tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-88198566876372432362024-02-20T10:03:08.505-08:00Loaded MouseTechnology SomethingsJonathan Vickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10297584120004582216noreply@blogger.comBlogger113125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8819856687637243236.post-66482383296813369782021-06-04T09:14:00.001-07:002021-06-04T09:20:45.641-07:00Thinking Faster than the Speed of Hate<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSMCFQQTqWbenyf6wL2ZvMhs6VnxWH7drqR2jZ3GuNTX76IzWHQNQsjKjVLt5TbRdDvM5uQhTacDcM0o_JEaXVugxiJDOCRRN0N8zYqIOGQURZnkOi8MwdjrbQ-tja_owKjNQr5d59LeQ/s800/7-How-to-deal-witha--verbal-abusive-husband-or-boyfriend-healthyplace.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="800" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSMCFQQTqWbenyf6wL2ZvMhs6VnxWH7drqR2jZ3GuNTX76IzWHQNQsjKjVLt5TbRdDvM5uQhTacDcM0o_JEaXVugxiJDOCRRN0N8zYqIOGQURZnkOi8MwdjrbQ-tja_owKjNQr5d59LeQ/s320/7-How-to-deal-witha--verbal-abusive-husband-or-boyfriend-healthyplace.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Jonathan Vick, Acting Deputy Director, International Network Against Cyber Hate (INACH) <br /><p></p><p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal">Why can’t the internet get ahead of hate? Why has fighting
hate online almost always been reactive, and when it has been proactive, it is tentative
and apologetic?<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The time honored anti cyberhate techniques of filtering,
blocking and counter-speech remain the cornerstone of online hate response. These
practices are still at the core of more updated tactics which utilize AI and
other technologies, but in internet time, they are still old approaches. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Blocking and filtering does not stop or dissuade hate, it
simply hides it. The writer still spews hate. If there is hate on the internet and
most people do not see it, is it still hate? Yes, it is. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">If a person of an identifiable religious or ethnic group is
walking down the street wearing headphones, and someone is walking behind them
screaming abusive epithets, the target may not hear the hate, but everyone else
on the street does.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">That is filtering and blocking. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It does not stop hate. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It does not stop the spread or promotion of
hate. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Counter-speech is the modern substitute for the lost arts of
debate and dialogue. It is most effective with audiences who are receptive and
willing to engage. These are rarely extremists. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Racists, xenophobes, and extremists are always looking for
new ways to proselytize and manipulate audiences. Despite their protestations about
anti-hate procedures on platforms, blocking and filtering are not
insurmountable barriers. Developing new tactics to evade online content safety
measures is a long established, ongoing practiced. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Each new breach of online anti-abuse prevention is not
simply a display of creativity by bad people. It is a signal that the
platforms, and community, have not been putting enough effort into outthinking
the haters. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">When it became obvious that manipulative political advertising
was being placed by off-shore bad-actors, that was not just an indication of poor
due-diligence by the platforms. Those ads should have been a warning deceptive
internet content was not just the result of offensive or misleading posts on
social media. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The dogmatic, unflinching defense of free speech and profit,
and hesitancy to decry repugnant, corrosive, and hateful behavior has allowed
the internet to become infected with opinion disguised as fact. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Hate protagonists do not hesitate to try new methods or seek
subversive allies, yet anti-hate measures are agonized over endlessly and often
spoil on the shelf. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We can improve the
internet. We can stymie the propaganda networks which seek to undermine facts, truth,
and civility. The problem is, we need to be smarter, braver, and bolder than
the bad guys. If we are, we are not showing it. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><br /><p></p>Jonathan Vickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10297584120004582216noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8819856687637243236.post-77852409557552121222021-03-16T07:18:00.002-07:002021-03-16T11:50:28.842-07:00Donald Trump Fixes the Internet<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimrX14honOdznQAjz7DXVjG-xr27QpcaFvHXFAqW-1GLM4v82ZL3j5RoqmBCMuBrGoOcBhQExcJ61u4mqJzXj-98Qe4jD2weLLq1KUoSSrdOGXsSbDe4wA7Br4wEVMXX2qn8vROWcA990/s862/Craftsman-Wrench-Broken-Final.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="474" data-original-width="862" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimrX14honOdznQAjz7DXVjG-xr27QpcaFvHXFAqW-1GLM4v82ZL3j5RoqmBCMuBrGoOcBhQExcJ61u4mqJzXj-98Qe4jD2weLLq1KUoSSrdOGXsSbDe4wA7Br4wEVMXX2qn8vROWcA990/w400-h220/Craftsman-Wrench-Broken-Final.png" width="400" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal">For the first time in the history of the internet, a wide
array of platforms took a hard stance against a spectrum of online hate and the
propagation of intentionally false and misleading information.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All this has happened in response to Donald
Trump’s egregious misuse and exploitation of the internet. These new standards are
long overdue. Many civil-rights and civil-justice organizations have lobbied
the internet industry for years to take such action. But despite a decade of
determined effort prior to 2016, it only took Trump four short years to
convince the internet companies how dangerous and destructive it can be to avoid
implementing policies which support dangerous online behavior. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Many recently banned extremists, and inflammatory voices including
Alex Jones and David Duke, have been on the internet almost since day one. The
danger they posed and the slow corrosion they sought to inspire started then
too. Each of them and many more have exploited every new platform and service. They
were rarely turned away by the platform operators.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Extremism in the US, and on the internet, became systemic because
of reluctance to act responsibly. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Donald
Trump exposed just how deeply parts of our country are invested in hate. Just how
significant the internet has become is in their thought processes which foster the
worst in societies. How tolerance and free speech have been weaponized against
democracy. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Has Trump awakened us to how far the internet has strayed
from its original aspiration? Is this the watershed moment for the internet? <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Unfortunately, the decision to change the ethos of the
internet seems to be in the hands of the wrong people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Despite being the fastest evolving industry
in history, policy changes have always been excruciatingly slow. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Significant policy changes have only come about reactively
in response to the threat of regulation, lawsuits or, arrest. Proactive policy
adjustments have been far from tectonic. In an industry which regularly
promotes itself as making the world better, in some very real ways, the
opposite seems to have happened.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">This can be an inflection point for the internet. The
internet industry can never again escape the proof that it has some
responsibility for what appears online. They can continue to try and evade the
issue, or they can own it. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Imagine an internet dedicated to the safe, responsible,
open, and yes, even contentious debate of ideas?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That would be a bizarre and wonderful side
effect of Donald Trump’s attempt to undermine democracy, censor truth and
marginalize dissenting voices. It may take years, but Trump may have started
the process that may fix the internet. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">Jonathan Vick, North American Representative & Board Member, </p><p class="MsoNormal">International Network Against Cyber Hate</p>Jonathan Vickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10297584120004582216noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8819856687637243236.post-51664450665485527752021-02-07T11:49:00.001-08:002021-02-07T12:24:27.863-08:00Appeasing Online Extremism - A tradition of failure<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibEYl4ozAgvAydkE_6EzWE7YhkPP_oBfD7SHJGhDOTpjoH3IFBh795DsBjNIunPMwQgiym7K5YUHS792FY8-_FoXyz3VxGO1osvhlK5DxSVqX1BQapdjzwRUdVDbvecmD35Oq3-UHIZ7w/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="938" height="186" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibEYl4ozAgvAydkE_6EzWE7YhkPP_oBfD7SHJGhDOTpjoH3IFBh795DsBjNIunPMwQgiym7K5YUHS792FY8-_FoXyz3VxGO1osvhlK5DxSVqX1BQapdjzwRUdVDbvecmD35Oq3-UHIZ7w/w386-h186/image.png" width="386" /></a></div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Jonathan Vick, North American Representative, International Network Against Cyber Hate (INACH)</p><p class="MsoNormal">When the Internet puts appeasement and profit over
principles you get insurrectionists storming the US capital.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In the early days of the internet, emerging platforms had a
few simple imperatives; rely on “the greater good” succeeding, attract as many
users as you can, and don’t alienate them if possible. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">From a business perspective this worked very well, from a human
perspective, it did not.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Yes, the internet provided marginalized communities a place
online. The pioneering platforms also discovered they were enabling hate, racism,
and abuse. As it turned out, there was a lot more business to be gained
indulging hate and paranoia than indulging those looking to uplift, champion
and ally. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The internet’s forerunners were not the first to deploy
appeasement as mode of business. They were not the first to discover the immediate
benefits. They were certainly not the first to prove the disastrous
consequences of appeasement. Just maybe, they should have been the ones to put
an end to it, but they were not. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In the formative years of the internet, hate speech was conveniently
considered <i>just</i> speech, just words. What happened online was not considered
connected to offline behavior unless a connection to a specific real-world
crime could be explicitly proved.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: center 3.25in;">That practice soon became policy.
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: center 3.25in;">Hateful, racist,
conspiratorial, anti-Semitic, anti-government, xenophobic organizations could
participate on almost every platform, and make networks of connections, as long
as they did not express their violent anti-social ethos on the platform
itself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The result of tolerating hate,
and appeasing hate groups so they would draw an audience, facilitated the
creation of a foundation and acceptance of false information, just like the
information that led to the storming of the U.S. Capitol on 6 January. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: center 3.25in;">The internet enabled those
events. Many of the policies which allowed highly destructive content were made
more restrictive months or years ago, but the damage was done. The channels for
caustic, corrosive, destructive falsehoods moved into their own spheres of
information. Distorted information, supported by self-validating disinformation
and incomplete logic, were now the life blood of the groups who had matured on
the major platforms. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: center 3.25in;">Many companies that are now
respectable hosting services, Internet Service Providers, or Domain Name
Services, got their start providing services to the worst groups on the
internet under the camouflage of free-speech or a willful ignorance of those
group’s objectives. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: center 3.25in;">Since the 2016 election
interference scandal, and certainly since the Charlottesville riot, many
companies have instituted policies which reflect an awareness and dedication to
addressing the harm that destructive forces on the internet can cause. However,
in every single case, the platforms were warned years in advance about these
groups. Respectable, credible anti-racism, anti-Semitism, anti-xenophobia
groups provided volumes of evidence that these groups and ideologies were dangerous
and vicious. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, before 2016, many
companies managed to rationalize practices which avoid antagonizing groups now
widely considered part of the network which supported domestic terror tactics.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">We all know the axiom about getting the toothpaste back in
the tube or the worms back in the can. The new, recent policies enacted by the
internet platforms, as important as they are, do nothing to repair the damage
the previous lack of regard caused. The industry giants now have the experience,
and opportunity, to clearly declare their support for truth online, and
opposing intentionally destructive manipulated information. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They can make a stand against appeasement and
tolerance for hate, exploitation and manipulation. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">There will always be marginally moral and exploitive
internet platforms and groups. Perhaps there always should be. These people and
places must know that they do not have the support of a majority of the
industry or the internet community. The public must know that the internet
industry has their backs and is concerned with their safety and society overall.
