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19 hours ago, Troy said:

Of the last three years only one or two of my students numbering more than 50 each semester say that Twitter is in the top 2 of their social media platforms.

 

None of my friends outside of marketers (a handful) and political wonks (even fewer) use twitter.

@Troy Why is it you can make judgments based on miniscule samplings from your closed circle of acquaintances, and i can't without being accused of existing in a bubble??  i have a broad cross section of relatives and friends and they are who help shape my opinions. I am not as sheltered as you think.   

 

FaceBook is different things to different people.  i actually go there to be amused and engaged.  There are a lot of funny memes and posts that crack me up, excerpts from liberal publications, old musical videos from back in the day, a spiritual community of loonie new-age nuts like me, a pop culture gossip mill, a site dedicated to my old home town, where present and former residents congregate to reminisce about the good hold days, ditto for my old high school's page  where alums show up to share memories.  And of course, discussions where you can argue about religion and politics. FaceBook is just one of the stops on my cyber itinerary. I spend more time playing on-line Bridge than i do there.  So shoot me.  

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12 minutes ago, Cynique said:

Why is it you can make judgments based on miniscule samplings from your closed circle of acquaintances, and i can't without being accused of existing in a bubble??

 

Sheesh Cynique, I will relate anecdotes. There is nothing wrong with this, but stop making believe that this is the only evidence I'm provided.  There are great volumes of data that speak to the changing demographics of Facebook that I've previous shared and that you can easily look up if you wanted.

 

@Cynique stop making my justified critique of Facebook all about YOU and please spare me the explanation of why people use Facebook. Remember I'm the inhouse WWW expert😛

 

Please, use Facebook, smoke cigarettes, get drunk, eat pork, go to church, don't read books, have unprotected sex with strangers, do whatever makes you happy in this life, but stop making believe that Facebook is not having adverse impact on our culture. 

 

Just because YOU did not die from smoking cigarettes does not mean it is not a scourge killing over 1,000 people a day in the United States alone.  If you ran around here playing down the ill effects of cigarette smoking, I'd challenge you every day of the week.  The same goes for Facebook.

 

 

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26 minutes ago, Troy said:

Please, use Facebook, smoke cigarettes, get drunk, eat pork, go to church, don't read books, have unprotected sex with strangers, do whatever makes you happy in this life

I have never read a book during sex. So I'll have to agree with Troy. 

 

Wouldn't having sex imply knowing the person, at least in the biblical sense. 

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20 hours ago, Delano said:

Yet you are claiming  expertise. Looking forward to your responses

 

I got nothing @Delano...

 

Expertise is pretty much worthless.  

 

The value is in the use of the expertise, how it can be of service and most important,  if anyone wants to use the service.  

 

For example,  Mark Zuckerberg, Tom from MySpace, the guys from google (neither of who created the search engine) the guys who created youtube, Jack,  the list goes on never claimed to be internet experts.  Coding, maybe  but  from here it seems what they all have in common is expertise in human behavior.  

 

They all provided a service that millions  of us didn’t know we wanted but now we use.    

 

The rest of us can complain about their creations.   The bottomline -is they chose to create something and we can either use or not.   End of story. 

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@Troy Where in my post did i say that FaceBook was harmless ??  And i repeat why are your anecdotes any more valid than mine, or my experiences on Facebook  any less significant than yours which are all about your vested interests.  i said it was different things to different people. i have to suffer through your dire predictions and personal grievances over and  over in regard to social media. It's not always about you, either so stop bitching about me reiterating why people go to FaceBook.  And refresh me in regard to what the end result will be for Facebook and Twitter users. if they all stop going to these sites today what would happen?  By chance,  could there be a domino or trickle-down effect that would impact on people from all walks of life who work for or depend on the goods and services that can only be provided by corporations making a profit from social media??? 😮  Is there the remotest possibility that the users and suppliers are scratching each others backs??? 😯 Meanwhile everybody should gratefully heed your high tech ominous warnings and become robots of a different type.  Instead of strolling through a deluded existence that provides an enjoyable respite, they should instead trudge through the gloom of reality, stifled by the knowledge that as dull as their lives are they are not being manipulated. Big deal! I suppose all of these simple people who you are the champion of should, instead of experiencing things, just read books and watch Public TV and treat themselves once in a while to a YouTube video of 1970 vintage.  Oh, joy!   🤨 

 

4 hours ago, Mel Hopkins said:

Expertise is pretty much worthless.  

And interesting observation as is your statement below about social media moguls.

