Category: Facebook

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Climate Donald Trump Electric Vehicles Eli Pariser Episode Facebook Filter Bubble Google Joe Biden PNAS Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Project 2025 Social Media Sociology WSUM

TMI 12/15/2023 – Is the Filter Bubble the Wrong Mechanism to Explain Social Media Toxicity?, How Trump’s Project 2025 is a Next Level Disaster for the Climate and more

We’ve reported here on TMI on Eli Pariser’s “Filter Bubble” concept since its debut in 2010 at his Ted talk: the idea that Google was selectively feeding results back to the user that the user agreed with, making it so that one person’s search results were often vastly different than another’s. Mr Pariser pointed out that by putting us all in these Filter Bubbles, we couldn’t agree on what was even factual. A new article published in the PNAS (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences) journal, however, says that is all wrong when applied to social media giants like Facebook, where they aim to increase your focus and time spent there by enhancing the chance of you getting made angry by what you see. We examine these competing concepts.

Then, we go over how the media is gleefully playing up any and all minutiae of Trump’s intentions for his second term except for one key part: how the Project 2025 plan that he’s assimilated is catastrophic for any chance we have to keep the environment from completely collapsing.

Finally, we present an update to a story we went over a few weeks back, putting a spotlight on how the EV infrastructure promised by Biden’s funding in 2021 is FINALLY starting to come to fruition. All this and more on TMI for Friday, December 15, 2023 – listen in for YOUR Cure for the Common Media!

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Acapulco Climate Eli Pariser Episode Facebook Filter Bubble Google Hurricane Otis Meta Spotify TikTok WSUM YouTube

TMI 10/27/2023 – Filter Bubble Redux: How Pariser’s Predictions Fell Short of the Real Outcome, Hurricane Otis Punctuates Release of New Climate Crisis Report, more

Back near the beginning of TMI with Aldous Tyler in 2010, we reported on Eli Pariser’s Ted Talk that introduced the world to the “Filter Bubble”. This phenomenon, he said, was caused by Google’s search algorithms, which would selectively feed you results similar to ones you had interacted with before. That would cause your Google searches to no longer match anyone else’s, and would feed you ideas you agreed with far more than those that would challenge your beliefs. Fast forward to today, and his predictions that this “echo chamber” effect could negatively impact society seem far too mild. We discuss how TikTok, Spotify, YouTube, Meta’s platforms and many others have stanched the flow of ideas and how to fight back.

Then, as I was preparing to tell you about the latest report from scientists on the climate, noting that we may very well have gone past several tipping points, Hurricane Otis became a demonstration of how we are in unknown territory by unprecedently ramping up from a weak tropical storm to a 165 MPH monster Category 5 hurricane in roughly 24 hours, slamming into the Acapulco area with no warning to evacuate the million-plus people there. We discuss how this alarming development might become the new normal. All that and more on TMI for Friday, October 27, 2023 – get YOUR Cure for the Common Media!

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Antitrust COVID-19 Donald Trump Episode Facebook First Amendment Flint Freedom of Speech Freedom of the Press Gorillas Media Political Language Rick Snyder WSUM

TMI 01/15/2021 – The Press Must Remain Free, COVID Goes Ape, Gov. Snyder May Face Justice

While people quake in fear of Senator Hawley’s lost book deal and President Trump’s banishment from many social media platforms, they often cite the First Amendment’s guarantee to Freedom of Speech. Ironically, they forget the rest of the First Amendment’s guarantees, including the part that protects Twitter, Simon & Schuster, Facebook and even TMItmiTMI.com from having to publish ANYTHING they don’t want to be associated with. We’ll discuss.

Then, a pod of gorillas in San Diego have become the first great apes (aside, arguably, from humans) to have contacted COVID-19. We’ll look into what this means for Silverbacks and us humans.

Finally, former Governor Rick Snyder of Michigan may be one of many facing new charges stemming from the murderous mismanagement of Flint’s water in 2014-2015. The residents of Flint, Michigan may finally be seeing justice for the water crisis that put lead in their drinking water. All that and more on TMI for Friday, January 15, 2021! Listen in for YOUR Cure for the Common Media!

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Amazon Antitrust Apple Artificial Intelligence Billionaires Carl Gibson Court Packing Election Integrity Episode Facebook Google Media Political Language Presidential Politics Science SCOTUS WSUM

TMI 10/24/2020 – Carl Gibson Packs the Courts, Same Words – Different Meaning, and Hey Google, What’s Antitrust?

On this episode of TMI:

Friend of the program Carl Gibson has a new piece out at the Independent called “The most democratic thing Joe Biden could do is pack the courts” – he joins us to discuss why this vilified idea is a good one.

Then, we talk about how the very same words often seem to have two completely different meanings depending on your political viewpoint – could Artificial Intelligence allow computers to help undo this language gridlock?

Finally, we break down the antitrust case being brought down on Google, and examine how other online giants like Amazon, Facebook and others may not be far behind. All this and more on TMI’s special Saturday edition for October 24, 2020 – listen in for YOUR Cure for the Common Media!

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Climate Episode Facebook Global Politics Science WSUM

TMI 09/18/2020 – Facebook’s Arbitrary Involvement in Global Politics, and How Climate Migration Isn’t Just for the Birds

Former Facebook data scientist Sophie Zhang revealed activity across the world that, for her over two years with the company, Facebook gave her complete control and responsibility over, making her pick and choose which sabotaging political communications were to be blocked, and which allowed, causing her to conclude “I have blood on my hands.” We look deep into the geopolitical power that the platform is neglecting to use wisely.

Then, you’ve heard how birds and other animals migrate because of climate, but what about people? We look into how the current rise of ocean levels, persistence of horrific wildfires and battering by terrible storms will be shaping where people choose to live – if they CAN choose to. All this and more on TMI for Friday September 18th, 2020 – listen in for your Cure for the Common Media!