That would be a start toward repairing the internet’s legacy of appeasing and
enabling our worst selves. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></p>Jonathan Vickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10297584120004582216noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8819856687637243236.post-79465980223246159052021-01-09T14:37:00.003-08:002021-01-09T17:02:13.028-08:00The Internet’s New Chance at Redemption<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">Jonathan Vick, </span>North American Representative, </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">International Network Against Cyber Hate (INACH)</p></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVHXuqehKLvJy_b4wGUHxyvKbAg-MK0jAzOpMpfeZNjPIyGPeuh3ld8bRDkLyIPySvkfpZHW7rvgfSxPX628GvpF1Ez6yaUVjx8nOgbGZi7bKmLkcdx8_ZlXFpKl5gmpcZhwn19uZ06y8/s721/80-805715_broken-chain-png-jpg-free-download-chain-with.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="276" data-original-width="721" height="153" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVHXuqehKLvJy_b4wGUHxyvKbAg-MK0jAzOpMpfeZNjPIyGPeuh3ld8bRDkLyIPySvkfpZHW7rvgfSxPX628GvpF1Ez6yaUVjx8nOgbGZi7bKmLkcdx8_ZlXFpKl5gmpcZhwn19uZ06y8/w400-h153/80-805715_broken-chain-png-jpg-free-download-chain-with.png" width="400" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal">The promise of the threat posed by unbridled internet
content has come to fruition. As a member of the internet safety community,
along with many colleagues, this has not come as a surprise. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We alerted the platforms that comment sections
and public forums showed warning signs of exploitation and dangerous abuse more
than 10 years ago. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Despite outcries over
Donald Trump’s hate-enabling rhetoric and dog-whistle propaganda from irresponsible
media outlets who were focused on ratings, actions against this nascent, yet
obvious hate speech, never happened in most corners of the internet. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Let us call it opportunistic negligence by
leading internet industry leaders. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Too
many companies followed their example and too few companies voiced outrage. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">After the attempted coup of 1/6/2021, belatedly, sadly, some
things have finally happened. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The internet’s opportunity at redemption may have arrived.
Will it be embraced?<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I am not talking about censorship, government oversight, or laws
allowing crippling lawsuits. I am talking about the internet industry acting as
a cohesive group where primary standards are discussed and agreed. Where the
impact of content is studied openly. The protection of marginalized communities
and the good of society should be enshrined as industry policy, not as an advertising
slogan. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">We have seen powerful, and evil people abuse a powerful
medium for their own ends. This should not have happened. It can be prevented from
happening again, but only if the internet industry is brave enough to seek
redemption and commit to it. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p>Jonathan Vickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10297584120004582216noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8819856687637243236.post-54373654155885140612020-12-02T17:44:00.002-08:002020-12-02T17:47:53.213-08:00Borderless Hate Counter Offensive<p>Jonathan Vick, International Network Against Cyber Hate, North American Representative </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXUss8Lp_0Q_oJo9ot6FDOOTSO2SwjmF8m26j1umwnG4ZgoAFy3u4OrEc-sABC1t5Nw0Vo6Cw1p3b1pTWqnTMNjkew3IsAxpyezdY-hMtXoHxHb4TLGKXr6UsdiI7In1oDJysUK4x36bU/s1280/pushback_16x9.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXUss8Lp_0Q_oJo9ot6FDOOTSO2SwjmF8m26j1umwnG4ZgoAFy3u4OrEc-sABC1t5Nw0Vo6Cw1p3b1pTWqnTMNjkew3IsAxpyezdY-hMtXoHxHb4TLGKXr6UsdiI7In1oDJysUK4x36bU/s320/pushback_16x9.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Hate spreads. It has been famously and accurately described
as a virus. Like polio, smallpox, or covid, responding to hate cannot be a
local challenge if we expect to succeed. Without a borderless approach to
stopping hate, as with any contagious disease, we cannot hope to stop its
reemergence and resurgence.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Prior to World War 2 there was a thriving American Nazi
Party. It was based on National Socialism, the ideology of Hitler’s <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nazi Party and Third Reich. National Socialism
and Nazism was presumed to have been extinguished with the defeat of Germany in
1945. National Socialism <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>had been
resoundingly declared anti-democratic, racist and authoritarian long before the
downfall of the Nazi regime. But, in early 1959, a disgruntled and dishonorably
discharged Navy Commander re-established the American Nazi Party.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Nazism had remained dormant for less than 15 years after its
worldwide refutation. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Today the ideological descendants of National Socialism, the
KKK, and an array of White Supremacist and Nationalist ideologies continue an
ongoing cycle spread, retreat, hide, and re-emerge to reinfect the society. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Hate is terribly unlimited. It is an International enterprise.
The Klu Klux Klan, which was strictly American organization, now has chapters
in a several other countries. Combat 18, a British neo-Nazi group, is now a
worldwide organization.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These hate
groups follow the template that is well established by terrorist organizations
for a system of building borderless networks and operations. They exchange
information, propaganda, tactics, reading lists within their own group
internationally, and with other hate groups. They cross borders, continents,
and ideologies. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>None of this is new
information. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are woefully
few international anti-hate organizations sufficiently equipped and
ideologically <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>broad enough to currently approach this
challenge. Many organizations are limited by geography, audience, community or
founding philosophy. Until the anti-hate world can act as borderlessly as the
world of haters, this battle may never be won. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Our first assessment of any threat is the immediacy,
personal impact, and its proximity to us. This is, of course, rooted in our
survival instinct. It is why, for most people, local news is often more popular
than world or international events. Our minds even amplify our response to
direct or local threats beyond that of more seemingly less significant threats.
Even if those seemingly less significant threats ultimately have more dangerous
implications. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>Jonathan Vickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10297584120004582216noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8819856687637243236.post-7192045000684106322020-11-03T10:18:00.001-08:002020-11-03T10:18:51.883-08:00Best Screaming Pillows of 2020<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGHxA0b2cXyyfb5Hc6Ntn95lAMVfBwJCI-PT-Xm6DBgFYqH8-sy5OS5TpeLqS9rBZ232paib-qyqxRKUdYbDKc5_eKMe3xxE0KTinzy5aFYz8o5GBHz_uXIM8hPAa5O6H9wyxPRfgilf8/s208/calvin-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="208" data-original-width="187" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGHxA0b2cXyyfb5Hc6Ntn95lAMVfBwJCI-PT-Xm6DBgFYqH8-sy5OS5TpeLqS9rBZ232paib-qyqxRKUdYbDKc5_eKMe3xxE0KTinzy5aFYz8o5GBHz_uXIM8hPAa5O6H9wyxPRfgilf8/s0/calvin-2.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br />If you do not need a good screaming pillow, you either have
not been actively present, or you may need to consult a doctor. Regardless of where
any individual stands socially, economically, or politically, I cannot imagine
anyone who does not need a good scream about now. Perhaps many of us have
needed a good scream for a few years.<p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Screaming pillows occupy a time-honored place in society. Likely
they have existed as long as bedding has been a thing. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">When choosing your screaming pillow you should consider
several factors: comfort you desire, scream suppression qualities, your living situation,
and nature of your screaming. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Traditional feather and foam pillows have long been the
mainstay of screaming pillows. Modern material like memory foam and air-cell
products have grown in screaming pillow popularity as their use has increased. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Each option has its advantages. Ultimately, it is a matter
of the user’s preference. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Your best bet is to try several pillows around your house.
You may find the perfect screaming pillow is right under your nose. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Another option is not using a screaming pillow at all. A
full throated, blood curdling, primal howl to the sky, may be just the ticket.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My ultimate recommendation
is work out your options as soon as possible. In the coming days, weeks, and
months, there will probably be a lot of need for therapeutic screaming.</p><br />Jonathan Vickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10297584120004582216noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8819856687637243236.post-56462730540797037882020-10-25T10:06:00.002-07:002020-10-25T10:22:21.303-07:00Facebook’s Policy Banning Holocaust Denial. Progress Not Victory.<p> Jonathan Vick, International Network Against Cyber Hate, North American Representative </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZM7BhurcpswcYoXUfHMrdzvgwxeQFM1RD4IN8rXUcoY3v35qxsKpbZ7mmC-mWRNRUseFaw-kICVOs0XbicIcLx08ARbb1wz-s8jn-9pCBdEX598eFyyMcUoDR3MAcOW8B5h3DszHov2I/s226/a-pyrrhic-victory.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="223" data-original-width="226" height="316" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZM7BhurcpswcYoXUfHMrdzvgwxeQFM1RD4IN8rXUcoY3v35qxsKpbZ7mmC-mWRNRUseFaw-kICVOs0XbicIcLx08ARbb1wz-s8jn-9pCBdEX598eFyyMcUoDR3MAcOW8B5h3DszHov2I/w320-h316/a-pyrrhic-victory.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><br /><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Facebook has announced it is banning Holocaust denial in an
apparent extension of its ongoing policy adjustments regarding hate speech and
anti-Semitism.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not surprisingly, a
number of organizations who have been lobbying Facebook, each for varying
lengths of time, are claiming credit for influencing Facebook’s actions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Every success in advancing action against hate
speech and destructive distortions is progress against hate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This victory however, lives within a saga of
failures. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">After years of lobbying, debating, arguing with internet
platforms, it is gratifying to have seen many platforms take
positions against civil corrosion. It is critical to remember that Facebook’s actions, like Twitter, YouTube,
and others, are only the actions of individual platforms. These antihate policies are
often characterized by critics as a capitulation to the existing power
structures, government, media, banking, or culture. This unfairly throws into question what
are genuine efforts to confront a thorny issue. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Ultimately the only commonality for platforms comes from people moving
between them to change jobs. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The industry’s lack of a cohesive humanitarian-based
baseline set of standards is unquestionably used to exploit the
internet for hateful purposes.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Our intuition that the democracy of the internet would create a
self-correcting system led us to seemingly reasonable, but ultimately false
assumptions. Part of that fallacy is that the internet was the ultimate
competitive environment. No need for oversight, regulation, or coordination of
any sort. That did not work exactly as planned. The power of truth is real. But
supporting the truth is not a spectator sport, and the internet is overwhelmingly
a spectator environment. Equally, hate is not spectator pursuit, but it is
obvious that a lot more people are willing to play at hate than at truth. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Rather than marshalling the armies of reviewers, acting in collaboration,
or accepting some notion of responsibility, everyone’s big bet was technology. Filtering,
machine learning and artificial intelligence would allow impartial review, flagging and
removal of blatant hate content. Our aspirations for technology are still way
ahead of reality. Technology only multiplies human efforts. It does not yet replace
them. Massive resources have been diverted to the development of AI and machine
learning while the problems and damage from cyber hate continued. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Just as each platform’s efforts are an isolated approach to the
issue, so are the definitions, terminologies and measurements applied by each of them. We
rarely agree what is defined as hate. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> Each faction</span> usually
insist their specific interpretation of hate is correct. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">There are endless volumes of incredibly useful, intelligent, relevant documents,
studies, and civil society declarations. These are often dismissed out of political, economic, or business expediency. Often we have seen competing priorities reflecting
only the priorities of the stakeholders in the room at any one moment in time. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When looking to take credit or serving a specific
agenda is the motivating factor, the result only send a limited message and may only be a limited success. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Holocaust denial will not be disappearing from Facebook, or any
platform, any time soon. Facebook correctly points out that it will take time to adjust
its processes to achieve any progress in banning Holocaust denial. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> H</span>ate is highly adaptive. Chasing hate
terminology, including Holocaust denial, may be an endless job. The real-world impact of reducing anti-Semitism
through Facebook’s change may well be marginal. Online hate, once
posted, is quickly shared. Once that happens, even if its removal on one
platform cannot stop the poisonous content, links and ideas from propagating. Facebook’s
commitment and efforts to address Holocaust denial is largely a victory for Facebook.