4 hours ago, Mel Hopkins said:

They all provided a service that millions  of us didn’t know we wanted but now we use.    

 

The rest of us can complain about their creations.   The bottomline -is they chose to create something and we can either use or not.   End of story. 

And so it goes...

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39 minutes ago, Cynique said:

And interesting observation as is your statement below about social media

@Cynique  , this epiphany came after reading two twitter threads on the Sentinelese people who have survived on a island near India with little contact to the “modern” world.  Two “twitterers” are expert in the history of these people - but until this week - their information was of service to practically no one.  

 

See here - 

 

 

A friend of mine said a while back, knowledge is NOT power. USE of Knowledge is Power.  

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@Mel Hopkins if that is the story about the white American missionary who went in to convert those people (we dont know what they xall themselves) imagine if Africans reacted that way to the Europeans who 1st stepped onto the African shores...

 

6 hours ago, Cynique said:

Where in my post did i say that FaceBook was harmless ??  

 

@Cynique, based ipon your ardent defense of the platform and your jumping down my throat everytime i say anything negative about the site. Have you ever said anthing about the site causing harm? If so show me 'cause i obviously missed that.

 

My last post answered all your questions. I dont begrude any individual for doing what makes them happy. My gripe is with Facebook, cigarette makers, etc. I don't blame victims.

 

@Delano  ?

@Mel Hopkins if that is the story about the white American missionary who went in to convert those people (we dont know what they call themselves) imagine if Africans reacted that way to the Europeans who 1st stepped onto the African shores...

 

6 hours ago, Cynique said:

Where in my post did i say that FaceBook was harmless ??  

 

@Cynique, based ipon your ardent defense of the platform and your jumping down my throat everytime i say anything negative about the site. Have you ever said anthing about Facebook being harmful? If so, show me 'cause i obviously missed that.

 

My last post answered all your questions. I dont begrude any individual for doing what makes them happy. My gripe is with Facebook, cigarette makers, etc. I don't blame victims.

 

@Delano  ?

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21 minutes ago, Troy said:

imagine if Africans reacted that way to the Europeans who 1st stepped onto the African shores...

 @Troy , if only that thread was in a book you would’ve read that the researcher wrote  THEY ARE AFRICANS - maybe even from the first tribes that  left Africa to begin migration across the world.  And Yes, the researcher/journalist does cite some books - (in the thread) about why this group is hostile to outsiders.  Read: it involves a pedophile/penis-envious british man who attempted to “study” the tribe back in the 1800s...(smh)

 

According to researcher, who appears to be Indian, this particular group , the Sentinelese, remained on this island near  India in the  land mass now called Asia since their arrival - and that’s what was so fascinating!  And even more stunning is @Pioneer1 always talks about original “africans” not originating in Africa but India and once you look at the photos - and read the scholarship presented...it’s  enough to consider what Pioneer has been talking about these past months! 😳

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44 minutes ago, Troy said:

based ipon your ardent defense of the platform and your jumping down my throat everytime i say anything negative about the site. Have you ever said anthing about Facebook being harmful? If so, show me 'cause i obviously missed that.

@Troy ardent? defense?  Have i ever said Facebook was anything other than a pass time, not to be taken seriously?  That's where we butt heads.  You take FaceBook seriously, and i don't. To me it's pap, to you it's poison.  You see gloom and doom hovering on the horizon, i see a daily dose of laughter, you lecture me and i taunt you. You think i'm trapped in a bubble and i think your locked out of perspective.  You say Twitter and Facebook arent long for this world, and neither am i. So why should i sweat it?   I'll leave the worrying to you. i have more pressing crises to fret about, like e-mail eliminating the post office and, thus, my pension.  i don't wanna die poor.  😬

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1 hour ago, Cynique said:

You take FaceBook seriously, and i don't.

 

I guess there it is in a nut shell.

 

I'm sure your pension is secure as long as you need it. Someone has to carry all the junk mail we get 🙂

 

5 hours ago, Mel Hopkins said:

it’s  enough to consider what Pioneer has been talking about these past months! 😳

 

@Mel Hopkins please don't encourage @Pioneer1 LOL!

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Professor Smalls may I call you by your first name Conflaytion. 

1 hour ago, Cynique said:
6 hours ago, Troy said:

based ipon your ardent defense of the platform and your jumping down my throat everytime i say anything negative about the site. Have you ever said anthing about Facebook being harmful? If so, show me 'cause i obviously missed that.

@Troy ardent? defense?  Have i ever said Facebook was anything other than a pass time, not to be taken seriously?  That's where we butt heads. 

