Episode 33 – Ads, Bias, Censorship, Democracy
The Social Media giants can’t handle the fact that they can’t control the system they’ve created. Another “smart” podcaster backs us up on the futility of fixing internet moderation through Machine Learning alone.
Also – how are our elections affected by new communications technology? It’s possible that our current situation has been repeated many times in history – but it’s also possible that the pendulum is swinging more wildly.
And Facebook’s ridiculous ads system finally hits me personally, where they’ll block ads for asinine reasons, and push through bad ones.
Articles and Links
Make Me Smart Episode 80: Google is Rigged, just not in the way Trump Thinks
I mentioned two other changes in communications technology that had profound impact on the democratic process. One was radio, first champions by republicans in the 1920s:
Calvin Coolidge’s Use of Radio
Gell-Mann amnesia effect: We’re more likely to believe a claim that comes from outside our field of expertise.
MIT Technology Review: Why the Pessimists are Winning For now
Visualization of the so-called Filter Bubble
The Verge: Facebook’s Ad Policy takes out Innocent Bystanders
Facebook claims it reaches more Americans than exist in the census: Adweek | Wall Street Journal
TC: Sirius XM acquires Pandora for 3.5 Billion Dollars
The Verge: Latest on Cody Wilson Case
Finally, look for the new website at localmaxradio.com when it comes out this week!
Related Episodes
Episode 6 on Facebook data and the Election
Episode 9 on Fixing Facebook (subjective tagging)
Episode 10 on Mark Zuckerberg’s Congressional Testimony
Episode 17 a discussion with Podcaster Rob Bernstein on Bias and Ads
Episode 25 on the great twitter purge
Episode 28 on censorship and blocking of Alex Jones
