How what started out as a pleasant view of Aunt Sally's summer vacation ends up with a bloody police officer on the floor of the US Capitol and a democracy in flames
Anyone who is non-addictive can avoid the algorithms if they want to. I learned early on to never go to YouTube for indepth news on a disaster. It very quickly becomes bizarre and disgusting. I do check into one or two right wing sites - enough to get me on the NRA mailing list - to see what their agendums currently look like. After that, it's just propoganda for which no normal person could have any use. But there are a whole lot of people who find darkness enticing. They willfully destroy their own minds and make enemies of the rest of us. It NEEDS to be controlled, if not banned altogether. How many people have needlessly died or been crippled by COVID-19? How many people have died or been crippled from hate crimes? What is the cost to our democracy? Damn the greed and damn the profits.
The situation with Facebook is a perfect example of "the road to hell is paved with good intentions". Frances Haugen has an MBA and is twice as articulate as Mark Zuckerberg. She was extremely specific about the problems that are being created by his company, and he is just saying that she makes no sense. And it is HIS company; he has 55% majority ownership. The Senate hearing established that the buck stops on his desk. It also made it quite clear what the situation is concerning the effects on children.
Going forward, I am not sure that this will have much to do with the "secret sauce" of the algorithms as it will with intent. They are on a basic programming level the same thing, but there is still a separate and fully formed corporate culture that instructs the programmers to do their job. It is entirely possible CEO Zuckerberg is too wrapped-up in what his vision is to realize what Ms. Haugen and her fellow employees were analyzing. She was not alone in seeing the results. She took the research they did and the proof that her fellow Facebook employees were asking moral questions. It contains the timelines needed. The decisions and monetary bonuses were connected. UH-OH! There is the real "secret sauce" involved.
Mr. Zuckerberg has gotten the reputation of "ignore it and just go sailing". Ms. Haugen said she doesn't believe his intentions are bad. Either way, it's time for him to face the all too real results of his algorithms and the hell they have created for some kids and their parents.
Anyone who is non-addictive can avoid the algorithms if they want to. I learned early on to never go to YouTube for indepth news on a disaster. It very quickly becomes bizarre and disgusting. I do check into one or two right wing sites - enough to get me on the NRA mailing list - to see what their agendums currently look like. After that, it's just propoganda for which no normal person could have any use. But there are a whole lot of people who find darkness enticing. They willfully destroy their own minds and make enemies of the rest of us. It NEEDS to be controlled, if not banned altogether. How many people have needlessly died or been crippled by COVID-19? How many people have died or been crippled from hate crimes? What is the cost to our democracy? Damn the greed and damn the profits.
Yes.
That is all.
The situation with Facebook is a perfect example of "the road to hell is paved with good intentions". Frances Haugen has an MBA and is twice as articulate as Mark Zuckerberg. She was extremely specific about the problems that are being created by his company, and he is just saying that she makes no sense. And it is HIS company; he has 55% majority ownership. The Senate hearing established that the buck stops on his desk. It also made it quite clear what the situation is concerning the effects on children.
Going forward, I am not sure that this will have much to do with the "secret sauce" of the algorithms as it will with intent. They are on a basic programming level the same thing, but there is still a separate and fully formed corporate culture that instructs the programmers to do their job. It is entirely possible CEO Zuckerberg is too wrapped-up in what his vision is to realize what Ms. Haugen and her fellow employees were analyzing. She was not alone in seeing the results. She took the research they did and the proof that her fellow Facebook employees were asking moral questions. It contains the timelines needed. The decisions and monetary bonuses were connected. UH-OH! There is the real "secret sauce" involved.
Mr. Zuckerberg has gotten the reputation of "ignore it and just go sailing". Ms. Haugen said she doesn't believe his intentions are bad. Either way, it's time for him to face the all too real results of his algorithms and the hell they have created for some kids and their parents.
Thanks, Thom! Great analogies!