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Thanks @Mark for posting this. I hope @bee sees it. Where is the equivalency? Getting shot for having made dumb, offensive or outrageous comments? I’d long ago have disappeared.
I get it. A few years back I cut my online presence significantly and only started participating again middle of last year. I only post two places now. One of them on a pretty limited basis.
I still have a login on Facebook but have blocked a lot of people for posting incessant nonsense. I haven't actually posted there for a decade. I generally do not want all the negativity.
And believe it or not, I haven't watched TV "news", since the 1970's. I prefer to read and dig a little deeper. Most of it falls into the "drama" category IMO.
I've never been interested in Truth social. I did sign up for Twitter when it first became available. I couldn't keep up with the pace of the feed (2-finger typer here) so I never got involved. I believe that these sites are where the truth and facts go to die.
@YBB - Nick did say that he will continue to post on LinkedIn. I am present there but ever since I retired it's been less and less often.
My experience with LinkedIn has been good so far. Most people post there under their real names/IDs, so there is less vitriol. But it's full of ads/promos and you have to get past that. Job seeking/posting area is now separate - that's how LinkedIn started. Another problem is lot of people without any posting trying to connect - I don't see a point of that but there may be some scamming angle there. As test, I tried engaging some initially, but they want to just chat and want to quickly take the conversation elsewhere (phone, email, WhatsApp) - definitely NO for me.
Excellent article, we are being controlled by algorithms. Extreme points of view make top headlines more often because they attract eyeballs and increase ad revenue. Someone with a moderate view (most Americans) don't get noticed because they don't create drama.
Good article by Mr. Maggiulli. I agree that social media often amplifies the most extreme views. People with similar views tend to congregate in the same virtual spaces which creates an "echo chamber" effect. Critical thinking is often discouraged in those virtual spaces. Personally, I usually avoid most social media. I don't have an account on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X, Bluesky, etc. Sometimes I will follow a link to read/watch a specific post on one of these platforms.
I've never been interested in Truth social. I did sign up for Twitter when it first became available. I couldn't keep up with the pace of the feed (2-finger typer here) so I never got involved. I believe that these sites are where the truth and facts go to die.
@YBB - Nick did say that he will continue to post on LinkedIn. I am present there but ever since I retired it's been less and less often.
I don't even want Musk getting an account from me to bolster his numbers, no matter how minuscule that may be. Plus, as you pointed out, your words there may as well be wind, they will dissipate so fast.
As to Truth Social, all of the above, and their terms of service specify you will be banned for any negativity towards Trump. That makes it both an echo chamber and a propaganda outlet. A virtual "safe space" for those inclined towards cult thinking.
Edit, I did not read @Observant1 's post above about "echo chambers" or "virtual space" before I posted this. Great minds think alike...and evidently we do too. lol
Excellent article, we are being controlled by algorithms. Extreme points of view make top headlines more often because they attract eyeballs and increase ad revenue. Someone with a moderate view (most Americans) don't get noticed because they don't create drama.
This, I believe, is a really good reason to avoid giving up too much information (privacy), because it will be used to manipulate you. Targeted advertising is one of the more benign ways. But any entity having access to your personal details, location data, spending habits, reading habits, listening habits, contact details, etc can use that information to subtly manipulate you.
As an aside, I tend to discuss topics that I don't hear others in my orbit discuss. I tend to make comments on things, in a specific way, that I don't hear people around me make. At least not the same way. But, very frequently I hear people repeat back to me things that I know I said to them previously. Sometimes years later, often not. And these things are presented to me as original thoughts. My takeaway from this is just how easily people are influenced without knowing how it happened. And that a patient, clever person can mold the thinking of others around them.
So, imagine what an algorithm, or sophisticated AI, could do with all of your data.
Oh yes, Palantir is a total perversion of it's original namesake- the "seeing stones" from The Lord of the Rings.
Palantir attempts to "see" every possible aspect of a subject, gathering and using every detail available from skimming the internet, using internet hacks, or any other possible source. Trump, formerly abetted by Musk, is determined to construct a dossier on every single American. This means YOU.
Good bye and good luck to the United States of America.
Comments
People have gone offline before (some again and again) but they eventually return.
I do follow Nick Maggiulli at X/Twitter and LinkedIn.
Ducks’ Coach on “internet warriors”
I still have a login on Facebook but have blocked a lot of people for posting incessant nonsense. I haven't actually posted there for a decade. I generally do not want all the negativity.
And believe it or not, I haven't watched TV "news", since the 1970's. I prefer to read and dig a little deeper. Most of it falls into the "drama" category IMO.
@YBB - Nick did say that he will continue to post on LinkedIn. I am present there but ever since I retired it's been less and less often.
I agree that social media often amplifies the most extreme views.
People with similar views tend to congregate in the same virtual spaces
which creates an "echo chamber" effect.
Critical thinking is often discouraged in those virtual spaces.
Personally, I usually avoid most social media.
I don't have an account on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X, Bluesky, etc.
Sometimes I will follow a link to read/watch a specific post on one of these platforms.
As to Truth Social, all of the above, and their terms of service specify you will be banned for any negativity towards Trump. That makes it both an echo chamber and a propaganda outlet. A virtual "safe space" for those inclined towards cult thinking.
Edit, I did not read @Observant1 's post above about "echo chambers" or "virtual space" before I posted this. Great minds think alike...and evidently we do too. lol
As an aside, I tend to discuss topics that I don't hear others in my orbit discuss. I tend to make comments on things, in a specific way, that I don't hear people around me make. At least not the same way. But, very frequently I hear people repeat back to me things that I know I said to them previously. Sometimes years later, often not. And these things are presented to me as original thoughts. My takeaway from this is just how easily people are influenced without knowing how it happened. And that a patient, clever person can mold the thinking of others around them.
So, imagine what an algorithm, or sophisticated AI, could do with all of your data.
Now I am going to ruin everybody's day:
https://www.npr.org/2025/05/05/nx-s1-5387514/palantir-workers-letter-trump
https://trahan.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=3596
https://datagovhub.elliott.gwu.edu/review-and-literature-guide-of-trumps-one-big-beautiful-dataset/
This one is behind a paywall:
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/30/technology/trump-palantir-data-americans.html
Palantir attempts to "see" every possible aspect of a subject, gathering and using every detail available from skimming the internet, using internet hacks, or any other possible source. Trump, formerly abetted by Musk, is determined to construct a dossier on every single American. This means YOU.
Good bye and good luck to the United States of America.