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">With each incomplete effort, even when each effort may indeed represent good progress,
there is the reality that time, energy, resources, and hope are left on the
table. Every time. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">The Holocaust happened. Denying it does not improve our understanding
of it. The same is true of racism, bias and xenophobia of all kinds. Until we
accept that no group is innocent of hate, or safe from being hated, only then we can
begin to scrape the rust off our ideals. Banning Holocaust denial on Facebook
is a start, but only a start. Only one facet of much larger questions. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p></p>Jonathan Vickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10297584120004582216noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8819856687637243236.post-76310800359267571492020-09-11T18:29:00.001-07:002020-09-11T18:39:06.035-07:00When Zombie Chickens Come Home to Roost<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBuFg3P0xPds4OISwJcJAtDnBIzXknBtTyVr0rTsJPOf8f0DpBsX-NJHhE58RZYtO3crtAUrsrbP2mmFDHh_Q_U6VK84_VnfKrmGA1TWCHfodL5LHBVmAW7HCxGYTcLv1de8WX_ufYGOg/s1244/chicken+2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1244" data-original-width="996" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBuFg3P0xPds4OISwJcJAtDnBIzXknBtTyVr0rTsJPOf8f0DpBsX-NJHhE58RZYtO3crtAUrsrbP2mmFDHh_Q_U6VK84_VnfKrmGA1TWCHfodL5LHBVmAW7HCxGYTcLv1de8WX_ufYGOg/s320/chicken+2.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Mary Shelley warned us in Frankenstein.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ralph Ellison told us in the Invisible Man. So
often we create our own monsters, but we do not always realize it at the time.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Even before the exploitation of the internet, the toxic
rhetoric of the 2016 election, the alarming rally in Charlottesville or a
president who spreads more poison than policy,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>the mold was cast for all that grief, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and more to come by letting seemingly small bad
things find a home, and a place to accumulate.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">This road was not paved or monsters created <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>by any one person, company, organization, or
government. Equally, once the problem became obvious, it was not possible for
any single entity to address the problem. Deftly, those seeking to undermine
the credibility of facts presented to the public, quickly coordinated
domestically, internationally, and across agendas to share their own best
practices. They exploited the competitive nature of business practices in the
internet industry and that anti-hate groups were in their own similarly competitive
mode for sponsorship. As a result, early in the internet age, extremist
communities became more coordinated and strategic while civil society and industry
entities prevaricated. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The mindless and all-consuming
zombie chickens of hate had infected each other, flown the coop, were on the
loose, contagious, and breeding. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Zombie chickens would seem a ridiculous choice of allusion to
illustrate a serious problem. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Chickens
are not terribly threatening. Zombie chickens are practically laughable, but
not if you were counting on trying to eat one or get any eggs. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Conspiracy theories and the people who spread them were likewise
not taken seriously. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Regardless of who
decided conspiracy theories, or their advocates were harmless, that phenomenon began
an erosion of our faith in information sources and fed our worse fears. The
internet, until very recently, did not elevate the truth, it infected it with a
virulent malady. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Now, those apparently harmless chickens we created have come
home to roost. Those chickens, like our information channels, which were once a
reliable source of enrichment, are now questionable and even dangerous. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The critical mass of stakeholders needed to develop industry
wide hate management technology goals, standards, policies, and public
education mechanisms did not begin to materialize for almost 20 years. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We can all see the damage that delay has caused.
Once the choice was made to not get ahead of the problem of corrosive content, catching
up became the only alternative. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Have you
even tried catching a chicken? Like catching up with online hate, no simple
matter. <o:p></o:p></p>Jonathan Vick<p></p>Jonathan Vickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10297584120004582216noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8819856687637243236.post-87299900817939150632020-09-02T19:07:00.001-07:002020-09-04T11:30:16.114-07:00Schrödinger’s Internet<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVWrVGch2iDhTv75-hVxdacG4B-k3R4vCQH24OpcjSksAO2ziKZ1F012fOludyKhVPIaxml0pU1OFagHdIduyO6YCtjdxQwl-dMRNUVP-hq7tnZsEK9mjHsEWR_5jcGv-4Xu_bQeJ4c8s/s800/probability.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="800" height="205" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVWrVGch2iDhTv75-hVxdacG4B-k3R4vCQH24OpcjSksAO2ziKZ1F012fOludyKhVPIaxml0pU1OFagHdIduyO6YCtjdxQwl-dMRNUVP-hq7tnZsEK9mjHsEWR_5jcGv-4Xu_bQeJ4c8s/w410-h205/probability.jpg" width="410" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Cliffy died in 2010, but I did not know that until last
week. Until then he was still alive to me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I liked him, had not heard from him in many years and, as I have done so
many times before, went looking for him online.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The adage holds true, be careful what you ask for. I want to add, be
careful what you look for.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I am the North American representative for INACH (International Network Against Cyber Hate), an accomplished internet investigator and researcher,
and usually find what I am looking for - eventually.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We have all searched for people from our past
who mean something to us. Helping others in this way, and with other online
challenges, is extremely rewarding. When all the digging through endless piles
of online manure is done, we sometimes find a pony, sometimes a rhinoceros, and
sometimes tears. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">People disappear for any number of reasons. There is no way
to totally disappear, but with a little effort and time, you can get close. When
someone does not want to be found, you should respect that. When they have
disappeared, not by choice, you must respect that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are always exceptions, but they all
come at a price. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Until last week, Cliffy was both alive and dead. Something
called superposition. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That is the
essence of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schr%C3%B6dinger%27s_cat">Schrödinger’s
Cat</a> thought experiment. When I found Cliffy, opened the reality of things
on the internet, the reality of the two possibilities collapsed. Cliffy was
indeed dead. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The internet acts like Schrödinger’s box, holding the truth
of different realities but requiring an act of will to open it up and find the
reality. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I do not think Schrödinger liked cats. I do not think he
gave much thought to the cat. It was all about the box and the experiment. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I do not think the internet industry likes us. It
historically has not given much thought to the people inside the internet. Internet
users have, for far too long, been secondary to the internet itself and the
experiment of all the stuff inside. The internet companies own the boxes on the
internet and can decide to collapse the possibilities of information and help
determine the reality, if they are brave enough. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">This is the great conundrum of science and commerce. What
comes first, the experiment or the cat; the totality of possibilities of
information or the reality. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Schrödinger’s cat is not a real cat. Schrödinger’s box is
not a real box. It was never meant to be left closed. Superposition may be
real, but it is not reality. You only get reality when you open the box and
feed the cat or bury it. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I do not like that Cliffy is gone, but that is the reality.
To change reality is to fictionalize it. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>Jonathan Vickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10297584120004582216noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8819856687637243236.post-58443680667749149002020-07-22T08:02:00.000-07:002020-07-22T08:02:02.188-07:00Questionable Future for Cat Videos<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8XQPc5j8DIX0KD3AXbm02SDbI-IRXIoJecVf4Ufu59ZnIf3Pmzan-ZNMejod0UcxR6xwS76DV8MzDAWQXTh4rHWoKbw5EGeK6X-1VsmnF52x3pXeVzqit50L03rCCCGJT2h6oGQBSM6k/s1600/cat+video.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="705" data-original-width="564" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8XQPc5j8DIX0KD3AXbm02SDbI-IRXIoJecVf4Ufu59ZnIf3Pmzan-ZNMejod0UcxR6xwS76DV8MzDAWQXTh4rHWoKbw5EGeK6X-1VsmnF52x3pXeVzqit50L03rCCCGJT2h6oGQBSM6k/s320/cat+video.jpg" width="256" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
With Trump doing his best not to get re-elected, and the
world in the midst of the covid epidemic, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>we must ask the important question…What does
this mean for cat videos?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Cat videos are historically the most watched and shared.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Based on the numbers, even people who don’t
like cats watch cat videos. There are many different specific reasons people
watch cat videos. Research indicates that the bottom line is, in general, they
make us feel good. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The number of cat videos, viewers and views has continued to
climb for over ten years. This is especially true over the past four years,
when just about everyone needed some way of feeling good. Cat videos are a form
of escapism. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Lavish big budget, fantasy <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>movie musicals of the 1930s served a similar
purpose for a country in the midst of the great depression and the looming
specter of World War 2. Back then the public had limited choices, but the
studios, once they figured out the public’s desires, produced those movies at a
high volume. With the internet, the public can find, and identify, whatever
appeals to them. That seems to be cat videos, not big budget musicals or dramas.
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 120.5pt;">
It seems ludacris to compare Fred Astaire
with Tard the cat, but here we are. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 120.5pt;">
Movie musical's golden age
declined with the end of WW2 and I must say the waning depression. It seems we
do not need as much to feel-good when things are good as when they are bad. Our
optimism comes mores freely when we do not feel we are mid-apocalypse.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 120.5pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 120.5pt;">
So, as we head for another pivot in
history, society, economic or culture, for better or whatever, what is to
become of cat videos? <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 120.5pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 120.5pt;">
Will decreased stress and strife
lessen our appetite for cat videos the same way it happened for movie musicals?
