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The Social Dilemma - Documentary


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I just heard about this Documentary, basically about FB, Googles, etc. data mining and how they use it to manipulate people. 

 

Has anyone seen it? I believe it is only on Netflix, which I don't have. If so, what are your thoughts. 

 

If you are thinking of writing that you don't use FB or Google, that isn't helpful and you will get a

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I have not seen it but I have talked to a coworker that has. He has literally changed how he does things online because of it. 
 

Here is a couple of articles about the documentary. 
https://www.news.com.au/technology/online/social/the-social-dilemma-why-everyone-is-talking-about-netflix-doco/news-story/e660e541fb68c917a63fdebbcace4f1d

 

https://www.foxnews.com/media/the-social-dilemma-toscano-google
 

https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2020-09-09/review-social-dilemma-facebook-google-netflix
 

I may see it at some point. 

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I watched it. I completely believe that the manipulation that they described is and has been happening for quite a while. I have used Google before, who hasn't...but I try not to use them now if I don't absolutely have to. I've never had a Facebook, Twitter or any of  the other social media account (except SASS) and never will. I firmly believe that Facebook/Twitter style social media will be the downfall of our Country.

 

I thought the show was worth watching albeit a little annoying at times with their "recreations" of social media users.

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It is my hope that people will wake up to the manipulation. I saw it coming years ago. I do not go into social networking sites that aren’t related to my hobbies. I have even given up a couple of those sites because of the constantly thin skinned that feel that every issue they disagree with needs to be battled out. People remind me of empowered 10 year olds. Freakin’ Lord of the Flies type morons. 
One motorcycle forum that I frequented had the pack of 5 or 6 Kawasaki self proclaimed mechanics that berate anyone that doesn’t kowtow to their thinking. I quit going there. Now the site, desperate for participation badgers me to come back. I sent them a nice note to tell them to shove off. 
Don’t even get me started on open forum types sites like mentioned above and Reddit and some others. 
 

Life’s too short to be putting up with manipulators and useful idiots. 

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I don't do social media as the term is usually used. I only regularly go to three 'subject matter' websites, SASS being one, which are monitored by the site owners.

 

Monitored sites (those, like this one, that have strong owners and monitors) keep control over the pernicious tendencies of people who are unconstrained by reason and courtesy by reason of their anonymity.

 

While many disagree, my own view is that anonymity is the curse of the internet. In pre-internet times, folks were constrained by community standards of proper conduct; 'privacy' never encompassed identity: we never concealed who we were, where we lived, etc. We were 'in the telephone book'.

 

The internet is a great study in human nature: where people are not constrained by law and custom and position in the community, they turn ugly.

 

The only site I use an alias on is this one-- it's required! Even then, the owners know who you are....

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Over the years saw a number of stories and read research relating to the "influence" of social media and big tech. Saw Google using search results to sway political and social opinion not just here but in other countries also. First saw it years ago related to the politics of the RKBA (right to keep and bear arms). Saw Facebook especially heavy handed over this last year control and ban users who did not accept the Facebook narrative when it came to social and political issues. Youtube for years has been slowly marginalizing the firearms community -  demonitizing, skewing search results and suggestions, and banning pro-gun and conservative voices. Reddit banned the biggest group of supporters of the recent president leading up to the election. Now we've seen the social media and internet service providers kicking off gun forums and conservative voices. Also saw big tech kowtowing to China to curry favor to gain access to Chinese labor/manufacturing and the Chinese market with their huge population. Also saw supposedly neutral forums where a few members began working seemingly actively to ban and control content through constant aggitation and reporting anything against their political narrative. 

 

I don't believe for a moment it's all accidental - it's not a huge super secret conspiracy either (well except for China's huge role in stealing tech and patents and spying and running influence operations and buying politicians)- but it is organized and the companies and groups engaged in the activity will uniformaly deny what they are doing. 

 

That's why I dropped Google for DuckDuckGo, Dropped Chrome for Brave, dropped Facebook for MeWe and Gab. I'm not going to support people and organizations if I can help it who are actively working in my opinion to destroy individual rights and national sovereignty in the name of "equity" which is merely the latest flavor of fascism put forward in the name of "social justice" when it's really just a naked grab for money and power. 

