Facebook must die

[Scottie]

Two months ago, Sott's FB page had less than 1500 friends, or 'likes' or whatever. Today it has almost 3000. That is the result of daily interaction in terms of posting articles and comments and interacting with FB'ers in an intelligent and informative way.

Please be aware that we are not advocating creating a FB profile in order to play Farmville or chat about the latest celebrity gossip or tell someone you don't know what you are doing. There are however 500 million people on FB who ARE being lead astray in this way.

There is another angle to consider: A lot of web sites use FB in the same way that we do - they have a FB page and a "Like" box on their web site. As Perceval mentioned, SOTT is getting tons of "likes". We've almost broken 3000 in a relatively short time. Some of the web sites I visit that I know are popular have less than 1000 likes, and they've had their FB box on their sites longer than we have. Obviously, people DO really like SOTT.

And, in terms of Google and other search engines, FB is highly relevant. So, why WOULDN'T we use that to our advantage? Sure, we could cut off our nose to spite our face, but then we can't smell anything (good or bad).

There are only so many ways to drive traffic to one's site, and FB is one of them. And, for a lot of people, how many people like a web site on FB *IS* their measure of whether or not they should pay attention to said web site. That may be silly, but that's just how things are right now.

Really, it's kind of ridiculous when you think about it:
1. Evil datamining web site is created
2. Some people love it, and others hate it because it is "evil"
3. People who think it is evil avoid it like the plague, despite its increasing popularity, and despite the good that could be done using the site cleverly and wisely

The end result is that the "good" people never use the site, and thus it becomes an even more powerful tool for evil purposes. Any possibility of good being done through/with the site has just been obliterated. Then, the people that think it is evil say, "SEE?! I told you it was evil! This just proves my point!"

There's good, bad, and the specific situation. The "bad guys" want us all to boycott things like FB, because that plays right into their hands.

If they understand your mind better than you do, that's a big problem.

 

[Joe]

People on this thread are happy to sit, like armchair generals, and opine on how evil FB is, while we are trying to do something about it.
Sanctimonious pontificating from what you THINK is the safety of your anonymity is hard to listen to for those out there on the front lines.

Anonymity is a double sided sword. It can protact against personality driven judgements and other attacks. But it can also facilitate personality driven "opinionating". There is just a minor difference between forum lurkers and "armchair generals". IMO nobody who does not dare to speak truth publicly under their full name has the right to judge those who stand on the front line and do speak truth. Anonymity does not know how much courage and stamina it takes to persist in public.

all sott.net FB publishers

Indeed, and speaking truth publicly often opens oneself to attacks, the 'shocks' these attacks provide is an essential ingredient for those wishing to progress in a more personal, or dare I say, esoteric, way.

 

[mkrnhr]

Indeed, and speaking truth publicly often opens oneself to attacks, the 'shocks' these attacks provide is an essential ingredient for those wishing to progress in a more personal, or dare I say, esoteric, way.

I don't want to speculate but IMHO, it also participates on the aligning of oneself with truth.

 

[Laura]

If I hear another word about how 'evil' FB is in the context of criticizing Sott.net or forum members for having a FB profile, I think I might have to

I agree. MOST of my FB stuff is private for friends and friends of friends. And I don't put anything there that I wouldn't be willing to have published in a newspaper. But it sure is one heck of a networking tool.

 

[JGeropoulas]

I have noticed in the past few months that a lot of my friends, who used to just ignore my page or disagree, have started liking what I post, asking questions about the diet and starting to make some changes. They are starting to get used to this kind of information, and I think that if we can just accomplish that, then we can consider it "mission accomplished!". In the same way people would buy dog poo if everybody buys it, they can start reading good information if enough of us like it and promote it. They will just do it as good "sheeple", followers, etc. But after being exposed to the truth for some time, they may very well start asking questions. Or the day when they get fed up with reality, they may remember what you have been posting. For all these reasons, I think it is a very valuable tool for the moment.

Personally, I don't care if "they" know some personal stuff about me. They knew it already anyway, I'm sure. I see it as a way of stopping the fear of what people are going to say. When they accuse us of being a cult, for example, it is easy to see that we are normal people with nothing to hide. Those who visit our pages and have half a brain will see that. Those who don't, well, they were never meant to join us in our work. OSIT.

So let's not throw the baby out with the bath water.

Well said. I completely agree with this strategic, well-motivated approach.

 

[Ageeva]

Even before privacy concerns started to be expressed by Facebook users I was uncomfortable about putting any of my details on the site. I have a very limited profile on my page and no pictures of myself, all you see is a swan who just happens to be the subject of one of my favourite pictures:) And I keep getting messages from Facebook because my page is gathering dust. Still on reading this thread I have come round to the idea that the popularity of Facebook is a great opportunity for SOTT and EE advocates to spread the word and if I can use it for no other reason than that then why not. And yes those not so pleasant people who do not so pleasant things already have my details, know plenty about me and have even photographed me on Google Streetview (was out walking one day, I did smile but they blurred it out :( ) so I've nothing to lose and plenty to gain by using this facility to draw attention to what is important to me at this time. Great to see SOTT notching up the 'Likes'.

