An interesting piece

[Sheepy]

At first the web represented a threat to the established media. It democratised the exchange of information so that it was no longer exclusively in the pockets of the wealthy and/or Establishmentarian elites. Anyone with access to the internet could go online and build a following or just contribute to the diverse range of opinions. The established media could no longer control the narrative, and this became quite apparent in the 2017 election especially.

But the established media have hit back, developing their own powerful online presence, aided and abetted by algorithms that prioritise their content. These algorithms are an attempt to diminish the prevalence  of the dubious products of enemy state-sponsored disinformation, fake news, and propaganda. But by favouring the established media in this way they also diminish truly independent voices. The democratisation of information has thus been rolled back somewhat, without eliminating the problem of conspiracy theorist fake information.

Although I myself contribute to it, I am less positive about the virtues of social media than I was.

Not that they were going out of business on the high street then and people had stopped buying their garbage and now they want to have power of control over the internet with the same garbage, I would bet it is and they have even admitted it.

[srb7677]

Hmmm I think DD posted someting a bit back about a discussion in a pub and him thinking the web wasn't that great an innovation (I'm sure he'll correct me if I'm wrong) and in many respects it isn't.

At first the web represented a threat to the established media. It democratised the exchange of information so that it was no longer exclusively in the pockets of the wealthy and/or Establishmentarian elites. Anyone with access to the internet could go online and build a following or just contribute to the diverse range of opinions. The established media could no longer control the narrative, and this became quite apparent in the 2017 election especially.

But the established media have hit back, developing their own powerful online presence, aided and abetted by algorithms that prioritise their content. These algorithms are an attempt to diminish the prevalence  of the dubious products of enemy state-sponsored disinformation, fake news, and propaganda. But by favouring the established media in this way they also diminish truly independent voices. The democratisation of information has thus been rolled back somewhat, without eliminating the problem of conspiracy theorist fake information.

Although I myself contribute to it, I am less positive about the virtues of social media than I was.

[cromwell]

Im not trying to detract from that cromwell , what im saying is this isnt the internet or social media fault.

Lies , extremism and propaganda have been around since year dot , long before anyone had heard of social media or the interwebby.

The internet is a tool nothing more , and like any other tool , it can be used and abused. People like the good remainer professor are merely looking for something to blame when the world doesnt go the way they wish.

Sorry cromwell , but i think in general the piece is a load of crap.

Well the prof being a remainer may well make him think that way and yeah of course lies,extremism and propaganda have been around since man got together,it is the speed and breadth though that such things spread that is the problem.
Of course there are the massive pluses but it needs people with the mindset to sift through all that's available and come to a reasonable conclusion,unfortunately there are many unwilling or unable to do so and therein lies the problem.
That doesn't mean those like that are stupid or thick there are likely to be as many with greater intellect ready to swallow such stuff.

[Thomas]

Doesn't detract from the fact that there's some serious crap out there,like qanon and arseholes going in to hospitals filming saying covid doesn't exist.

Im not trying to detract from that cromwell , what im saying is this isnt the internet or social media fault.

Lies , extremism and propaganda have been around since year dot , long before anyone had heard of social media or the interwebby.

The internet is a tool nothing more , and like any other tool , it can be used and abused. People like the good remainer professor are merely looking for something to blame when the world doesnt go the way they wish.

Sorry cromwell , but i think in general the piece is a load of crap.

[cromwell]

cromwell , the article is based on the book by professor william davies , an ardent remainer who regulalry writes anti brexit tory jibes for the lefty bible guardian .

https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/europpblog/2021/01/03/book-review-this-is-not-normal-the-collapse-of-liberal-britain-by-william-davies/
https://www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v40/n05/william-davies/what-are-they-after


Nasty brexiters brainwashed the uk through the devious means of fake news on social media , aided and abetted by the russians , to win brexit vote.

The end.

Doesn't detract from the fact that there's some serious crap out there,like qanon and arseholes going in to hospitals filming saying covid doesn't exist.

[Thomas]

https://www.wired.co.uk/article/this-is-not-normal-review

cromwell , the article is based on the book by professor william davies , an ardent remainer who regulalry writes anti brexit tory jibes for the lefty bible guardian .

https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/europpblog/2021/01/03/book-review-this-is-not-normal-the-collapse-of-liberal-britain-by-william-davies/

What are they after?
William Davies writes about the Tory Brexiteers

https://www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v40/n05/william-davies/what-are-they-after


Nasty brexiters brainwashed the uk through the devious means of fake news on social media , aided and abetted by the russians , to win brexit vote.

The end.

[Sheepy]

Exactly sheep . Its all the fault of russian bots and social media .

Couldnt ever be the fact people dont agree with  the political elite could it.

Anyhow , just found an old picture of pappysmurf.

I bet he will be walking around with his sandwich board elsewhere, filled with Liberal elite stories to play with his emotions, in fact I bet the mainstream media emotional blackmail stories outnumber any news by 10-1.

[Thomas]

Oh I don't know the liberal elite admitting their psycholigy has it failings and they have been caught out, doesn't seem all bad. Not like they would blame themselves.