Will the post-Trump era leave us with a PTSD craving for more cat videos? Perhaps
current events will have no impact at all.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 120.5pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 120.5pt;">
Whatever change happens in our cat
video watching habits, it may signal something important. I hope it is in some
way an indicator that we have grown, and the world is a bit better.<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />Jonathan Vickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10297584120004582216noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8819856687637243236.post-10673413102984069662020-07-09T12:06:00.000-07:002020-07-09T12:06:15.103-07:00Losing Track of Hate<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit2K3Txok5R_Z_DS7Fi_xoAALkm8y3g4wCvJWFL9kDOT4NuKw-NsattUwn9r2n43fu-jvNDHTf-bzjVSlaYtY3Lc9aHe3v8rr9RZurRjW7zNJigX6JflFGpPHkqTmi36IKsftAt8Fa3qo/s1600/kkk.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="842" height="291" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit2K3Txok5R_Z_DS7Fi_xoAALkm8y3g4wCvJWFL9kDOT4NuKw-NsattUwn9r2n43fu-jvNDHTf-bzjVSlaYtY3Lc9aHe3v8rr9RZurRjW7zNJigX6JflFGpPHkqTmi36IKsftAt8Fa3qo/s320/kkk.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We can never completely stamp out hate. Taking Mein Kampf off
bookshelves, banning the swastika, or the Rebel Flag will not stop hate, it
will only hide it. When we hide hate in that way, we make it harder for future
generations to recognize the symbols of hate and easier for hate groups to
operate and grow with impunity. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Do not get me wrong. The Rebel Flag should never fly over a
public space. Klan robes should never be worn in public ever again. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No parade should ever be led by a swastika or
anyone wearing one. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This goes for
blackface, or any other racist caricature or stereotype. But we cannot pretend
these things did not exist, do not still exist, and may surface from neglected
boxes in attics or may even be prized by some people.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As much as a picture of Klan rallies are horrific, it is just
a picture. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To see a real-life size Klan
robe is completely different. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To see full
Klan uniform face to face is to begin to understand, as in no other way, the fear
it is meant to instill. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The same for any
racist, bigoted, hateful, ignorant vestiges of our past. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We do not need to see these things constantly, nor should we.
We should work to move such icons of hate to safe spaces where the context, truth
and resolution of their existence can be addressed. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are those who advocate hate. They try their
best to desensitize us to the pain and revulsion such things should naturally elicit.
These academic hatemongers argue that the expression and display of a racist heritage
is their right. It is time we say, no. The intentional perpetuation of historic
distress and intimidation is not part of free speech. There is no such thing as
casual or harmless display of hate symbols. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In that spirt, we should work to drive hate out of public spaces.
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We must come to terms that as we are progressively
driving it offline, to whatever extent is possible, there is a responsibility to
archive it. We also need to take measures that it will only manifest itself appropriate
places. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The great catch-22 in empowering people to recognize hate is
the need to discuss it and to teach about it. To know the symbols of hate you
need to see the symbols. To know the language of hate you need to be hear
hateful terminologies, see stereotypes, and learn bigotries destructive power. To
make a better world we need to teach the ugliest of lessons. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For years displaying hate
online has been part of the educational process in fighting hate. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This has posed significant challenges. On
every platform, accounts run by educational and informational organizations
have been flagged and suspended for the offensive content they have post as
examples of hate. Some websites have been suspended for posting examples of
terrorist, racist or propagandistic content meant to target people belonging to
ethnic, national origin, religious, sexual identity or social groups. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sometimes these websites are flagged by people
who do not understand why the material is being displayed. In other cases, the
haters being exposed try to suppress the exposure of their truth. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Some civil rights advocates promote the unilateral removal
of all symbols of hate. It is important to remember that symbols, slogans,
acronyms, hand signs, and the like, are not just about intimidation, but also
about communication within a group. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Removing
all hate group references, and iconography from public exposure is dangerous.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you saw a bumper sticker that said just “AKIA”,
would you think twice about it? AKIA is one of the ways KKK members signal
their identity to each other. It stands for “A Klansman I Am.” This is bad
enough under any circumstance, but worse when it, or some other identifier for a
hate group goes unrecognized. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Exposing hate is one of the most powerful tools in defeating
it. <a href="https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/23157/how-superman-defeated-ku-klux-klan">Stetson
Kennedy</a> infiltrated the Klan in post WW2 America. He then worked with
producers of the Superman Radio Show to use what he had learned to create content
for that radio show. Klan symbols, identification phrases and passwords were
all exposed by the Superman Show to the world. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Superman producers and Kennedy knew that
to know hate, expose hate, teach how to recognize, and track it was the best
weapon against it. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The damage to the
Klan was profound.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The 2016 election showed us that deep systemic hate was very
much alive in the United States. It had not been defeated. It had simply learned
to hide. It appears we were happy to let it hide. That did not work out well. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Hate will always find a way. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By far the first, best <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>thing we can do to oppose hate is to keep
track of hate and teach about its many forms - the symbols, language and ideologies
of hate, and the people who make it their job to perpetuate hate. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The true nature of hate and haters becomes obvious on close scrutiny.
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If we lose track of hate, that is what
hate needs most to survive. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 337.55pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 337.55pt;">
Jonathan Vick</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 337.55pt;">
International Network Against Cyber Hate, North America Representative </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 337.55pt;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />Jonathan Vickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10297584120004582216noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8819856687637243236.post-65171544723660393992020-07-06T18:24:00.000-07:002020-07-06T18:24:22.934-07:00Dumpster Fire Behind the Marketplace of Ideas<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ2ktjhOiDj_XWWG0Madq-qN9NYRjobDeXOllNMqrKcjRr1BJmgaxIlpmYEk_iTcZKcOyx2HrB8fewhajSrJZLwE1ZDxHq_8HXPG2Hyt0cwg_7HJzq0hqUGiAKoIdaiZYCPUpB22UaRtI/s1600/firedrill-480x240.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="240" data-original-width="480" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ2ktjhOiDj_XWWG0Madq-qN9NYRjobDeXOllNMqrKcjRr1BJmgaxIlpmYEk_iTcZKcOyx2HrB8fewhajSrJZLwE1ZDxHq_8HXPG2Hyt0cwg_7HJzq0hqUGiAKoIdaiZYCPUpB22UaRtI/s400/firedrill-480x240.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
The Marketplace of Ideas is important. It is the very reason
we protect free speech, freedom of the press and human rights. The Marketplace
of Ideas is one of our most apt and resonant metaphors in civil discourse. It
is no wonder that a concept pioneered by John Milton, John Stuart Mill and
Oliver Wendell Holmes is as relevant in the internet age as it was hundreds of
years ago. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Like many places where people shop, it can be a crowded,
confusing place. Because it is a place for ideas, it can be disturbing at
times.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is not always well organized,
and the people who claim to know where everything is, invariably do not show us
everything we should see.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Shopping in the Marketplace for Ideas can be expensive. It
requires users to pay attention, spend time and invest critical thinking. When
that cost is too high, there are those who shop in the discount aisle or maybe
pick for discarded concepts in the dumpster out back.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The Marketplace of Ideas is not about facts, it is about
opinions, thoughts and concepts. There are bad opinions, ideas that are
discredited, wrong or destructive. National socialism, racial supremacy,
scapegoating and genocide are a few that come to mind.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some ideas deserve to be in the trash.
Pulling them from the dumpster does not mean their time has come again,
sometimes it means the idea is just cleaned up garbage.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Best to be suspicious of the folks lurking out behind the
Marketplace of Ideas and picking through the dumpster of bad ideas. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Jonathan Vick</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
International Network Against Cyber Hate, North American Representative</div>
<br />Jonathan Vickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10297584120004582216noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8819856687637243236.post-17025452137630299182020-06-29T18:11:00.000-07:002020-06-29T18:43:23.635-07:00Facebook’s Darwinian Encounter<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8Zt3sX1KaXsZ1Ep-QMFfF3TMlsCBhQGiKngCfLtj72sb2lkmA8i-wkbSFMuFZHamaiGi485K9EtrkC-vihemhScyd-D9kjDD1_6s3yu__vWZnTNoWYCvO_1mwWPX8tjG5UKYqF5ekokk/s1600/darwin.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="940" height="201" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8Zt3sX1KaXsZ1Ep-QMFfF3TMlsCBhQGiKngCfLtj72sb2lkmA8i-wkbSFMuFZHamaiGi485K9EtrkC-vihemhScyd-D9kjDD1_6s3yu__vWZnTNoWYCvO_1mwWPX8tjG5UKYqF5ekokk/s400/darwin.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
In its harshest terms, Darwin’s quote can be read to say, “adapt
or die.” <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Facebook must now confront this
grim reality for the first time in its existence. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Having held to their policies in a time
saturated with change, they are being unimaginably criticized and boycotted. Perhaps
a surprise to Facebook more than to many observers. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
For at least the past ten years, Facebook has steadfastly
dismissed most of the red flags that have been brought to their attention. Content
empowering racism, division, and hate has been a major topic of disagreement
between Facebook and anti-hate groups for a long time. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The historic problems with Facebook have been more obvious
to members of the internet community who are more attuned to the intersection of
extremist and mainstream internet, but the problems were there, and Facebook knew
it. Many years would go by before any research was done into the extent, intent,
impact, or players in the hate appearing on Facebook. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Facebook’s policy, then and now, is to let more content on
the platform to allow debate, discussion, and discourse. To bring more material
to the Marketplace of Ideas. Although racism, xenophobia, misogyny and
marginalization should all be discussed, it is a very different thing to just allow
it. Such policies have always been exploited. That is not feeding discourse. It
is feeding hate. Instead of allowing bad content as a rule and removing it in
exceptional circumstances, perhaps a policy of restricting bad content and
allow it by exception is more circumspect.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Facebook ascended, in part, as the result of an unpopular move
by MySpace to implement an eceptionally strong policy against hateful and
inappropriate content. Reasonably, Facebook leveraged MySpace’s radical change
to its own advantage, luring countless users away from MySpace. Unfortunately, it
appears the lesson Mark Zuckerberg took away from that episode is that anti-hate
policies are destructive to a platform’s health. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Perhaps there was a time when that was true,
but that time has passed.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Any content area on the internet, if left unmoderated, will
eventually be abused. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We have seen it
time and again. There are no exceptions that come to mind. Those situations makes
the valid Marketplace of Ideas look a bit like a burned out storefront. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Trump’s strident, abusive, and often irresponsible rhetoric
is supported and enhanced by his online content. A common tactic in traditional
hate communities it to spread supporting, self-validating material over numerous
platforms and listed under many names to obscure its intent. Over time,
patterns emerge and manipulation taking place becomes obvious. The deception is
exposed and the true motivations uncovered. Hate, marginalization,
disenfranchisement, and alienation can often be the sum of many parts
calculated to come together when desired. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We came into the information age thinking we knew what it was
