How language is twisted into propaganda messaging
The surprising observation that “medium confidence” in a scientific finding means we have no confidence at all and high confidence means we have only moderate evidence and medium consensus.
Apple hit a $1 trillion market cap and CEO Tim Cook is all smiles? Maybe, but this photo has nothing to do with it
CNBC illustrates their story about Apple Computer achieving a market capitalization of $1 Trillion with this photo – Tim Cook must be happy about achieving $1 Trillion market cap, right? The photo, however, is from at least December 2017, is probably from the Fifth Ave Apple Store opening in September 2017, and has nothing to do with today’s achievement. CNBC never mentions that this photo is unrelated to today or the news story. Later, CNBC swapped out that photo and replaced…
Technical details of exposing #Facebook user data
For those of you with software development backgrounds, you can learn about the Graph API, which is the application programming interface into the Facebook spying database. Apps can use this to gain much information – for apps created prior to 2012 and in operation as late as October 2017, these tools could lift far more data than today, including from those on your “friends” l ist. More detail about the various operations you can perform with the Graph API Source:…
Am guessing we never hear another word about “Russia hacked the election” after today
Cambridge Analytica: The full scale of their pivotal work in Trump’s election win How they avoid Congressional investigations into their foreign clients Setting up proxy organisations to feed untraceable messages onto social media Using a secret email system where messages self-destruct and leave no trace Cambridge Analytica’s involvement in the “Defeat Crooked Hilary” brand of attack ads Source: Exposed: Undercover secrets of Trump’s data firm – Channel 4 News Cambridge Analytica is claiming they threw the election for Trump, using…
Facebook aims to be less useful to you
Had this announcement in my notifications today: Facebook intends to stop showing me content that I actually want to see. You can turn this off but it requires manual intervention to regain control over what you want to see, rather than what Facebook thinks you want to see. First, when Facebook decides what you see, Facebook is acting as an editorial director. Second, when Facebook decides what you see, Facebook is potentially promoting propaganda. It does not matter that this…
Snopes rips the media for fake news stories
An in-depth analysis of the false allegations and misleading claims made against the 45th President since his inauguration. Source: The Lies of Donald Trump’s Critics, and How They Shape His Many Personas Read it, please. I am not a fan of President Trump, did not support him and I am not involved with either the Democrat or Republican parties. I have watched with disbelief, however, as the full power of propaganda messaging has been brought to play by “professional journalists”….
Leave social media to improve mental health
“I noticed that Twitter, Facebook and other digital forms of communication fed and nurtured my very real anxiety until it consumed me. Whenever I turned to the internet for a distraction, and even a possible sense of reassurance, I was instead sent reeling to the worst corner of my psyche. Only when I consciously stepped away from the screen, did I regain some sense of calm and perspective.” Source: In these turbulent times, take a break from social media to…
Did attack dogs bite a little girl in the face at pipeline protest in North Dakota?
TL;DR Summary Graphic photo of a little girl with bite wounds to her face was presented online as proof that attack dogs were unleashed on Native American and other protesters at an oil pipeline construction site in North Dakota. This photo was then passed on social media, including online comments at “news” sites, as proof of the vicious attacks by dogs. The photo, however, first appeared in a June 26, 2012 NY Daily News report about a dog attack that…
Social media poster that is true
TL; DR Summary Social media propaganda poster says “Never forget the fact Adolf Hitler was Time Magazine’s “Man of the Year” in 1938. Moral of the Story: Mainstream media is not always reliable.“ Surprisingly, Adolf Hitler was Time Magazine’s Man of the Year in 1938, as documented by Time.com. This poster is effective because of its simplicity. Simple messaging is always most effective as compared to lengthy, detailed or difficult to comprehend messages.
Denmark has the world's highest personal debt – surprised?
A popular and widely distributed social media propaganda poster proclaims Denmark as the happiest nation on earth because of a host of mostly false assertions about life in Denmark. Read the entire series about that nonsensical yet highly effective propaganda here. As yet another counterpoint to that silly poster, Danish households also have the world’s largest level of personal debt: “Danish households owe their creditors 321 percent of disposable incomes, according to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. That’s…