WHAT'S YOUR FAVOURITE PLATFORM?

I have just watched a film on Netflix entitled The Social Dilemma dealing with the current problems arising out of the growing use of social networking platforms and the ease with which people can communicate with each other on smartphones, which have become ubiquitous. It is not so much the usage of the device that matters, but the tracking, storing and sorting of the information keyed into the devices. Every individual, no matter their age, has become a broadcaster carrying their own studio in their pocket. The device enables a person to do just that. The joy of communicating with the whole world through text, voice, pictures and video. Sight and sound in the palm of your hand.

There is however, the downside, in that all that material sent over the aether is collected and attached to the producer of that material; thus enabling her/him to be catalogued and profiled, and hence a target/product for anyone seeking to make use of the collected, collated and profiled individual. The collectors, those who control the platforms, can, and do, sell the information to whosoever is willing to buy it. They do this either by selling the profile directly to the buyer, or by accepting the buyers’ advertising and agreeing to target those most likely to respond to the adverts. Either way the platform provider makes a lot of money. With that income, platform providers seek to control as many platforms as they can acquire, in order to obtain more income.

 

The providers do not care to whom they sell their “product”, nor do they care who uses their platforms. To them it’s all one and the same. Thus the aether has become a miasma. It is only recently that any steps have been taken to clean up the air. The realisation that some material sent out can actually be dangerous and cause great harm has begun to filter through the clouds of cash sweeping over the providers.

They have only just begun to realise they are enablers and perhaps might be held responsible for some of the danger and harm caused by the users of their product. The process of distancing themselves from any responsibility is now in gear and they are beginning an attempt to filter out some of the more high-profile users. Hence certain bans being imposed by Facebook, Twitter and others. But has the damage already been done? Is it too late to correct or rather heal the damage?

Human beings tend to take in learning and information in different ways and at different rates. Some find it harder than others to take in information let alone understand and evaluate what they are taking in. In just growing up, individuals acquire likes and dislikes, which creates their character and influences their behaviour. These are the very things the profilers gather up and sell to the highest bidder enabling them to target individuals like prey. It is only if the individual has developed a strong, clear independence of mind leaning towards common sense and careful thought, can they avoid being taken in. Nevertheless, anyone can be taken in at any time. It is just that human vulnerability can cause problems. Decency can too often be seen as innocence and taken advantage of.

And so, the disseminators of hate, prejudice and discrimination continue to thrive under the guise of providing education, information and assistance to vulnerable individuals. It is sometimes overtly done or with simple subtleties that can be effective if not instantly exposed.

As an example, Representative Matt Goetz of Florida’s First District, suggested at a committee hearing, that as a way of showing unity, all the members of the committee should recite the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag together, before getting down to business.. The Chairman said no and moved on (the pledge of allegiance having already been done earlier in the day). Now we have a situation where Mr Goetz can say “It would only take a couple of minutes. What’s the problem? How unpatriotic is that?”

Reciting the pledge of allegiance in unison in no way shows the unity he proposes, and Mr Goetz is fully aware of that; however, knowing the request would be turned down for the sham it was, he can later claim that he is more willing to do things for the sake of unity than any Democrat on the committee, and hence he is the more patriotic American. He is not after unity of any kind, save one that will echo his own voice. The trouble is there are many people who will believe him, particularly in his constituency and no doubt elsewhere by his ‘conservative’ colleagues.  He is one of the more deceitful and opportunistic members of congress I have seen and heard. If he is not grooming himself for a presidential run than I am clearly misreading the signs. He so easily slips into the bullying tactics of his mentor Donald Trump. He is so willing to support the building of the wall and exclaiming dubious statistics about the numbers of illegal immigrants who are supposedly responsible for most violent crime in America. So let us by all means recite the pledge about liberty and justice for all.

 

There you have it, the Twitter followers of Trump and Associates, the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers, all feeding off the platforms of the social network. It is, I imagine, the worry about the behaviour and actions of those very followers, that will prevent Mr Trump from being convicted by the Senate. I have no doubt that the majority of the Senators will be for convicting Donald Trump of the charge. There is overwhelming evidence provided by the man himself over the course of the last four years and in particular over the last three months of his tenure as President. This has been amply demonstrated by the impeachment managers, and barely refuted by Mr Trump’s defence team; however, the two thirds majority is missing. It will be the everlasting shame of the Senate to let him off. Even though they must realise that the whole world really is watching and listening, those Senators behave as if that is not the case, as if that did not matter. To them it is simply a local domestic matter, of little consequence to the outside world. It is their business and no one else’s. They seem to believe that whatever they decide will be done and dusted and out of the public mind in barely a week; but the Senate, the upper house of the United States Congress, is not your local parish council. Their decision, or lack of decision, will be derided by the entire world for a lot longer than next week. Unless of course the 67 is in fact reached and Mr Trump is consigned to oblivion. A tad harsh may be, but would we not be glad to see the back of him?