 

[Gonzo]

For myself, being in a position where I could lose my job if my online persona were connected with my real name, I have chosen a degree of anonymity.

I believe that using technology originally designed for evil purposes used in a socially redeeming manner helps balance the energies. We don't throw the baby out with the bath water anymore than we don't kill ourselves because we still have STS tendencies.

Things are never so black and white when viewed through the lens of subjectivity.

Regardless of why FB exists, if it can be used to bear organic fruit, then that is proper use of creative energy, IMHO.

Having said that, I do believe everyone needs to understand the ramifications of having their true identity available on FB as well as the www. it wouldn't be beyond the abilities of the PTB to track every visitor from the pages they view back to their Internet connection be it at home, work or an Internet cafe.
I am 100 percent behind this use of FB.

Gonzo

 

[Voyageur]

People on this thread are happy to sit, like armchair generals, and opine on how evil FB is, while we are trying to do something about it.
Sanctimonious pontificating from what you THINK is the safety of your anonymity is hard to listen to for those out there on the front lines.

Anonymity is a double sided sword. It can protact against personality driven judgements and other attacks. But it can also facilitate personality driven "opinionating". There is just a minor difference between forum lurkers and "armchair generals". IMO nobody who does not dare to speak truth publicly under their full name has the right to judge those who stand on the front line and do speak truth. Anonymity does not know how much courage and stamina it takes to persist in public.

all sott.net FB publishers

Indeed, and speaking truth publicly often opens oneself to attacks, the 'shocks' these attacks provide is an essential ingredient for those wishing to progress in a more personal, or dare I say, esoteric, way.

Thank you for this Perceval from one who does not yet have an FB account. :)

 

[melatonin]

I started watching a great old Sci-Fi series called "The Outer Limits" last week, and was pretty gobsmacked by an episode called "O.B.I.T."

It would be worth watching, but to sum up...... Alien disguised as human (Working in military secret developments) develops a machine that can spy on peoples lives. Initailly its used as a government 'weapon' and is a secret. Then they start selling them in bulk to everyone. The 'Shapeshifter' realises its potential, and how addictive humans find it, and how destructive it will end up being to the human race.

At the end he states "The machines are everywhere! Oh you'll find them all, you're a zealous people. And you'll make a great show of smashing a few of them. But for every one you destroy, hundreds of others will be built. And they will demoralize you, break your spirits, create such rifts and tensions in your society that no one will be able to repair them! Oh, you're a savage, despairing planet, and when we come here to live, you friendless, demoralized flotsam will fall without even a single shot being fired. Senator, enjoy the few years left you. There is no answer. You're all of the same dark persuasion! You demand – insist – on knowing every private thought and hunger of everyone: Your families, your neighbors, everyone — but yourselves."

Pretty eye opening, bearing in mind it was made in the early 1960's.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/O.B.I.T.


Edited - Corrected quote from episode.

 

[SoCurious]

Growing up we had certain rules such as never phoning after 8pm or before 7pm. This was a rule based on respect of others. When I found out the USA was building a facility that would record every electronic communication in the world I was outraged. That my private communications would be flagged and read or listened to if I were to mention certain keywords aggravated me even more. Then when I discovered FB, Microsoft and Google would happily give up my personal details that was really over the top.

I cancelled facebook, still aim to switch to Linux, but what will I do about Google? I love Google. Bing being part of Microsoft is no alternative. I miss facebook as sometimes something that arouses my curiosity is on a facebook but I can live without that. Where I'm really battling is that I can no longer read Laura's posts.

I realize I can't hide from big government without going walkabout and giving up all technology but it still grates me that I'm being spied on without my permission and without any reasonable justification. It's simply rude.

That said, FB is a wonderful tool for Sott and Laura and I agree wholeheartedly that it should be used to spread the Truth. I may even rescusitate my account if only to mitigate my withdrawal symptoms from a lack of Laura, but if I do, this time it will be done with (almost) full knowledge of what is happening behind the scenes.

 

[engagedinattempting]

[...] but what will I do about Google? I love Google.

A forum member gave me this info recently: https://www.ixquick.com/ & https://www.startpage.com/

I'm trying to do without Google, and these two purportedly do not share search results.

 

[NewOrleans]

Laura, I think your presence, as well as others here, on Facebook, become disseminators of ideas (especially SOTT content) to a wider audience. I know at least five people who have linked in to SOTT and follow you regularly who would not have otherwise been aware.
Of course it's all DATA MINING and we can choose what we keep private by never putting anything online that's really important to ourselves that we don't want known by the PTB. We're already stepping on the devil's tail.

 

[griffin]

Here's more about Facebook. It's mostly about the IPO financial scam and implosion post-IPO, but some of the comments are more broadly insightful. http://blogs.reuters.com/felix-salmon/2012/05/30/facebooks-secondmarket-muppets/