about and how it worked. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If Facebook is
not prepared to adapt, and act against the weaponization of its platform, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the results are inevitable. There is always
another contender in the wings. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span>
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">Jonathan Vick, International Networks Against Cyber Hate, </span><br />
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">North American Representative</span></div>
<br />Jonathan Vickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10297584120004582216noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8819856687637243236.post-70124724688394226232020-06-24T08:16:00.000-07:002020-06-24T08:16:54.349-07:00America's South Africa Lesson<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZb0uPuhmTZ8Wfmto49u_o7AWlZfZn49YMZEhZWf0OHXyzTQgG9wN6GeUX0JdzZStsczTlOOXGNrLdc9A01C7q4fkq2dpKK-Emfh3hSoC-Vm2-bVbF2X1-uhgs406XDH8TnWKiUM3iJM8/s1600/soweto-night-tour.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZb0uPuhmTZ8Wfmto49u_o7AWlZfZn49YMZEhZWf0OHXyzTQgG9wN6GeUX0JdzZStsczTlOOXGNrLdc9A01C7q4fkq2dpKK-Emfh3hSoC-Vm2-bVbF2X1-uhgs406XDH8TnWKiUM3iJM8/s400/soweto-night-tour.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
South Africa, the once ultimate example of racial injustice,
may have something to teach us about resolving the systemic racism in the
United States. I was in South Africa (SA) in 2017 and saw how a country which
could easily have tipped into a race war, decided to step back, and take
another direction. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I am not black. Before going to South Africa, I knew little
about it. I was there to work on emerging cyber hate and online abuse
issues.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I came away with an immense
respect for a beautiful country with amazing people who have accomplished
something the United States has yet to achieve…creating a framework for
interracial relations, airing grievances, and working towards solutions on deep-seated
problems. This is not to say South Africa found the magic wand to all their
problems, but they certainly have done something impressive. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The argument is often made that current populations should
not be held responsible or pay the price for long standing problems. As it is very
hard to hold the original instigators of a century old problem responsible, and
it is the ultimate injustice to hold <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>unempowered victims of ongoing repression and
racism responsible for their own situation, the only answer is for current
society, as a whole, to be responsible for addressing inequity.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Many white South Africans may have lived within the
apartheid system, but not many currently alive created the system. Similarly,
no living Americans were slave owners, but many lived and accepted segregation
in various forms. But there is no question that the legacy of the systems and
laws put in place long ago are still a significant problem for populations of
color around the world. As these disadvantaged, marginalized communities represent
a significant percentage of the population, their suffering and frustration is
unarguably impacting the larger society. In this way, bigotry, racism, tacit bias,
amarginalizationnd are more than just a black, immigrant or minority issue. It
compromises society’s morality.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Looking back at history and pointing fingers at the players,
policies, and political sources of racial issues provide context, but not
always solutions. The context is important to help see the actions which
allowed racism to become systematized and the way it is manifested today. The
trap is not moving the conversations into the present. History cannot be
changed but the future can be. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
20+ years ago the vast majority of South Africa stood
together to say, “this has to stop.” There was no question that it was going to
be difficult, painful, costly, and dangerous. There was also no question that
pointing at the past and saying, “I wasn’t there, it’s not my fault” was not deemed
a reason for inaction by anyone. Everyone needed to participate. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The system that evolved with the leadership and inspiration
of Nelson Mandela is, what I would call, a forum of obligation. Groups, councils,
commissions and organization which were formed, abided by one overriding rule,
if you join, you are included, your input will be taken, your voice will be
heard in full, but you are required to sit and give that full consideration to
everyone else who is included. No matter what. If you disrupt others, deny them
their privilege to speak and be heard or storm out of the proceedings, you lose
your seat at the table. This was my understanding and what I witnessed. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I attended meetings of various commissions and government
bodies which were brutally frank in a way that no American legislative or policy
body would ever withstand or tolerate. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Current generations taking responsibility for the past, empowers
and enables them to have the hard conversations about the ongoing legacies of
the past. This is what South Africa has done. Something the United States has
not. In the U.S. reconstruction never finished the job of achieving equality, it
was simply abandoned. The Civil Rights Movement moved the needle just enough to
assuage people on both sides without ever making the fundamental, foundational,
irreversible changes in society that were needed. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The hardest problems were just passed to the
next generation. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Speaking the unspoken, the unspeakable, was a big part of
the break from the monarchy and the establishment of the United States. Now we
find ourselves in a position where tolerance, civility and “don’t rock the boat”
culture has enabled the marginalization and abuse of many groups in our
society. All of it wrong. All of it transgenerational. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
South Africa showed us where to start. The U.S. can stop
passing its bad racial and sociological legacies on to the next
generation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We can have the hard conversations.
We can better understand each other’s pain and make the most difficult changes.
We need to start by making a commitment as a nation and a people that racism
and systemic bias against any group of people in our country or by our country
damages and diminishes what we have, what we want and what we leave our children.
<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />Jonathan Vickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10297584120004582216noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8819856687637243236.post-13298690711914347642020-06-02T09:06:00.000-07:002020-06-02T09:06:08.676-07:00Trump Internet Age <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0pm3Plimxt7V-JZPJOoStTiqIzSxaBD0-CBgpJf5TyXt0Bqz8DAhFbnL9HM32mJMA1tPGb9XW1CYMOiY1k13VoQvbJRq95LtI-Yjp9D3BJDFCN8T0dFC52DZczAS-Aojy35LYny2zfKM/s1600/images.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="182" data-original-width="277" height="262" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0pm3Plimxt7V-JZPJOoStTiqIzSxaBD0-CBgpJf5TyXt0Bqz8DAhFbnL9HM32mJMA1tPGb9XW1CYMOiY1k13VoQvbJRq95LtI-Yjp9D3BJDFCN8T0dFC52DZczAS-Aojy35LYny2zfKM/s400/images.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The internet has a Donald Trump problem of its own making. In
general, it was delighted with the emergence of the conflict, sensationalism,
increased activity and profit which accompanied Trump’s 2016 campaign. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Now we know that very little consideration was given to
where the advertising revenue came from, where the increased traffic came from and
the implications of a precedent being set by giving unrestricted access to a
known fabulist, misogynist and bully.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In 2008, I attended a generally congenial meeting, orchestrated
by the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), held at Stamford University, with
platforms and service providers including Facebook, Google, Yahoo and Twitter.
At that meeting there was one overriding message, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Hate, racism, and incitement on the internet
was a pervasive and growing problem”. The hate protagonists were active in many
places and coordinating their efforts across platforms. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Subsequent meetings, two years later, were attended by over
a dozen industry representatives. At these events, co-sponsored by ADL and an
EU Inter-Parliamentary group, evidence was presented of on-platform and inter-platform
activity used to support off-platform agendas of white supremacists, neo-Nazis
and terrorist groups. The uniform response by the industry was that there was
no evidence that online hate had any connection to real world violence.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
ADL suggested a study to determine the extent of cyber hate
and the vectors of transmission being exploited. This could settle the issue
one way or the other. The major industry companies declined at that time. They
had no interest in opening that particular pandora’s box of knowledge. Once a
study confirmed the online hate there would be no way to deny awareness of it or
the need to consider responsibility. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
For years, the portfolio of internet industry leaders
maintained they were only responsible for activity on their own platform, that
their terms of service adequately protected users, and their preeminent goal of
allowing the broadest variety of speech was in the public interest. In response
the ADL, and many other anti-hate, safety and public advocacy groups vocally
called for explicit terms of service which would be rigorously and universally
enforced. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
By 2014, with the rising political polarization, social
tensions and increasing hate online, the stage was set for the emergence of the
Trump Internet Age (TIA). The first personalities paving the way for Trump’s
online behavior were a collection of different racists, anti-Semites and
segregationists. Their underlying motivations were unmistakable. Years of
appeals to platforms regarding Terms of Service violations resulted in removal
of the most egregious content. Much of the more subtle, manipulative, insidious
dog whistle content continued unabated.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Political campaigns have long been considered a sacred place
where free speech was given great latitude. Non-profit and publicly funded
entities have long refrained from commenting on campaigns or endorsing
candidates for fear of threatening their funding or not for profit
certification. The internet companies, as self-designated “front pages” of
public opinion, strove to make no judgement calls. We now know that this
position by the platforms was manipulated to turn them into propaganda conduits.
The companies were deeply entrenched in a philosophy that bad content and
untruth would be eclipsed by the good. Bad actors quickly dominated every space
on the internet they could.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The, August 2017 Unite the Right Rally in Charlottesville, Virginia
irrefutably demonstrated how hate speech leads to violence and how inter-platform
manipulation of the internet is used to support the real world agendas of hate
groups. Many platforms quickly banned extremist users, websites and groups
related to inciting, supporting, or celebrating the violence at Charlottesville.
Significant changes in policies were also made in response to the violence and
online exploitation linked to the riot. Unfortunately, this clearly points out
that the industry was far behind in policies and enforcement despite warnings
and repeated requests by experts on the issue.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The shift that started in in the aftermath of the 2016 election
and Charlottesville violence and other mass attacks by extremists, has now
caught up to political propaganda. Trump is extremely upset that the same
latitude which allowed platforms to permit his misinformation, also impowers
them to speak out against him and apply all their rules of behavior to him, if
they so choose. <o:p></o:p></div>
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The internet industry must now confront the ecology they
have created. When self-validating distortions by a small-time conspiracy
theorist are treated as fact, it lays the groundwork for self-validating
distortions by the President of the United States, or any member of government,
to be treated as fact. The internet leaders are now at a junction where they
must work together to create an industry policy and practice coalitions or face
an imminent and inevitable effort by government to restrict and control the
industry. Trump is their Frankenstein’s monster. They are Frankensteins and
have created the possible means of their own possible demise.<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />Jonathan Vickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10297584120004582216noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8819856687637243236.post-7657184917773008752020-05-27T09:57:00.001-07:002020-05-27T09:57:38.705-07:00Fighting Hate - A Dance for Many Partners<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaERdJW2MhRqUWlzwD1SJ4Mb6a_nAnHMAiOIkOD3yNN3dOTOzLWnHCuadJvp5MR8siwCEP7ANuvwca29lhrrcz_EOrWaL9rCvg_pOjvlmrPlHyzJj6NLgAv99eZwDzIw0NaDAz5IvBKEg/s1600/marionette_obey_series.png_effected.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="630" data-original-width="1200" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaERdJW2MhRqUWlzwD1SJ4Mb6a_nAnHMAiOIkOD3yNN3dOTOzLWnHCuadJvp5MR8siwCEP7ANuvwca29lhrrcz_EOrWaL9rCvg_pOjvlmrPlHyzJj6NLgAv99eZwDzIw0NaDAz5IvBKEg/s400/marionette_obey_series.png_effected.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Hate and abuse has been the over-arching focus of my work. Ultimately,
we have not been fighting hate. We have been fighting fear. Hate, directed
against people, creates fear - the weapon haters exploit. Fear is used to
intimidate, marginalize, disenfranchise, and isolate. Fear creates doubt, paranoia,
mistrust, and suspicion. The human predisposition to fear is deeply ingrained.