 

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Man, why is everything so Black and white with you all.  Why does everything have to be all of nothing.  I'm certain I use Google's suite of services more than anyone here.  That coupled with my WWW expertise allows me to better understand them than you all. 

 

Google has paid AALBC more than any other entity BAR NONE.  AALBC has both helped and hurt by Google.  The WWW at large has been both helped and hurt by Google.   I believe Google monopoly in search is doing more harm than good.

 

To say my expertise is drowned out by my "hatred" of Google is ridiculous.  I appreciate my unique perspective allows me to see thing you simply can't, but because you cant see it does not make it untrue or the result of hatred.

 

Now Facebook, in my opinion has been FAR more destructive, all things considered, than Google. We can share memes without having our data collected and used to manipulate us, our state of mind, elections, etc, the way Facebook does.  Facebook, in my opinion, is as bad a big tobacco, I may hate Facebook, but that came after years of use, observation, and yes... dare I say it... books.

 

@Delano, your joke may have been funny I just did not get it 🙂

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@Troy  I have been on Facebook  since 2010, and have also been using Google for about that long.  I assume all the spam and pop up ads that clutter my "in box"  are a result of this. (l also think some of my spam mail has a been triggered by the subject of discussions on this very site.) My  response to this has been to simply delete everything that is of no interest to me, and that is a lot.  Social media has never swayed my vote on any political candidate but it has exacerbated my dislike for Trump and right wing Republicans.  Other than that, i have experienced no major difference in my personal sphere.  Calling on all of your expertise, explain to me how i am being manipulated by this activity and what will be done with the information gathered on me and who is it that will be doing it? And how really dangerous is the situation?  If the delete key generated a profit i would. indeed, makes its source rich.  

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Professor Smalls

Perhaps it is a smaller part in our lives. Plus it isn't putting me out of business. 

 

Gmail has its uses. Facebook allows me to keep in contact with people for low cost. Even had generated some interest in my Astrology practice. Allows me to be in contact with a few really good astrologers. It's actually my main news source. Which can be problematic as you know. 

 

At one point I even tried to use it to create a discussion group with you and two friends of mine. My friend Said is from Uni. He is from Zaire makes films about Africa and the cast and crew are Black, he does this on the side. He teaches primarily Black students and also runs an award winning debate team. Rik I met a few years after Uni. Also a Black Man he grew up in Brooklyn when it was rough. Also is into script writing in the side. But is in sales predominately. 

 

They were both keen as was I to be four Black Men in different field having discussions about issues. And the audience would be young Blacks. You never responded. 

 

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2 hours ago, Cynique said:

My  response to this has been to simply delete everything that is of no interest to me, and that is a lot.

 

Email which is a great tools has been destroyed by marketers and phishing schemes and the like.  I shared really bad one here which actually had an old password I used (obviously from a hacked website).  I also get email from my bank, domain name registrar, invoices, etc all fake trying to get my personal information. I'm not surprised people fall for these for they are much more sophisticated than the Nigerian price looking for someplace to deposit funds. 90 or more of my email is garbage -- FAR worse than my physical mail.  🙂

 

2 hours ago, Cynique said:

Social media has never swayed my vote on any political candidate but it has exacerbated my dislike for Trump and right wing conservatives.  Other than that, i have experienced no major difference in my personal sphere.  Calling on all of your expertise, explain to me how i am being manipulated by this activity and what will be done with the information gathered on me and who is it that will be doing it? 

 

Again I suggest that you don't extend your personal experience with social media to the general population of users.  Here is an example that I previously gave you:  We know that Russians targeted African Americans in the 2016 election, by bombarding us with anti-Clinton rhetoric and some cases outright lies. We know Black voter participation was down in the 2016 election. It is pretty easy to connect the dots on this one.  So while you were not impacted (beyond hating trump more).  I and many other people in my filter bubble was... the disgruntled electorate fed up with both parties to the point we would vote for the 3rd party candidate or no one all all. 

 

Also it is hard to convince someone who is being manipulated that they are being manipulated.  Once it became clear to me that I was being manipulated the strategies Facebook uses became plain and then irritating. Which i why I simply stopped using it.

 

1 hour ago, Delano said:

It's actually my main news source.

 

@Delano, maybe this is why you are a climate change denyer.  Why consume news on a platform known to promulgate fake news stories?

 

As far as the Black male group, I don't recall seeing the invitation, but you know I stopped engaging in Facebook groups years ago.

