"We enjoy the bounty of their empire. Free services, easy communication. The ever-expanding convenience of commerce. We leave it to the media companies to worry about the empire’s tribute for this bounty..."
Please read these two recent articles about Facebook and Google. I have never liked FB, but maintain a presence because some of my family and friends only communicate there, and because social media have been necessary for my publishing business. But I am going to be minimizing my FB use even further in the future, and taking further steps to own and control my own presence on the web. Disentangling from Google is much harder, because a lot of what Google does is fantastically useful. However, I'm using a lot of third-party, open-source apps for my phone instead, and will be reviewing all my communications to try to use alternative methods. Do you check the permissions that are requested when you install a new app on your phone? Believe me, you should.
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From today's Guardian, by Ellen P. Goodman and Julia Powles:
Facebook and Google: most powerful and secretive empires we've ever known
and from The Intercept, by Glenn Greenwald:
Facebook is collaborating with the Israeli government to determine what should be censored
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I'd also like to recommend this recent essay from New York Magazine by longtime blogger Andrew Sullivan:
I Used to Be a Human Being
Sullivan writes: "An endless bombardment of news and gossip and images has rendered us manic information addicts. It broke me. It might break you, too."
I did notice that Sullivan live-blogged the recent presidential debate, so he's back at it, at least to some extent. But the point I want to make is that we really need to think about how we use the internet and how it is using us.
Thank you for reading this far, and now I'll get off my soap-box. (Wonder how many readers know where that expression came from?)
Tried FB - for about a day! Google I am completely in the dark about. BUT!......soap boxes were used at Hyde Park Corner (speakers' corner) in London.
Posted by: Thomas Kempton | September 29, 2016 at 11:45 AM
Thanks for the links, Beth. I'd already read the Sullivan article (great clickbait title!) and he expresses what is clearly a common condition. Something similar snapped in me on the morning of the 23 June and Brexit - regardless of the result - when I swore off Twitter and many other sites entirely. For a few months I was quite doctrinare and have largely changed my internet habits. If I want to visit a site I must type the address into the browser or use a few carefully selected bookmarks, so your continuing dedication to blogging brings me pleasure.
I do realise I'm cutting myself off from a current of information - so many good books have been found via the internet - and may have to modify my stance, but perhaps it's important just to have a stance? I don't know.
And have seen soap boxes in use at Hyde Park Corner...
Posted by: Huw | September 29, 2016 at 04:21 PM
For the time being I am surrendering to the Borg. A political junkie, I can't let go of my fascination with the Clinton vs. Trump thing. The debate was earth shaking. I will re-assess after the election.
Posted by: Hattie | September 29, 2016 at 08:57 PM