It is part of our survival instincts. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It
is not so amazing that the oldest darkest enemy of our species has followed us
into the digital age.<o:p></o:p></div>
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For better or worse, fear is an inseparable part of many of
our social ills, and yet has driven many of our greatest achievements. Fear of
death and disease has fueled great medical knowledge and research. Fear of
violence and mayhem has motivated a social order and justice system. Fear of
hunger is responsible for an extensive food production and distribution
industry. Fear of the right things is not a bad thing. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Hate speech itself is not always intended to cause fear. It
can be an expression of anger or frustration. However ill-considered words
often have a problem with how they are perceived. There is also the reality
that true hate, intended to have destructive consequences, when outed, is often
attributed to “poor judgement” rather than the true intent of what is said.
There is no question that hooded KKK robes were intended to instill fear. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Other symbols, words, phrases, and images,
although not originally conceived to express hate became just that over time
through association and use. Equally, the ability for iconography and language
to trigger fear is learned. <o:p></o:p></div>
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People cannot always know what will elicit a fear inducing
reaction. Not all items or statements create the same reaction. The Confederate
Battle Flag is one example. As a symbol of historic bravery in the Civil War. It
symbolizes the battle for State’s Rights to some, other see it as a symbol of
oppression. That the issue of State’s Rights also included the right own continue
slavery and own slaves and the subsequent use of the Battle Flag by hate groups
has clearly negated any historic context which might have been redeeming.
Individuals flying “the stars and bars” know full well that it is a tainted
symbol. It is therefore incumbent on people, as in many other situations, to
use appropriate consideration in its use or the use of other potentially troubling
symbols.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Yet among those people offended by particular hate content,
reactions can be quite different.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><a href="https://theconversation.com/online-abuse-teenagers-might-not-report-it-because-they-often-dont-see-it-as-a-problem-116479">Some
studies</a> indicate that younger social media audiences are far more likely to
dismiss hateful material as not a significant problem. In failing to react or
rise-to-the-bait, younger audiences rob the hate of any impact. Even content
with the most malicious intent. Within these less reactive groups, haters will
probe them for an emotional, social, or topical vulnerability and then exploit
it mercilessly. It is not about the hate. It is about the motivation of the
hater and the need to create fear, intimidation, and insecurity in others. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Those members of the internet community who are not phased
by hate must band together and share their strength with those who feel
victimized. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Those people who feel fearful, targeted, or victimized must
have a coordinated place to turn for expert, consistent information on their options
for protecting themselves, responding and how to stay safely engaged in their
online lives. <o:p></o:p></div>
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The internet industry must develop unified, uniform baseline
standards for unacceptable user behavior including incitement, targeting, abuse
and coordinated information manipulation across all platform types, no matter
who is responsible, and stand behind them.</div>
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Reducing the activities of those who intentionally create, profit,
and perpetuate harm online, is not a choice, it is an obligation. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br />Jonathan Vickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10297584120004582216noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8819856687637243236.post-49610771622724144502020-05-21T16:55:00.002-07:002020-05-21T16:55:43.603-07:00Magical Anti-Hate Machine<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd4HVCov1i3ZpZklInnKbAJoozSRF55BDhxykaDqeaHqt9CsNwriMGI4f53nBCufmNZwYGuDu3T3VuazV08Lkr2l4VimKTHZgP60I95hhYOPBctEicRpYFN1JOz4k-DimswgC2B-Bmw0c/s1600/machine+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="346" data-original-width="531" height="260" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd4HVCov1i3ZpZklInnKbAJoozSRF55BDhxykaDqeaHqt9CsNwriMGI4f53nBCufmNZwYGuDu3T3VuazV08Lkr2l4VimKTHZgP60I95hhYOPBctEicRpYFN1JOz4k-DimswgC2B-Bmw0c/s400/machine+%25282%2529.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The danger we face these days is
not about free speech. It is not about civil rights. It is not about being
mean, hurtful, or offensive. It is about the potential to instigate real world
harm; suicide, riots, attacks against racial or religious groups and much more.
In all these events, in modern times, the internet has been a force. The danger is our unwillingness to talk about
the motivations and intent behind the words. The danger is in not acting in
response to destructive speech. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As far as I can recall, we have never seen any good Nazis, fascists,
dictators, authoritarian regimes, or racists. The internet is there so we can
discuss such things. However, we can widely agree that applauding or advocating
such hateful, intolerant, repressive, and destructive isms is considered part
of the worst of the internet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Especially
in times of crisis, when populations are vulnerable, there are so many more
important issues which need to be allowed bandwidth. Worse yet, many divisive
ideas are used as a distraction from constructive conversation and better interactions.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When segments of society want to allow or tolerate hateful ideas
on the internet, they invariably cite the ethos of Free Speech. Unfortunately,
that is a false justification. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Free
speech, as defined by the framers of the constitution, allows dissent. It
permitted citizens the right to disagree with the government without fear of
arrest or reprisal. Taken to a larger context, as a social contract, it
empowers citizens to publicly hold debate, discourse and disagree with respect
for each other’s opinion. The public context has no constitutional standing. In
neither framework does free speech imply a right (legally or socially) to allow
hate, incitement to violence, degradation, marginalization, violation of rights
or abuse as outlined in the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Covenant_on_Civil_and_Political_Rights">International
Covenant on Civil and Political Rights</a>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There are grey areas. Especially in an internet environment.
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This serves an important function by
bringing debate to the marketplace of ideas. These grey areas are not sacred.
They are also easily exploited. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Speaking
out against abuses of free speech are often decried as censorship or denial of
free speech. It is the ultimate irony. Clearly a manipulative and insincere defense
for hate. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yes, the internet has enriched us in many ways, but so has fire.
When abused or uncontrolled, fire is horrifically destructive. In the wake of
disastrous fires regulations and codes were enacted, building and product standards
agencies were established, and teams for fighting fires were created by
governments to protect the populace. Much the same needs to be considered for
the internet. Just as with arson or an unattended candle, a bad outcome can
spread quickly and destructively. The damage can be impossible to undo. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It is inappropriate to regulate every internet site, for the same
reason that not every match leads to an inferno. However, we exercise caution, respect,
and a level of intelligence around all flames. Makers of all things that are
highly combustible supply all sorts of directions and product warnings to avoid
accidents. Often, not so with the internet. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Some websites do a far better job about safety than others.
Some do a poor job. Others create outright dangerous situations. There is no
product safety commission, or safety rating for websites and content as we see
for other products. Unfortunately, the sheer magnitude of the internet and its
eccentricities renders any physical world analogous solution useless. However,
the vastness of the internet ecosystem also provides opportunities to improve
the situation. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Internet industry leaders such as <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Googles, Microsofts, Twitters, Instagrams are indispensable
to every commercial content delivery service. They use their influence to
monetize oceans of information but shrink from using that influence to motivate
a better online environment. Internet standards for content cannot be universal.
There will always be opportunists who will ignore them. But currently there is
no framework or coordination for an industry level standard for the type of content which we
have all come to recognize as culturally, socially, or politically leading to physical
danger in the real world. </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<br />Jonathan Vickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10297584120004582216noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8819856687637243236.post-81611420117449477422020-05-03T09:59:00.000-07:002020-05-03T09:59:09.888-07:00The United States of Keep Away from Me. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEuVln641NuK74ZB1p5IJ7SLEz7BJxjNejQEbHLMz1iEEJ-m-dUX8Lyu8YMpsd23-5xKGm58Iu5_GGAqEcF9w_cTY2mqQ-DczD_380KahvYGZW1J7fv3yJgM9E9frptRP-YgkkHezm7LQ/s1600/C.Willard.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="517" data-original-width="350" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEuVln641NuK74ZB1p5IJ7SLEz7BJxjNejQEbHLMz1iEEJ-m-dUX8Lyu8YMpsd23-5xKGm58Iu5_GGAqEcF9w_cTY2mqQ-DczD_380KahvYGZW1J7fv3yJgM9E9frptRP-YgkkHezm7LQ/s400/C.Willard.jpg" width="270" /></a></div>
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Social distancing of people is hard and unfamiliar. Social
distancing of ideas is old and too familiar. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></div>
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These are times of change. We can own and master the change
or try to keep it away. <o:p></o:p></div>
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As if we did not have enough problems with our country’s
polarization, dis-empathy, propaganda and animosity all running at all-time
highs, along comes the Corona Virus. <o:p></o:p></div>
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We are subject to so many variables and unknowns that the
outcome, much less any inherent changes in society and culture are still beyond
prediction. <o:p></o:p></div>
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There are all kinds of wishful conversations online and in
media about how the pandemic will bring us together. Examining history, like
9/11, this is not guaranteed. Sometimes these events bring us closer to those
close to us, but these events can also feed xenophobia, fear and paranoia.
