Zuckerberg: this election is not going to be business as usual • Hacker News Board

Re: Zuckerberg: this election is not going to be business as usual

#31

Post by smrtinsert » Fri, Sep 04, 2020, 1:12 AM UTC

aeternum wrote: post #20

bvanderveen wrote: post #14

So when can we address the elephant in the room and admit plainly that Facebook has net negative value for humanity and if Zuckerberg were a moral agent and not an alien lizard king he would have years ago liquidated the thing and imputed its net assets to the shareholders?

How have you quantified the impact Facebook has had on humanity? Have you considered all evidence and not just the evidence which confirms your existing worldview?

Millions of views of known conspiracy theories is a pretty good measure.

Re: Zuckerberg: this election is not going to be business as usual

#32

Post by sollewitt » Fri, Sep 04, 2020, 1:38 AM UTC

skee0083 wrote: post #8

mlazos wrote: post #2

Wow some of the contents of this post scare me, I can’t believe we are at the point where Facebook has to remove content that intimidates election officials. I’m scared both because Facebook has this much power and also because of the issues they’re addressing. I wish our democracy was a little more civil. This is also partially facebook’s fault because they definitely have increased polarization through personalizat…

We don't have a democracy. It's a republic. Basically a fake democracy.

Well, precisely define your terms "democracy" and "republic" because every democracy on earth effectively operates as a parliamentary republic - even the constitutional monarchies, so it's not clear what particular distinction you might be alluding to.

Re: Zuckerberg: this election is not going to be business as usual

#33

Post by sixothree » Fri, Sep 04, 2020, 1:48 AM UTC

freen wrote: post #24

Folks would do well to learn about smedley butler and the business plot.

So maybe there's a reason he's fomenting division and allowing armed right wing lawless militias to use his platform for organizing?

Re: Zuckerberg: this election is not going to be business as usual

#34

Post by iszomer » Fri, Sep 04, 2020, 1:49 AM UTC

Tim Pool recently did a segment with Drew Hernandez detailing the potential that this might be a set up. In their scenario, both political parties will claim victory but the extremely biased mainstream media will "finalize" their narrative while the other will be instantly silenced.

Re: Zuckerberg: this election is not going to be business as usual

#35

Post by alphachloride » Fri, Sep 04, 2020, 3:19 AM UTC

bvanderveen wrote: post #14

So when can we address the elephant in the room and admit plainly that Facebook has net negative value for humanity and if Zuckerberg were a moral agent and not an alien lizard king he would have years ago liquidated the thing and imputed its net assets to the shareholders?

For me, Facebook is unquestionably a net positive value. I get to keep tabs on friends without actively having to reach out. So people don't become strangers over time. I can discover events around me and expand my social circle. I can be start a business with a free web presence and attract customers.

The downsides that are mentioned are deteriorating discourse, misinformation, false expectations and social pressure etc. I like to think I have avoided these.

That's 1 data point against. I'll have to see more thorough evidence to concede FB is a net negative.

Re: Zuckerberg: this election is not going to be business as usual

#36

Post by toolz » Fri, Sep 04, 2020, 3:36 AM UTC

smrtinsert wrote: post #31

aeternum wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How have you quantified the impact Facebook has had on humanity? Have you considered all evidence and not just the evidence which confirms your existing worldview?

Millions of views of known conspiracy theories is a pretty good measure.

and you're sure that's a bad thing? I think anyone who regularly makes social predictions with falsifiable claims would hesitate to think such a matter is clear cut. People react and behave very unpredictabily.

Re: Zuckerberg: this election is not going to be business as usual

#37

Post by snowwrestler » Fri, Sep 04, 2020, 4:10 AM UTC

skee0083 wrote: post #8

mlazos wrote: post #2

Wow some of the contents of this post scare me, I can’t believe we are at the point where Facebook has to remove content that intimidates election officials. I’m scared both because Facebook has this much power and also because of the issues they’re addressing. I wish our democracy was a little more civil. This is also partially facebook’s fault because they definitely have increased polarization through personalizat…

We don't have a democracy. It's a republic. Basically a fake democracy.

"Democracy" and "republic" are orthogonal.

Republic tells you who is sovereign: the people--as opposed to a monarchy.

Democracy tells you how decisions are made: by voting--as opposed to a dictatorship.

You can have a democracy that is not a republic: Great Britain.

And you can have a republic that is not a democracy: North Korea.

The U.S. is a democratic republic.

Re: Zuckerberg: this election is not going to be business as usual

#38

Post by grandridge » Fri, Sep 04, 2020, 4:28 AM UTC

smrtinsert wrote: post #31

aeternum wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How have you quantified the impact Facebook has had on humanity? Have you considered all evidence and not just the evidence which confirms your existing worldview?

Millions of views of known conspiracy theories is a pretty good measure.

I know, russia gate was so obviously fake, it's amazing people fell for that

Re: Zuckerberg: this election is not going to be business as usual

#39

Post by jameslk » Fri, Sep 04, 2020, 5:03 AM UTC

bvanderveen wrote: post #14

So when can we address the elephant in the room and admit plainly that Facebook has net negative value for humanity and if Zuckerberg were a moral agent and not an alien lizard king he would have years ago liquidated the thing and imputed its net assets to the shareholders?

The personal attack isn't necessary to communicate your point.

Re: Zuckerberg: this election is not going to be business as usual

#40

Post by doktorhladnjak » Fri, Sep 04, 2020, 5:34 AM UTC

alphachloride wrote: post #35

bvanderveen wrote: post #14

So when can we address the elephant in the room and admit plainly that Facebook has net negative value for humanity and if Zuckerberg were a moral agent and not an alien lizard king he would have years ago liquidated the thing and imputed its net assets to the shareholders?

For me, Facebook is unquestionably a net positive value. I get to keep tabs on friends without actively having to reach out. So people don't become strangers over time. I can discover events around me and expand my social circle. I can be start a business with a free web presence and attract customers. The downsides that are mentioned are deteriorating discourse, misinformation, false expectations and social pressure…

Unquestionably? How many of those "friends" that you keep tabs on have you talked to recently? And I don't mean leaving a comment or reading about their lives. One of the most dangerous negative effects of Facebook is that it makes people _feel_ socially connected to someone when they really have no social interaction or connection at all.