Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

The Google-Facebook Duopoly Threatens Diversity of Thought

wsj.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

31–40 of 228 posts

Re: The Google-Facebook Duopoly Threatens Diversity of Thought

#31

Post by Helloworldboy »

guelo wrote: post #17

Right wing propaganda is so strong and coordinated these days that they can develop a new goal and drive a single message repeatedly across multiple platforms for months or years. This attack on Google is a new right wing message developed this year but they just keep hammering at it across all their channels tailoring their argument to the different audiences and continuously building mind share and momentum.

"Remember kids, any criticism of Google censorship is right wing nazi propaganda. This message brought to you by Google."

Re: The Google-Facebook Duopoly Threatens Diversity of Thought

#34

Post by abiox »

backpropaganda wrote: post #23
kelukelugames wrote: post #3

It's funny how competing groups rally around terms that sound the same. Terms that carry positive connotations and share common words. "Pro choice" vs "pro life". And now we have "diversity and inclusion" vs "diversity of thought." update: haha, there's a wikipedia section on this called political framing. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_pro-choice_movem...

Another one: Feminism and Postfeminism. I think it's basically because you can respond to a question about A with B with some melodic alliteration, the kind which draws cheers from the crowd. This idea seems to have been ported from the "yes, and ..." idea of improvisational comedy. That is, for maximum offense in a debate, agree with all the accusations of your opponent, and then hit them back with a small "but". Ar…

i guess i'm missing some context, because this seems kinda nonsequitur.

Re: The Google-Facebook Duopoly Threatens Diversity of Thought

#35

Post by at-fates-hands »

colordrops wrote: post #19
guelo wrote: post #17

Right wing propaganda is so strong and coordinated these days that they can develop a new goal and drive a single message repeatedly across multiple platforms for months or years. This attack on Google is a new right wing message developed this year but they just keep hammering at it across all their channels tailoring their argument to the different audiences and continuously building mind share and momentum.

Both right and left wing propaganda is strong and coordinated these days. I can't say anything that doesn't toe the line with either side and not have them look at me like I'm an asshole. I've been called both a socialist welfare state supporter and a reactionary corporate feudalist. Which is it folks. The division is worse than it ever was in my lifetime.

Welcome to identity politics and the over saturation of a politically correct ruling class run amok.

If people weren't so fucking reactionary to everything they read, see, hear and experience, we wouldn't be in this mess and rational discourse might have a chance. As it stands, people are so easily offended, there isn't any space for an actual discussion.

As someone who considers myself an Independent, I spend hours every day reading articles on both sides and then attempt to form a cohesive thought process on where I stand. Do you have any idea how exhausting that can be with the amount of misleading and straight up false reporting there is these days? Nobody cares about the facts anymore, "journalists" just want to frame their stories in a political meaningful way for people to reinforce their "filter bubbles" they live.

We're not encouraging dialect on topics by simply providing the facts, we're actively and purposefully dividing people.

Re: The Google-Facebook Duopoly Threatens Diversity of Thought

#36

Post by jacksmith21006 »

guelo wrote: post #17

Right wing propaganda is so strong and coordinated these days that they can develop a new goal and drive a single message repeatedly across multiple platforms for months or years. This attack on Google is a new right wing message developed this year but they just keep hammering at it across all their channels tailoring their argument to the different audiences and continuously building mind share and momentum.

Exactly. I seen it on Reddit like crazy. The right wing is after Google but would guess it will move at some point to someone else.

Funny that Apple would not allow GAB in their app store and Google did but since pulled it yet they are mad at Google. Plus you can use other app stores on Android and use GAB and not on the iPhone.

People do not realize GAB is some right wing social media site.

Re: The Google-Facebook Duopoly Threatens Diversity of Thought

#37

Post by stale2002 »

humanrebar wrote: post #16
frgtpsswrdlame wrote: post #4

The solution really is a revitalization of antitrust policy. The reason markets work is because participants in them are bound to a 'race to the bottom' with many other participants doing the same thing. When companies aren't forced to race to the bottom against each other, the conditions of authoritarianism rise. Authoritarian structures don't have to necessarily come from government - monopolies, oligopolies and im…

> The question is have we reached a point where technology and globalization provide such enormous returns to the economies of scale that we can't go back or is all this corporate concentration just due to a lack of government enforcement? At some point, America decided that only horizontal monopolies counted, not vertical ones. Many of our concerns about antitrust would be assuaged if regulators started keeping sepa…

Well so, thats because the concept of a vertical "monopoly" makes no sense.

A monopoly means that you are the one major player in a certain market. It is in the word.

It is definitely possible that a company could have excess market power in a certain SEGMENT of their vertically integrated market, but that is still a horizontal monopoly.

Vertical integration isn't a threat to anybody as long as every segment of the market has competitors.

For example, maybe facebook has a monopoly on the social network part of their product. And maybe they shouldn't be allowed to use that excess market power for bad purposes.

Re: The Google-Facebook Duopoly Threatens Diversity of Thought

#38

Post by TYPE_FASTER »

TYPE_FASTER wrote: post #21

> In a November speech, Ajit Pai, chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, argued that “edge providers” like social-media websites and search engines “routinely block or discriminate against content they don’t like.” ... > He also pointed to Twitter’s suspension of a pro-life campaign ad from Rep. Marsha Blackburn, an action that would have been illegal if done by a TV or radio station. Which is interesting…

In addition, in 2009 Mike Pence sponsored the "Broadcaster Freedom Act of 2009" (https://www.congress.gov/bill/111th-congress/house-bill/226). This bill "amends the Communications Act of 1934 to prohibit the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), notwithstanding any other provision of any Act, from having the authority to require broadcasters to present opposing viewpoints on controversial issues of public importance."

Re: The Google-Facebook Duopoly Threatens Diversity of Thought

#39

Post by freeflight »

kelukelugames wrote: post #9
Spivak wrote: post #6

Apparently having a large market share in advertising also means that you somehow own communication. Yes, a lot of people use Facebook and Google but that doesn't mean that there aren't 50 bajillion means of communication. Network effects are strong but ultimately they don't prevent you from communicating with anybody. The person on the other end of the line who has a strong preference for their chosen form of commun…

> I've got 12 different messaging apps on my phone right now and it's not even close to a burden. This might be a generational issue. I have older relatives who can't use more than one app. If at that. Maybe the people who complain about these things are just bad at discovering other apps and platforms.

> Maybe the people who complain about these things are just bad at discovering other apps and platforms.

Or maybe some people just want to keep their life as simple as possible, attention economy and all?

With my mid-30's I don't consider myself "that old", but just the idea of having to manage through a dozen different messenger apps is driving me super anxious just in the same way I like to have all my email accounts in one client/app and not spread across a dozen different clients/apps.

There's also something to be said about efficiency; Keeping up with a dozen apps (not just in content but also software version) is a whole lot more effort than doing it with just one app.

Maybe I'm actually that old? I just think simpler is usually better and to me, there's nothing "simple" about doing the same thing trough 12 different apps, to me that feels counter-intuitive and in the context of Internet communication, very archaic.

Re: The Google-Facebook Duopoly Threatens Diversity of Thought

#40

Post by fjabre »

I don't think this is necessarily true. If proper regulations are in place Google and Facebook can certainly be out competed in some of their core services.

Verizon and ATT threaten diversity much more than does Google or Facebook. That should be painfully obvious to anyone who's done their research.

Also WSJ is owned by Rupert Murdoch which should also raise some flags on this article.

Post reply on HN