Driving many apart. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Triggering unanticipated
consequences, schisms and conflicts.<o:p></o:p></div>
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In an effort to stay engaged, some families have pushed the
lockdown as a great opportunity for family game night. This sounds like a great
idea. Once instituted though, it quickly brings with it the unremembered. Part of
board games night is the discussion and interaction which takes place between
each player’s turns.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This could go badly,
especially if people had not realized that family discussions are rarely
restricted to the safe topics like weather and health. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Playing games also may involve arguments and losing
in both the game and argument. Think of Marshall Law lockdown being declared in
the middle of Thanksgiving dinner! <o:p></o:p></div>
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Of course, President Trump has done nothing to mitigate the social
downside of current events. Cheerleading and leadership are two different
things. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He has not visited any of the
epicenter hospitals or any of the Asian communities to offer direct support or
calm any of the misinformation percolating up through society. These potentially
small gestures can have great impact. All his gestures were reserved for large
corporations and expressions of condolences for the rich, famous or politically
advantageous. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Yes, Trump is in the high-risk category with age and who
knows what underlying conditions, but his job requires the welfare of the
country comes first. That is why it is called Public Service. If anyone thinks otherwise,
they can consider the careers or JFK, Harvey Milk or even Mother Theresa. This
is not a job where you come first, especially at a time of crisis. <o:p></o:p></div>
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So here we are. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Regardless of who is to blame, we must find our way out. It
is increasingly obvious that the path forward is up to us. There are too few
real leaders in government and far too much partisan brinkmanship for anything
of real use come from government. Not where the welfare of real people is
concerned. This seems to be a fact regardless who sits in the oval office. <o:p></o:p></div>
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It is in our best interests to examine future public policy molded
without government participation. Maybe we can put together a few useful,
workable ideas. Then we can explain it to government using simple words. Perhaps
demonstrate that, although they cannot find even the most basic common ground,
we can.</div>
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Any effort to applying the social, economic and political
lessons we have learned will need to be led by voices of change. Except we are
terrible with change. At every watershed period of history there have been
ardent opponents of change; the Revolutionary War, Civil War, Women’s voting
rights, desegregation, equal rights. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Today
we still have people opposing each of those advances and seeking to turn the
clock back long after their issue has expired. These same opponents of adaptation
also oppose every other new social issue. Any new change moves their beloved
old issue further into history. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Nothing represents a potential break with the past like what
post-pandemic America could look like. Human interaction, social and economic
safety nets, the true price of societal division and the need for great empowerment
and better communication for everyone may change us for the good. But those who
oppose change will be fearful and withdraw and obstruct. <o:p></o:p></div>
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We will not all always agree with everybody’s idea of what
represents good change. However, we need to hear and understand the ideas of
what changes are possible before we decide. After all this, the United States may
not be the same. Unavoidably, the way we live in it and manage it cannot stay
the same. Even before the Corona virus this was not the country created by the fathers
of the Constitution. It is something much more. Change is natural and indeed
inevitable. <o:p></o:p></div>
<br />Jonathan Vickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10297584120004582216noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8819856687637243236.post-8883023297893309042020-04-28T15:42:00.000-07:002020-04-28T16:53:58.886-07:00Blank Screen Exiles<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRrsj8sAZkc42IXnPjN5CAmTtMbU4uJVCSNXXUHPgp1f3_kGa7JUFtWfQyseocxw2-Wyl0VeVj0254f3pSkTkaqrEHGZKxOLIkcaIIUWqKS08eYwLXz0JkpnS0VJh_pnS-g1aj5AiXims/s1600/screen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="573" data-original-width="825" height="277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRrsj8sAZkc42IXnPjN5CAmTtMbU4uJVCSNXXUHPgp1f3_kGa7JUFtWfQyseocxw2-Wyl0VeVj0254f3pSkTkaqrEHGZKxOLIkcaIIUWqKS08eYwLXz0JkpnS0VJh_pnS-g1aj5AiXims/s400/screen.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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A year ago, if my internet went out, it would be an
inconvenience, even if it lasted a few hours. Today, under lock-down/stay-home/shelter in place, it would be a disaster. For some; children, seniors and those physically or socially isolated, without the internet, it <i>is</i> a disaster.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br /></div>
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In a pandemic world, the emerging utility of the internet
has become crucial, overnight. The bits of the internet which early adapters and the younger audiences had already welcomed, have found an entirely new and
desperate audience. Yes, some of us have been proselytizing these services for
years. Now the skeptical, resistant, uniformed or disenfranchised segments of society have
been dragged in without much choice..<o:p></o:p></div>
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This is a problem. The
internet, in the US, and most of the world, is not considered a public utility.
It is not government owned and access to the public is not guaranteed. The time has come for that to change.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The digital divide is certainly
the original issue. However, the problem has now grown exponentially in its depth and complexity.
It is not just about addressing economic disadvantage, or geographic bias, but
the need to establish a national policy on primary internet availability and
access regardless of any qualifiers. <o:p></o:p></div>
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We are not talking about nationalizing the internet, Google,
Facebook or any other company, so calm down.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The challenge, and opportunity, is to ensure that every
American has access to the internet. It is a necessity. For the safety and
security of individuals as well as the economic and social stability of the country.
The commerce and interactions over the internet are as integral a part of
business and social interaction as going to the mall, the coffee shop, the
doctor, or religious observances. <o:p></o:p></div>
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A universal national service would be for basic access to necessary services such as email, medical, appointments, banking and other low bandwidth demands. This would not be a service to facilitate video games, movie or music streaming.<br />
<br />
More
robust, high bandwidth services would still be commercially available. There is no changing that. Think broadcast radio and television as
opposed to cable or satellite services. Such free services already exist in some
developing countries.<o:p></o:p></div>
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There are many challenges connected to such an idea. Free national
public internet access does not automatically eliminate economic disparity. However,
once the core, primary ability to access the internet is a given, the
motivation and urgency to close the gap on the other related issues runs much
higher. We must also be prepared for segments of society who will oppose such a
change. The potential for such a service to change the face of our country is
very real. That will threaten some people. We can be certain of that. <o:p></o:p></div>
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The internet has been integrated into our lives for some
time, it is now integral for living. Until we make our best effort to give everyone
access to the basic tools for participating in the economy, society and government,
it is impossible to say we honestly believe in freedom, equal opportunity and
justice. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br />Jonathan Vickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10297584120004582216noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8819856687637243236.post-54300134999340672492020-03-28T09:01:00.001-07:002020-03-28T09:01:39.403-07:00Internet Victim's Fund<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYHZkBQ7RcrlpS2jo_JcH4fhcjsOZcpWH62JcjoswJRJrtVNBStOL3-ihNlbm-hs3QgeTPH3bpuoKFnQhbr1alE4DTLZ0cB4J2uZ4fUQbbUyuK9NjG2rVIBekiqFLf_Le9Nj8LwG1YY2I/s1600/please-help-cartoon-1080x675-800x500.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="800" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYHZkBQ7RcrlpS2jo_JcH4fhcjsOZcpWH62JcjoswJRJrtVNBStOL3-ihNlbm-hs3QgeTPH3bpuoKFnQhbr1alE4DTLZ0cB4J2uZ4fUQbbUyuK9NjG2rVIBekiqFLf_Le9Nj8LwG1YY2I/s320/please-help-cartoon-1080x675-800x500.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Is anyone in favor of cyber hate? Is anyone in favor of hate
online targeting people for their physical characteristics, age, sexual
identity or religion? I doubt it. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So why
does this type of abusive, exploitative, degrading content persist? The answer is
simple, and basic to our current attitude toward the internet. Hate and
falsehoods online are orders of magnitude easier to create than they are to challenge
or remove. There are no mechanisms that level the playing field between facts
and fictions, truth and falsehood, attack and defense. Hate and lies can take
minutes to post, but days or months, if ever, to remove. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Some of the more responsible internet platforms, especially
since the 2016 election, have instituted forms, programs, policies and
departments to try and address the problem. But the problem is not just
isolated to elections, and not just isolated to one platform. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Targeting of an individual or group is often
cross medium and platform. When one channel or account is deleted, another backup
account immediately takes over. This is all done with a few easy clicks. The
only way for victims to fight this battle is with a massive investment of time
by investigation, filing reports or civil lawsuits to gain information of the
perpetrators. This all takes expertise, lawyers, and paperwork. All of which
involves money. <o:p></o:p></div>
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The result of pushing back against multi-platform abuse,
exploitation or targeting is that the victim is faced with a huge burden while
the instigator may only have an account suspended, if at all. The few cases
where there has been legal action represents a very small fraction of the real
problem. <o:p></o:p></div>
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It is almost impossible to strike a balance between the
posting and challenging of bad content. It is possible to give victims and
targets of abuse a better set of tools to respond to bad situations. This must
include offering experts, advocates and, when necessary financial support to
oppose abusers and exploiters. Not all aggressive speech merits or requires
punitive action, but for far too long we have failed to err on the side of the
c=victim and given the victimizers almost free rein. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Once bad actors realize that anti-social, abusive, targeted,
aggressively caustic and destructive behavior will be met with responses
supported by industry and may involve serious consequences, then and only then
will progress be made against cyber hate.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />Jonathan Vickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10297584120004582216noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8819856687637243236.post-76012322118459885432020-03-26T16:21:00.001-07:002020-03-26T16:21:33.676-07:00A Fire Drill Conceived by Steven King<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7D-TT0WOYNc-olxQOLAr1Z1_I8ct4VEwM7mf-2SQgtnPuF_LQ5LbVNtkpw6ydMZQuruPdIdgvvmAWmLEVj-ISnwCYDM2-rb40nsrKr-xPrHKkHH6kZt6GjfaKOaMs6nXfETHRnACaxaA/s1600/on+fire.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7D-TT0WOYNc-olxQOLAr1Z1_I8ct4VEwM7mf-2SQgtnPuF_LQ5LbVNtkpw6ydMZQuruPdIdgvvmAWmLEVj-ISnwCYDM2-rb40nsrKr-xPrHKkHH6kZt6GjfaKOaMs6nXfETHRnACaxaA/s320/on+fire.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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One thing I have heard repeatedly in conversations about the
Corona Virus pandemic or the U.S. national and local responses is, “at least we
will be ready for next time.” This is a horrifying thought. It’s as if Steven
King was asked to organize a fire drill to prepare for the end of the world.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I’m not sure which part of the newfound awareness from this
practice disaster is least comforting. That segments of the national government
are more concerned with money than life? That our fellow citizens are prone to
panic buying of stupid things? That it took over a month for the federal government
to admit there was actually a serious problem? That it took a near catastrophe to
realize segments of the news media and major internet platforms have no sense
of what a valid information source looks like? Maybe it was disturbing that,
rather than focus on the problem, there was a distinct undertone of trying to
blame the virus’s origin on “someone?” Or perhaps that there is a real sentiment
by some Americans that people should be allowed to die as long as they are not
my neighbors or in my community. <o:p></o:p></div>
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It almost feels like the revelation of an obvious yet
important lesson. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Like, that next time, as
a hurricane approaches, I won’t let the cat out. Never did see that cat again
after hurricane Sandy!<o:p></o:p></div>
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Worst of all, to me, is the complacent acknowledgement that
this will happen again in some form. This time it was maybe actually good. It
was not Ebola, bubonic plague or something bad that killed people. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></div>
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Ultimately and sadly, just like out of a Steven King novel,
it is not the disease that posed the worst danger, but us. That there are those
people and companies who shamelessly profit from disaster or guard their
profits by refusing to admit there is a disaster.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Yes, I learned a few things. I need to read more Steven
King. And I need to think about who I want to cough on first when I catch whatever
the next plague turns out to be. <o:p></o:p></div>
<br />Jonathan Vickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10297584120004582216noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8819856687637243236.post-53081940337048884352020-03-25T16:52:00.001-07:002020-03-25T16:52:50.042-07:00Time to Take the Internet to Court<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvEOw9gHMzjxfbAc9oAJpdGtTFaXZE7-rV8Pz8tZ4_aAHhEWzzWj6l5IpDvoqHASNMdxuVRFIr6dM5gHdGvTMaryt-hwP7nGFgYtx3H3Y6PTOFbQFBdBpmcvtWkKtiCKgMz7rqsHiOlIA/s1600/-scales-justice-measurement-computer-icons-icon.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="830" data-original-width="920" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvEOw9gHMzjxfbAc9oAJpdGtTFaXZE7-rV8Pz8tZ4_aAHhEWzzWj6l5IpDvoqHASNMdxuVRFIr6dM5gHdGvTMaryt-hwP7nGFgYtx3H3Y6PTOFbQFBdBpmcvtWkKtiCKgMz7rqsHiOlIA/s320/-scales-justice-measurement-computer-icons-icon.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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Almost all of the user safety measures implemented by major
online companies have been put in place out of the platform’s fear. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Fear of litigation, regulation, legislation –
fear. Altruism has very rarely carried the day when it comes to discussions
with platforms about user protection. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Companies
have a history of refusing to act with an abundance of caution when it comes to
user safety, or even act with concern for victim safety until something disastrous
happens and they have no choice. This has been true of many industries over the
years, but the internet industry has always maintained it was something
different and worked from a higher moral standard for society. <o:p></o:p></div>
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For the bulk of the internet’s existence platforms have
offered users a Terms of Service (ToS) or other policy outlining the standards
of behavior for users, repercussions for violations of those standards and
protections for user’s information. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Unfortunately,
ToS are not usually considered legally binding and many companies have seen fit
to ignore stated obligations or modify outlined policies in their ToS to eliminate
any embarrassing or inconvenient clauses. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Are the ToS a legally binding commitment or not? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>More than a few platform’s opinions cite that
the ToS, for the majority of services, are not offered in exchange for money,
goods or service, which is one of the main characteristics of a binding
agreement. However, that logic ignores that most ToS allow platforms to sell or
use the user’s data. This makes the users a form of money, service or a product.
