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Social Cooling – How big data is increasing pressure to conform

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Re: Social Cooling – How big data is increasing pressure to conform

#131

Post by karllager »

bem94 wrote: post #13

I really feel that engineers need to wake up to this kind of thing. I'm not saying we should stop (although that's what might happen), just that we pause and consider what this is doing to the world. It is the undercurrent for so many profound changes going on right now. Are we really comfortable as individuals building systems which predict someones mental (ill) health, personality traits or ethnicity just so we can…

I once turned down an excellent offer in order to avoid working in AdTech. It was a lot of money and probably fun work, too. Not everybody can do this, and most people would consider me crazy for having turned done that kind of money. After all: it isn't illegal, right?

One other day I met with a guy from a company, that branded itself a social startup. Do you know what social means? Social, like in society, like in living and working together? It means, I employ people to think about the best way to monetise your relationships with others.

I admire technological progress and I believe it's the only chance we have. But the corporate, SV or VC double speak and the weak and irresistant minds of maybe 90% of the population makes western societies an awkward place to live.

Re: Social Cooling – How big data is increasing pressure to conform

#132

Post by captainmuon »

gedrap wrote: post #118
captainmuon wrote: post #110

This sounds like a self-fulfulling prophecy. Tell people that having data of them out there will change their behavior, and then they'll become aware of that idea, and will change their behavior. If they don't know about the concept, they might not. You could even say that this page, and people trying to raise awareness for this issue, are harmful! Imagine a few important people stepping up and saying, no, we will no…

>>> people trying to raise awareness for this issue, are harmful Harmful for who? If, let's say, they make people actually aware of this, that might lead to change towards privacy. But if people are unaware, and they remain unaware, the probability of change is smaller.

That's what I'm wondering - maybe "privacy" is the chilled state. Maybe what we should be aiming for is not "privacy", but rather being at ease with modern communication.

The following is a kind of evil comparison, and I'm sorry, but I can't come up with a better one right now - it's a bit like saying: "If 'chubby' people were aware that they should wear flattering clothes, then this might lead to other people liking them better." - Maybe well-indended advice, but WTF no! You shouldn't tell somebody to hide their body, and likewise you shouldn't tell somebody to hide their emotions, political ideas, drinking pictures, social moments, and so on.

Re: Social Cooling – How big data is increasing pressure to conform

#133

Post by karllager »

voidhorse wrote: post #11

I think the creator may be better off conducting a through philosophical investigation in efforts of pinning down the concept. You would be much better off giving full citations to Foucault and Deleuze, and full analysis into the Snowden incident and the fallout rather than a sort of half nod to, what I think, are the foundation beams of this concept. This page kind of assumes the audience is already willing to admit…

I read a lot of both Horkheimer and Adorno. It has shaped my view on capitalism and society in a profound way.

Be careful, reading them is like choosing the red pill.

Re: Social Cooling – How big data is increasing pressure to conform

#134

Post by pmlnr »

michaelt wrote: post #93
Pigo wrote: post #69

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I completely agree, and it's the very reason social media holds no interest for me anymore. I think people have forgotten what it used to be like on Myspace and the early days of Facebook. Social media was about self expression and finding out where the party is, now it's a finely tuned marketing platform for grandmothers.

You sure that isn't just you getting old? That's how it is for me.

No, it's not about getting old. In those days your social media site - or your blog - was heavily themed, altered,tailored to one's own ideas, sometimes to crazily annoyibg levels, sometimes to surprisingly clean minimalism. Today you have at maximum 2 images to make something 'unique', which doesn't even remotely scratches what it used to be during the early myspace era.

Re: Social Cooling – How big data is increasing pressure to conform

#135

Post by captainmuon »

oliv__ wrote: post #115
captainmuon wrote: post #59

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've been saying this for a while: We as a society have to stop taking everything that is said on the internet so fucking seriously. You shouldn't have to think everything perfectly though that you write. It's OK to say something dumb, or even offensive. It's not great, but no big deal either. I don't want to live in a world where we have to polish and double-check every thought that leaves our minds. It used to be t…

I feel like it's more of the way you respond to people trying to guilt trip you or make you ashamed of what you said. Most people tend to back down or apologize and end up playing their attacker's game. Some people seem to be doing just fine with saying whatever is on their mind and getting away with it. Notable example is the current president...

> Notable example is the current president

I'm no friend of Trump, but it is disingenious and maybe harmful if most of the criticism is directed against the stupid things he says, his unstatesmanlike behavior, his faux-pases. Or in the spirit of this thread - how unadapted and uncensored his behavior is. Because that can be good and bad, and it's what so many people elected him for.

That he is spewing so much hate, he should be (and is) criticized for. I wish he would receive more critique for his (equally bad in my personal opinion) policies. I'm observing from europe, so my view might be wrong, but it seems most of the critique is on the form level.

Re: Social Cooling – How big data is increasing pressure to conform

#136

Post by jgh »

captainmuon wrote: post #110

This sounds like a self-fulfulling prophecy. Tell people that having data of them out there will change their behavior, and then they'll become aware of that idea, and will change their behavior. If they don't know about the concept, they might not. You could even say that this page, and people trying to raise awareness for this issue, are harmful! Imagine a few important people stepping up and saying, no, we will no…

People will figure it out one way or another. In fact the site explicitly mentions people are already changing their habits. It doesn't take a coordinated campaign for people to realize something's up, just rumor and the occasional anecdote.

Re: Social Cooling – How big data is increasing pressure to conform

#137

Post by jgh »

creepydata wrote: post #53
nippples wrote: post #10

> People are starting to realize that this 'digital reputation' could limit their opportunities. Thanks to the moral police and keyboard warriors out there normalizing contacting employers over an internet argument.

I think you meant to say "hiring managers Googling potential employees."

There are definitely people out there who email screenshots of social media conversations to employers.

Re: Social Cooling – How big data is increasing pressure to conform

#138

Post by JetSpiegel »

wolco wrote: post #114
_jal wrote: post #100

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What you say is all true, but unfortunately misses the point of the article and discussion. Also, just a note, but you have some interesting tells in your text. 'anon iden' is a phrase I don't recall seeing, at least not very often. You used "it's" correctly, another signal, along with the 'moar' spelling, and a few other shorthand phrases. You might want to start thinking about methods for scrubbing your text if you…

He might have already and the personality you see may not be tied to reality

Our maybe he's counting on that and that's his real persona. Anonception.

Re: Social Cooling – How big data is increasing pressure to conform

#139

Post by oliv__ »

captainmuon wrote: post #135
oliv__ wrote: post #115

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I feel like it's more of the way you respond to people trying to guilt trip you or make you ashamed of what you said. Most people tend to back down or apologize and end up playing their attacker's game. Some people seem to be doing just fine with saying whatever is on their mind and getting away with it. Notable example is the current president...

> Notable example is the current president I'm no friend of Trump, but it is disingenious and maybe harmful if most of the criticism is directed against the stupid things he says, his unstatesmanlike behavior, his faux-pases. Or in the spirit of this thread - how unadapted and uncensored his behavior is. Because that can be good and bad, and it's what so many people elected him for. That he is spewing so much hate, h…

This is not about Trump. I was just illustrating my point.
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