Wednesday, August 24, 2022

“The Tech PR Template for Attacking Whistleblowers”

 

I compared Twitter’s response to its whistleblower, Peiter Zatko, with Facebook/Meta’s response to Frances Haugen (in 2021). 

It created this Attack the Whistleblower 101.

 

The Emerging Tech PR Template for Attacking Whistleblowers Table Dr. Nirit Weiss-Blatt

 

Then, I turned it into a more detailed article. 

You’re invited to check it out:

The Emerging Tech PR Template for Attacking Whistleblowers


The Emerging Tech PR Template for Attacking Whistleblowers Nirit Weiss-Blatt


 

Twitter follows Facebook's PR Template OpenAI DallE Nirit Weiss-Blatt

Illustration: Twitter follows Facebook’s template

(as interpreted by OpenAI’s DALL-E).

 

Wednesday, August 10, 2022

“Don’t Be So Certain Social Media Is Undermining Democracy”

 

The sweeping generalization of social media harms.

 

Prof. Jonathan Haidt, author of Why the Past 10 Years of American Life Have Been Uniquely Stupid (his answer: social media), published a sequel, Yes, Social Media Really Is Undermining Democracy.

 

These claims are not empirically grounded. Many popular narratives are overstated.

Correlation does not imply causation, and we have contradictory findings.

 

Here’s my detailed response:

Don’t Be So Certain Social Media Is Undermining Democracy

The Daily Beast Home Page Dr. Nirit Weiss-Blatt Don't Be So Certain Social Media Is Undermining Democracy


OpenAI DallE A man shouting at a leaning tower of Pisa - illustration Jonathan Haidt on vacation
Illustration: Jonathan Haidt on Vacation


(I asked OpenAI’s DallE for “a man shouting at a leaning tower of Pisa, digital art.” It came out too good. 

But you need to read Haidt’s Babel metaphor first).