 

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1 minute ago, Troy said:

 

Email which is a great tools has been destroyed by marketers and phishing schemes and the like.  I shared really bad one here which actually had an old password I used (obviously from a hacked website).  I also get email from my bank, domain name registrar, invoices, etc all fake trying to get my personal information. I'm not surprised people fall for these for they are much more sophisticated than the Nigerian price looking for someplace to deposit funds. 90 or more of my email is garbage -- FAR worse than my physical mail.  🙂

 

 

Again I suggest that you don't extend you personal experience with social media to the general population of users.  Here is an example that I previously gave you:  We also know that Russians target African Americans in the 2016 election, but bombarding us with anti-Clinton rhetoric and some cases outright lies. We know Black voter participation was down in the 2016 election. It is pretty easy to connect the dots on this one.  So while you were not impacted.  I and many people in my filter bubble was... the disgruntled electorate feed up with both parties to the point we would vote for the 3rd party candidate or not all all. 

 

 

@Delano, maybe this is why you are a climate change denyer.  Why consume news on a platform known to promulgate fake news stories?

 

As far as the Black male group, I don't recall seeing the invitation, but you know I stopped engaging in Facebook groups years ago.

 

Not my position but you continually conflate ideas. 

 

You may recall that a statement was made that John McCain was responsible for deaths on aircraft carrier. I had seen this story on Facebook and didn't think it was true. It wasn't. 

 

Because I think critically. 

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@Troy Your response didn't enlighten me. How much of the internet scamming and phishing going on can be traced to the victims' participation in social media which, itself, regularly dispenses anecdotal warnings about the clever techniques of scam artists.  As for the election, obviously Russia didn't exert as much influence on the outcome as the electoral college did.  But for it, the Democrats would've won, in spite of the Hate Hillary campaign launched by the Russians. In regard to Hillary, the "lesser-of-2 evils"mindset of blacks prevailed over Russian propaganda. Even in the red states  the majority of  blacks voted for her.  So spare me the theory about Russians turning blacks against Hillary via social media.  The blacks and whites who didn't bother to vote because of Russian ploys  don't really count and other "stay-at-homes" probably weren't denizens of social media which is why saying fewer blacks voted during this election has little relevance.  You never question things that support your argument but, like everybody else, you find fault with rebuttals. What you have convinced me of, however, is what you are so quick to remind me about: i am not representative of the gullible people you are talking about. Soooo,  i'll just be on my merry way, manipulation be damned!   La dee dah dah daaaaaah 🤗

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3 hours ago, Cynique said:

Russia didn't exert as much influence on the outcome as the electoral college did.

 

Then you are not reading or understanding the availabke information, the Russians exoloited the vulnerability in the electoral process.... 

 

3 hours ago, Cynique said:

 i am not representative of the gullible people you are talking about. 

 

I'm rethinking this now. your dismissal of Russian influence in the election is clearly influenced by Facebook's desire to keep you on the platform and even have you vigorously defending it. 

 

9 hours ago, Delano said:

You may recall that a statement was made that John McCain was responsible for deaths on aircraft carrier

 

Well @Delano you were lucky that time, others not so much. Read much climate change denyer propaganda on Facebook today?

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On 11/26/2018 at 12:34 AM, Troy said:

Then you are not reading or understanding the availabke information, the Russians exoloited the vulnerability in the electoral process...

Could it be that you are influenced by the claims  of the Democratic party?  This is not what the Republicans say. LOL  The available information also says that the majority of blacks  in all states voted for Clinton in spite of Russia hacking FaceBook.  If the Russians hadn't meddled, the skewed electoral college would've still been the reason for a Repubican win just like it was when it denied Al Gore's popular vote victory over Bush. And Russia wasn't even a factor. The flawed electoral college is a travesty to democracy - a dinosaur left over from slavery days that, aided and abetted by America's enemies, put a tyrant in office. 

 

On 11/26/2018 at 12:34 AM, Troy said:

I'm rethinking this now. your dismissal of Russian influence in the election is clearly influenced by Facebook's desire to keep you on the platform and even have you vigorously defending it

i am not vigororusly defending FaceBook, I am passionately attacking the electoral college which voids the popular vote!  I am not even aware that FaceBook is making a case for absolving itself from its role in the election outcome. Is there available information on this claim?  i thought it conceded its guilt.  Whatever. You can re-think your opinion all you want but the fact remains that i am among the millions of FaceBook users both black and white who didn't fall for Russia's attempt to besmirch Clinton. Nothing could've changed my intentions to vote for her because even back then, i knew the future face of the Supreme Court was at stake.  Down with the electoral college!  A grossly unfair process - that inspires nothing but a shrug from you. 

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