Subj : Re: Computer Kits
To   : boraxman
From : Jeff
Date : Fri Jan 28 2022 22:12:11

On 29 Jan 2022, boraxman said the following...
 bo>  Je> Hmm. I would argue that Silicon Valley is more democratically control
 bo>  Je> than government regulation. Government tends to react to small number
 bo>  Je> of people who complain loudly (or, more often, donate generously).
 bo>  Je> Silicon Valley seeks to maximize profit by getting as many people as
 bo>  Je> possible to use their service. If something is making a lot of people
 bo>  Je> use their service less, they remove that thing (or person, or behavio
 bo>  Je> Silicon Valley also seeks to avoid government regulation and therefor
 bo>  Je> removes things that pose a threat to them legally.
 bo> Facebook and Google, to name two, have advertisers as their customers. 
 bo> The users (you) is not a customer.  You're there to provide them data
 bo> they can use to monetise the platform.

And what do advertisers value?

 bo> I think you're still under the belief that the Internet is as it was in
 bo> 2005. Times have changed, and it is now about gathering of data.  The
 bo> ability to communicate with others is almost a side effect of their data
 bo> gathering excercise.

One needs users to gather data on users.

 bo> Ever wonder how it is you can use Google, Facebook and Instagram,
 bo> WhattsApp, etc without paying a cent?

I know how their business model works, andit depends on user engagement.

 bo> Also, keep in mind, I'm Australian. So we have
 bo> Silicon Valley values being used by these companies to manipulate people
 bo> where by skewing search results, etc. We are having our information
 bo> manipulated by a foreign body.  Something I'm not happy with.

Also something that is completely voluntary.

 bo>  Je> I think that it is becoming self-correcting over time.
 bo> What makes you think that?  Silicon Valley seems highly ideological. 
 bo> Google has stated they want to change the way the world thinks.  This
 bo> crosses a line from being a neutral service provider to something else. 
 bo> Why would they give up their power to change our values to their values?

And what values are those? Google has done more than perhaps any other
company to put knowledge at our fingertips. Have you considered that this is
what they meant when they said that, rather than some intention to instill a
set of Google-approved values in us all?

 bo>  Je> Yep. But they're also going to do their own thing, and we have to let
 bo>  Je> them.
 bo> I don't really subscribe to this.  We ban illicit and dangerous drugs for
 bo> similar reasons, we put limits on gambling and other activities which
 bo> are a social ill.

Communication is not a social ill.

Jeff.

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