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We Tracked Down a Fake-News Creator in the Suburbs

npr.org

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Re: We Tracked Down a Fake-News Creator in the Suburbs

#101

Post by atmosx »

dluan wrote: post #87
dluan wrote: post #72

What boggles my mind is that Facebook and Twitter are so very complicit by creating platforms for very granular targeting. You liked the Green Bay Packers, a gun owners group, an old 2008 Tea Party video, live 60 miles outside of a city and between 40-65? Not only is that profile there, Facebook ads will tell you almost exactly how large your reach is. This is nothing more than information arbitrage, and that the uni…

"In any case, we can’t pretend that engineers are not legislators of public discourse anymore." https://medium.com/initialized-capital/fascism-and-the-histo...

> "In any case, we can’t pretend that engineers are not legislators of public discourse anymore."

Legislation is a rather complex sport that requires deep understanding of repercussions.

I've seen rather skilled blockchain hackers talking economics, finance, politics and monetary policy. Their understanding of the current system (in terms of structure) was appalling. One needs to know the role of central banks before bashing them.

I am afraid that your average engineer will make a pretty incompetent legislator. So let's leave legislation to legislators... :-)

Re: We Tracked Down a Fake-News Creator in the Suburbs

#103

Post by meira »

reitoei wrote: post #99
intoverflow2 wrote: post #96

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Isn't this the other half of the problem? People sitting comfy in their echo chambers. I'm sure the people on alt-right forums feel the same way about their fellow posters.

Is that fair though? Would you consider a something like a online bee-keeping community or a MUD an 'echo chamber'? I think the phrase gets bandied about a bit too easily nowadays. Alt-right forums have a specific agenda, the former would have none. I see HN in that regard, but that's just me.

You don't think HN has an agenda? Everyone has an agenda. You just agree with this one.

Re: We Tracked Down a Fake-News Creator in the Suburbs

#104

Post by amelius »

dluan wrote: post #72

What boggles my mind is that Facebook and Twitter are so very complicit by creating platforms for very granular targeting. You liked the Green Bay Packers, a gun owners group, an old 2008 Tea Party video, live 60 miles outside of a city and between 40-65? Not only is that profile there, Facebook ads will tell you almost exactly how large your reach is. This is nothing more than information arbitrage, and that the uni…

> this whole thing could be automated and AI generated to sway elections and public opinions

But perhaps then AI could also be used to reveal such practices and shut them down.

Re: We Tracked Down a Fake-News Creator in the Suburbs

#105

Post by icebraining »

aikah wrote: post #36
ec109685 wrote: post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't think the NPR passed judgement as to whether it should be bought or not. They are letting us decide. My value judgement is that this is a terrible way to make money and it is unfortunate blatant lies are not somehow slander, despite it being about a prominent individual. The rolling stone was held liable for their false article about sexual assault. I wish this guy could be as well. He duped millions of peopl…

> I don't think the NPR passed judgement as to whether it should be bought or not. They are letting us decide. How about they actually investigate and find out whether he is telling the truth or lying ? This isn't passing judgement , this is actual reporting. So he was lying back then but now he is telling the truth and "journalists" should not pass judgement ?

How about they actually investigate and find out whether he is telling the truth or lying?

How? He's making a claim about his motivations, how do you expect them to investigate that?

Re: We Tracked Down a Fake-News Creator in the Suburbs

#106

Post by reitoei »

meira wrote: post #103
reitoei wrote: post #99

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Is that fair though? Would you consider a something like a online bee-keeping community or a MUD an 'echo chamber'? I think the phrase gets bandied about a bit too easily nowadays. Alt-right forums have a specific agenda, the former would have none. I see HN in that regard, but that's just me.

You don't think HN has an agenda? Everyone has an agenda. You just agree with this one.

I don't think it really does to be honest. That's just my personal experience with the site, we're obviously looking through different lenses. I can't agree or disagree with something I'm not aware of.

Re: We Tracked Down a Fake-News Creator in the Suburbs

#107

Post by simosx »

vinhboy wrote: post #51

This story is fascinating to me. I also run a couple of these "wordpress" informational type sites, but never in my dream did I thought about publishing fake news to make money. Too bad I was not smart enough to get into this business. I wish he would be more honest about it. I am pretty sure he's just doing it for the money. I don't blame him. That's good money. The moral and ethical dilemma of it is kinda murky. Is…

Probably he indeed started doing this for fun but eventually did the "pivot" :-).

Re: We Tracked Down a Fake-News Creator in the Suburbs

#108

Post by ndr »

Quote 0:

  What that turned into was a state representative in the House
  in Colorado proposing actual legislation to prevent people from
  using their food stamps to buy marijuana based on something
  that had just never happened," Coler says.
Quote 1:

  Coler, a registered Democrat, says he has no regrets about his 
  fake news empire. He doesn't think fake news swayed the
  election.
Quote 2:

  However, Coler insists this is not about money. It's about 
  showing how easily fake news spreads. And fake news spread wide 
  and far before the election. When I pointed out to Coler that 
  the money gave him a lot of incentive to keep doing it 
  regardless of the impact, he admitted that was "correct."
Did he created his own bubble to justify this?

Re: We Tracked Down a Fake-News Creator in the Suburbs

#109

Post by jstanley »

atmosx wrote: post #101
dluan wrote: post #87

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"In any case, we can’t pretend that engineers are not legislators of public discourse anymore." https://medium.com/initialized-capital/fascism-and-the-histo...

> "In any case, we can’t pretend that engineers are not legislators of public discourse anymore." Legislation is a rather complex sport that requires deep understanding of repercussions. I've seen rather skilled blockchain hackers talking economics, finance, politics and monetary policy. Their understanding of the current system (in terms of structure) was appalling. One needs to know the role of central banks before…

> I am afraid that your average engineer will make a pretty incompetent legislator.

Sadly, so does your average legislator.

Re: We Tracked Down a Fake-News Creator in the Suburbs

#110

Post by meira »

reitoei wrote: post #106
meira wrote: post #103

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You don't think HN has an agenda? Everyone has an agenda. You just agree with this one.

I don't think it really does to be honest. That's just my personal experience with the site, we're obviously looking through different lenses. I can't agree or disagree with something I'm not aware of.

You can't see the agenda, but is part of it. An "agenda" don't need to be bad to most people outside the inner circle, which is exactly the case of SV and HN. They "just" want to hold the power and who benefits from the prosperity created.
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