Exactly sheep . Its all the fault of russian bots and social media .

Couldnt ever be the fact people dont agree with  the political elite could it.

Anyhow , just found an old picture of pappysmurf.

[Sheepy]

good and bad whatever you do , and the internet is no different to anything else. For me the vast pros outweight the small cons , and regarding the article and the writers insinuation that liberal britian is on its way out because of issues like brexit , lies on the side of the bus and basically blaming social media for fake news that faccilitated the ending of whatever liberal briatin allegedly once was , i say the guys article is guff to be honest , and yet more guff in a long line of manure bleating about people no longer following the old ways and doing what they are told.

Unlike the papaers and bbc for example , where you are getting the view of the establishment through their placemen the interent offers you two or more conflicting views and you have a chance to peruse and choose which personally you agree with .

Did social media make you vote brexit? I would bet it didnt , but this is along the lines of what the articles author is somehow inferring , with the "lies on the side of the bus" trope yet again.

I have supported scottish indy since the 1980`s long before anyone had heard of social media or the internet.

We talked on here only the other day how the gloss of the main two political parties was starting to fade in the aftermath of blairs election victory in 1997 , long before anyone had heard of facebook.

It seems to be yet another article bleating about how the stupid plebs , who normally can't think for themselves , and used to do what we told them to through the bbc and media , using their brain and rejecting the status quo  , and so we must somehow blame the internet and social media .

It never occurs to them that people dont want to be part of the eu naturally , or want scot indy ( 63 nations left the westmisnter controlled empire long before anyone had computers or social media) or are getting tired of the disaster that is two party politics in the uk or even america .

Oh I don't know the liberal elite admitting their psycholigy has it failings and they have been caught out, doesn't seem all bad. Not like they would blame themselves.

[Thomas]

Hmmm I think DD posted someting a bit back about a discussion in a pub and him thinking the web wasn't that great an innovation (I'm sure he'll correct me if I'm wrong) and in many respects it isn't.

good and bad whatever you do , and the internet is no different to anything else. For me the vast pros outweight the small cons , and regarding the article and the writers insinuation that liberal britian is on its way out because of issues like brexit , lies on the side of the bus and basically blaming social media for fake news that faccilitated the ending of whatever liberal briatin allegedly once was , i say the guys article is guff to be honest , and yet more guff in a long line of manure bleating about people no longer following the old ways and doing what they are told.

Unlike the papaers and bbc for example , where you are getting the view of the establishment through their placemen the interent offers you two or more conflicting views and you have a chance to peruse and choose which personally you agree with .

Did social media make you vote brexit? I would bet it didnt , but this is along the lines of what the articles author is somehow inferring , with the "lies on the side of the bus" trope yet again.

I have supported scottish indy since the 1980`s long before anyone had heard of social media or the internet.

We talked on here only the other day how the gloss of the main two political parties was starting to fade in the aftermath of blairs election victory in 1997 , long before anyone had heard of facebook.

It seems to be yet another article bleating about how the stupid plebs , who normally cant think for themselves , and used to do what we told them to through the bbc and media , using their brain and rejecting the status quo  , and so we must somehow blame the internet and social media .

It never occurs to them that people dont want to be part of the eu naturally , or want scot indy ( 63 nations left the westmisnter controlled empire long before anyone had computers or social media) or are getting tired of the disaster that is two party politics in the uk or even america .

[cromwell]

not really cromwell , i skimmed the article and it reads as nothing more than yet another bleat about how mainstream media and the papers are gradually sliding into irrelevance , and the establishment parties can no longer control the public view through the traditional propaganda channels like the bbc and the guardian.

I have never been someone  who watches much tv , but its astounding me how littel i have actually consumed over the last year with the non stop covid 19 hysteria. Even the wife now wont put normal tv on as she is sick of the doom and gloom , and we get most of our news online.

Kids dont watch tv , and newspapers are generally bought by the elderly .

social media has been great for the common man , and while the internet in general has its flaws as well as good points , never has the ordianry man had so much information from varying sources at his fingertips as we do now , compared to any other point in human history.

I dont think thats a bad thing .

Hmmm I think DD posted someting a bit back about a discussion in a pub and him thinking the web wasn't that great an innovation (I'm sure he'll correct me if I'm wrong) and in many respects it isn't.

[Thomas]

https://www.wired.co.uk/article/this-is-not-normal-review

not really cromwell , i skimmed the article and it reads as nothing more than yet another bleat about how mainstream media and the papers are gradually sliding into irrelevance , and the establishment parties can no longer control the public view through the traditional propaganda channels like the bbc and the guardian.

I have never been someone  who watches much tv , but its astounding me how littel i have actually consumed over the last year with the non stop covid 19 hysteria. Even the wife now wont put normal tv on as she is sick of the doom and gloom , and we get most of our news online.

Kids dont watch tv , and newspapers are generally bought by the elderly .

social media has been great for the common man , and while the internet in general has its flaws as well as good points , never has the ordianry man had so much information from varying sources at his fingertips as we do now , compared to any other point in human history.

I dont think thats a bad thing .

[cromwell]

https://www.wired.co.uk/article/this-is-not-normal-review