Facebook), but rather because that extremism was core to its existence and management. Now, they may find a different service to host the site. But in the meantime, there are plenty of other sites stepping up to fill the void - some actively advertising themselves as the home for Conservatives and anti-Liberals in a way that seems even more extreme than Parler. So any claims of censorship, of lacking a place for their voice, etc, is just nonsense and inaccurate. It's just easy to make martyrs out of Parler.

 

America is so far behind any regulation of tech monopolies, and it's scary.

Your right it is scary.......China is probably leading the way but a country to watch for and is Miles ahead of North America is Finland.

I find it Ironic that today Jan 11th/21 is the Opening of the CES Virtual Show in Las Vegas.....Years past this is a HUGE show for the Industry.

 

Mixed with data mining, tax avoidance, selective news telling, and playing both sides of the shitty American Political spectrum to increase profits, yeah--big issue.

As for Parler--from the start, I thought it was big federal law enforcement's wet dream. Get all the domestic terrorists/Q people/dumb, angry, and violent people all in one place and just let them do their thing until its time to round them all up then you have nothing short of firepower from dumb shit posted because "muh rights" to use against them in a court of law. Kind of like last week. The best part was when idiot traitors who got elected told them all what to do/where to go.

I'll agree and disagree with Socal because it is a double-edged sword to a certain point. On one hand, great--morons, criminals, cowards, traitors, and terrorists are arrested and off the streets after another failed rebellion for their orange demigod. On the other, where will the line get drawn? Until 1/6, regular peaceful protests and overall peaceful protests (with dumbasses and agitators/anarchists) are relatively fine. People do their thing and leave--unless they take over square blocks of Portland, including the police station. There hasn't been an issue of a peaceful protest being arrested for speech.

I'll disagree because on Twitter there are these wild things called *terms of service* of what you can/can't say/post. A private business setting its own rules and putting them right before you as you sign up. And while I detest the 50 pages nobody ever reads--Twitter being a private business is allowed to kick anybody off who violates them. I get lost when people argue the bakery in Oregon should be allowed to refuse to bake a cake for gay people but big tech isn't allowed to follow through on their terms of service.

In the end, it all boils down to voters and the people they elect. Keep being herded into the constant need for 'security and protection' (from what?) like good sheep only to elect morons who put Verizon lobbyists like Ajit Pai in positions of power or just do nothing while "being extremely concerned"--this is what you get.

Maybe stop electing people who talk about the problem and like our shitty 48-hour news cycle, 'move on' instead of fixing the fucking problem.

 

It gets dicey when you have people on the other side of the political spectrum calling for unrest who are never given a warning (numerous examples from the summer), or the Ayatollah openly declaring that Israel must be wiped out all while he keeps his account (meanwhile Iranian civilians are blocked from the platform).

I do agree they can kick out whoever they want. That's the right of any private company. The problem is the power they wield. They can decide who sees what information, such as blocking the Hunter Biden story in October. They can massively influence elections or turn a mob against a business or person, effectively destroying them. Big Tech is more powerful than any politician right now, even Trump. And there's essentially zero regulation on what they can and can't do. It's beyond unsettling.

In a strange roundabout way, he is my boss's boss's boss, so I'll refrain from further comment other than to say I've met him and we share an affinity for Reese's peanut butter cups.

 

Yeah...this right here.

The same rules have to exist for everyone. Because if they don't then you are choosing sides and I don't like that at all.

Actively suppressing news is dangerous.

 

This is an interesting 7 minute trailer for a movie called, "A Night at the Garden".

https://anightatthegarden.com/?fbclid=IwAR2A6JUs--8fTWPNKnVlFF_UE954mVFRHxjOOlgWf473EiTOgxcSSeS9SWc

 

Do you have a 30 second version? ADHD.

 

This is an interesting 7 minute trailer for a movie called, "A Night at the Garden".


It won the Oscar for Best Documentary......it is a bit of a Horror and similar to what is going on today with Trump.

 

Just take a deep breath and watch it. You can do it Bww!

 

I actually wrote a term paper in college about the German American Bund and how we bury our embarrassing past in this country.

 

Do you still have the paper? I'd love to read it.

 

I doubt it. Not even sure I got a good grade on it.

But I’ve always been obsessed with hidden and repressed history. 1930s America...so many of our leaders in politics and business were very interested in Hitlers rise in Germany and in favor of a possible turn of our government into something that would have resembled that.

 

Grades don't really interest me. What does interest me is reading people's views on history and historical events. I find it really interesting.

 

I had a history professor in college. Never gonna forget what he said. He walks into the class on the first day, looks at us and says.

History is not about who, when, or where. If you want to learn history,,, ask WHY !!

I'll never forget that line.