 

My opinion based on my experience over the years, not bringing up any specific politics and not looking to debate anyone. 

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If you've got an electronic communication device;  whether cell phone, tablet, laptop or other, it is the scariest documentary you'll ever watch.

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I saw it, a real eye opener. The basic story is that artificial intelligence sees what you read and suggests other reading based on  what you seem to like. The left gets more leftist articles and the right gets more conservative articles, pretty soon we are not even reading the same news and this is what is causing a lot of the misunderstanding in society.

 

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8 hours ago, Loophole LaRue, SASS #51438 said:

While many disagree, my own view is that anonymity is the curse of the internet.

Respectfully, there is no anonymity on the internet and very little off the internet anymore. 

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1 hour ago, Raylan said:

Respectfully, there is no anonymity on the internet and very little off the internet anymore. 

 

From the government and big business no. For the users of social media it is dang near impossible to have a face to face with another poster. 

 

Social media is infested with non-human posters (bots) controlled by only a hand full of people whose only goal is to sow discord and spread hate. 

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FB has gotten to the point that content is targeted even if you don't click the like button. Simply watching a video or copying a funny picture causes your feed to be flooded by more of the same content. I am constantly flagging ads as Irrelevant in my wife's feed. I was cute 10 is annoying.

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17 hours ago, Raylan said:

Respectfully, there is no anonymity on the internet and very little off the internet anymore. 

 

Well, for the average person, the identity of most posters, using screen names and not sharing personal information, is not easily uncovered; that's about as "anonymous" as you can get.  I'm sure that if you have superior computer skills, and the time to devote to more intense investigation, you could find more information; but my comment (the cited language is not mine, but rather that of the OP in response to which I posted a "Like") is, I believe, more accurate than claiming that there is "no anonymity"; I know the real names of only a handful of folks on this Wire, and even fewer of those whose comments I read on most other sites I follow.

 

LL

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22 hours ago, Raylan said:

Respectfully, there is no anonymity on the internet and very little off the internet anymore. 

 

I think we are talking about two separate things. I'm not talking about maintaining anonymity; rather about asserting it in the first place.

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It's deeper than we think!!:ph34r:

 

I was in the garage sharpening a knife. I came back in and, lo and behold, an ad for knife sharpeners came up a few minutes later!:huh:

 

I have not done anything online regarding knives for almost a year!

 

I have no cameras, nor Alexa. My cell phone was in the house! Is the air compressor spying on me??????:angry:

 

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Become a 'Widdermaniac'.     I don't belong to nor get involved in FB, Twitter, etc......

 

My only read and participation is SASS Wire/Saloon, etc..... and a few email with friends.

 

oh yea, membership to become a 'Widdermaniac' is free, but a nominal gift card from DQ is accepted..... :lol:

 

..........Widder

 

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7 minutes ago, Widder, SASS #59054 said:

Become a 'Widdermaniac'.     I don't belong to nor get involved in FB, Twitter, etc......

 

My only read and participation is SASS Wire/Saloon, etc..... and a few email with friends.

 

oh yea, membership to become a 'Widdermaniac' is free, but a nominal gift card from DQ is accepted..... :lol:

 

..........Widder

 

 

Always been there! Never signed up for any of the "Social Media" sites. :angry:

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I left Facebook, tried MeWe.
Something got clobbered, so no more MeWe.

I hit a few forums that interest me.. that's all.
No more high blood pressure except by reading the news.

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I got started on MeWe, then it showed somebody else's name attached to my email accounts.
I reset password, still had the same problem.

So, I closed and deleted my account, then tried to recreate it.
Failed.  Said my email was already in use.
This is a common bug with AOL, Comcast and AT&T (they have not fixed it, either).
Then I tried to create a MeWe account using my GMail account... failed, said it was in use as well.

So... I just gave up.

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I dropped FB in 2012. I use Brave and DuckDuckGo. I try and find real news online. Some is ok and some not so much. 2021 seems to be the new 1984. You're not paranoid if everyone is out to get you. :o When the world seems upside down, go to a match and unwind.

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