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It certainly ignores that fact that it
is the users who enable the platforms exist and prosper. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Platforms may well maintain that they protect
the user data, but without protecting the real people behind the data, the
results will eventually go wrong. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Why haven’t ToS been tested in court? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is a risky strategy. If the court finds in
the company’s favor, ToS become meaningless and companies will have nothing
legally compelling them to enforce their policies or respond to requests to do
so. If the court decides against the companies…the burden of formulating and enforcing
livable policies this late in the game would be daunting for any industry. Either
way a court decision in ToS would have extensive impact regardless of which way
the court goes. As it should. This is issue that has been left unresolved for far
too long. <o:p></o:p></div>
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The solutions are not simple, but the first order of
business is to establish, in court, by legislation or by mutual and binding
agreement, that ToS and other similar user safety and assurance policies are
considered legally binding. That failure for companies to enforce their stated policies
and standards is the equivalent of a breach of warrantee. Until there is a time
when internet users can have reasonable faith in a platform’s policies, and
know they have recourse if the platforms fail to enforce their policies, then all
the moderators, bots and artificial intelligence content watchdogs in the world
cannot truly fix the problems of abuse, exploitation, hatred, propaganda and
racism the world is subjected to daily.<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />Jonathan Vickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10297584120004582216noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8819856687637243236.post-20489928059411495102020-02-23T13:00:00.000-08:002020-02-23T13:01:46.454-08:00Bananas in Kaunas and the Illusion of a Safe Internet - Anything Can Look Like Progress.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnyvBULk3NFvAvHVjZNQ3L-1_SBx7slQ-JT8Ij6-Rsh3LtRk4bVvoq8xDBb_sxRq1Db7EooVycqnmTJUKlOcVvtwztAgDYNQ-5wfv06kyMdHnaKssDWeD2mZoSd8aPJA4zn3QQocZW1VQ/s1600/banana.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="1600" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnyvBULk3NFvAvHVjZNQ3L-1_SBx7slQ-JT8Ij6-Rsh3LtRk4bVvoq8xDBb_sxRq1Db7EooVycqnmTJUKlOcVvtwztAgDYNQ-5wfv06kyMdHnaKssDWeD2mZoSd8aPJA4zn3QQocZW1VQ/s400/banana.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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In 1995, just a few short years after Lithuania reasserted
its independence from Russia, I traveled to Kaunas. It still very much had the
look and feel of a Soviet Bloc country, with small signs of change peeking
through the cracks in the old authoritarianism. The most obvious sign of change
were bananas. You couldn’t walk through Old Town Kaunas without seeing several
tables of Banana vendors and banana peels in every public trash receptacle. We
were told that this was the immediate visible impact of the Russian’s retreat. For
all the propagandistic “glory” of the Russian governing system, they could not manage
to effectively transport the delicate and quick perishing banana to market in
the northern countries. Bananas started arriving when the Russians left. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Of course, in 1995, the fifty-year legacy of Russian
domination was not automatically dispelled with the arrival of bananas. This
indicator of a new transportation and commerce capability was not a goal instantly
achieved, but the start of a long road to reconstruction. However, because the Soviet
systems in Lithuania were so dysfunctional, bananas seemed like a great victory.
<o:p></o:p></div>
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Small things, when so little has been done before, can seem
like a great accomplishment, a success. It took almost another twenty years for
Lithuania to reclaim its identity and economy after more than fifty years of
Soviet neglect. Entrenched systems, habits and practices, regardless of how
obviously ineffective, are hard to shed. We often opt to accept little victories
as complete solutions in order to avoid the truth that heavy, difficult real
solutions often require.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Sometime after 1995, with the Internet achieving critical
mass to go commercial, it became obvious to observers that something was
seriously wrong. Destructive, harmful and vicious content was emerging on every
platform which allowed public content. Content moderation, filtering and
meaningful policies about prohibited material were also nonexistent. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Worse yet, when the problem was pointed out,
it was dismissed, excused, minimized and ignored by platforms, companies and
government. An emerging problem was given all the room it needed to become
established, and it did.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By 2006, David Duke,
National Socialist Movement, many chapters of the KKK and various other racist,
neo-Nazi and fascist groups have websites, YouTube channels storefronts on
Amazon, aggressively exploring the then new Facebook and Twitter. Extremist news
websites Vanguard News Network and Stormfront are being cited on Google
newsfeed as sources. When brought to the attention of the companies there is
again an unwillingness to look into the face of the problem. A refusal to
consider that extremists were mounting a coordinated effort to exploit the
entire internet ecosystem. A refusal to consider supporting research into the
problem.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The burden of proving hate was prevalent on the Internet and
becoming normalized was left to civil society groups. It would need to be done
without the access to deep data, or the financial and technical support of the major
industry players. In 2006, this meant proving the range and depth of the
problem would be difficult and expensive at best.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Companies began to slowly improve their policies in 2010,
largely in response to the threat of legislation in the EU and lawsuits in the
US. By 2015 the movement to improve the Internet appeared to be gathering steam.
However, hate was still prevalent, evolving, but had largely been accepted as a
necessary evil. <o:p></o:p></div>
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In August 2017, the Unite the Right Rally in Charlottesville,
Virginia finally demonstrated to the internet industry and America the result
of the hate that had been spreading online. Although officially called to
protest the potential removal extremist groups openly called for armed
confrontation. In the end, one person died and many were injured when an
extremist group member rammed a crowd with a car. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Finally, more concerted efforts were put into action. This
is twenty years after the first indications that hateful content on the
internet was poisoning the web, and ten years after a conclave with the tech industry
asked for help studying the problem. In that time hate and misinformation continued
to permeate the medium. <o:p></o:p></div>
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The efforts now in place <i>appear</i> to be significant. During
an announced 6 week “monitoring exercise” conducted by trusted flagger
organizations in<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the EU, on request of
the European Commission (EC), to check if social media were upholding their end
of agreements made regarding enforcement of Terms of Service, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the enforcement by the platforms complied with
the requirements. However, when the International Network Against Cyber Hate (INACH),
an EC monitoring organization, conducted a similar exercise but this time
unannounced, the outcomes were completely different.<o:p></o:p></div>
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As recently as this week Facebook and Twitter refused to
remove maliciously altered videos showing Nancy Pelosi incorrectly tearing up a
copy Donald Trump’s State of the Union address during a tribute to veteran
servicemen. <o:p></o:p></div>
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This reticence by major platforms to act consistently against
destructive content diminishes their efforts to date and makes any ongoing
efforts seem disingenuous. Are the platforms truly fighting for a safer
internet or is this just like seeing Bananas in Kaunas in 1995 – a nice symbol,
but not really addressing the problem. <o:p></o:p></div>
<br />Jonathan Vickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10297584120004582216noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8819856687637243236.post-29150185065752976852020-01-06T07:27:00.000-08:002020-01-06T07:27:46.723-08:00Intolerance for Hate<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb3XsVfIIlayG-Eyjev2f40NoKAiN3skO6UQdqSrf3ZXPEkHAcZg2qCNsdKXLE-H3To4mws1pAMcOAPC3jFhKAhH4J9Z2LKJlSgcr6gSgxmQVhErYkQ7rvm506wVDUWxm8te8I9gTg8Lo/s1600/fire+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb3XsVfIIlayG-Eyjev2f40NoKAiN3skO6UQdqSrf3ZXPEkHAcZg2qCNsdKXLE-H3To4mws1pAMcOAPC3jFhKAhH4J9Z2LKJlSgcr6gSgxmQVhErYkQ7rvm506wVDUWxm8te8I9gTg8Lo/s400/fire+2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b>For far too many years most of the anti-hate groups have
preached respect and acceptance for abhorrent, corrosive and destructive
beliefs. That is what free speech is all about, isn’t it? Where has that gotten
us? Not to a good place - That is obvious. In our best effort to defend freedom of speech, we have instead enabled overt sectarianism in government,
blatantly racist and hateful internet content, and social divisions founded on
extremist propaganda. This is not the purpose of free speech, but here we are.</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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The twisted interpretations of free speech and freedom of
religion that have been promoted by right-wing forces is as much a perversion
of the founding father’s intent as Al-Qaida’s ethos is a perversion of Islam.
For starters, free speech was never meant as a weapon against religious or
social groups, but meant as a protection for speaking out against an unjust
government. Equally, freedom of religion was meant to protect personal
religious practice and never intended as a vehicle for imposing religious strictures
on segments of society, groups or individuals.
Anyone saying freedom of religion is there to protect their beliefs at
the expense of others is attempting to twist our founding principles for their
own purposes.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Free speech in a government context is a law, which most
U.S. jurisdictions have a fairly good handle on. In a civil context, free
speech is a social contract agreed upon by fellow citizens as a foundation for
frank interaction.<o:p></o:p></div>
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In a social context, free speech is not a law. It is limited
by the society and, although it may extend beyond social conventions, it is not
unlimited in itself. In that sense,
anyone who invokes free speech as an excuse to be dangerous, abusive or hateful
surrenders their right to that protection under the social contract.
Increasingly, interpretations of free speech laws are leaning in this
direction.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Freedom works similarly and is yet more complex at
the same time. “Love they neighbor…”, “Do unto others…” may not be the most
important principles of religion for some people, but they are cornerstones of
every major religion in some way. At the heart of the Constitution is the
Amendment respecting the establishment and practice of any religion. As a
nation we have always been committed to supporting the practice of religion in
its full spectrum. We accept that to
have faith people to not need to follow rules defined by others; about the
calendar, worship, clothes, food or sexuality. The implication by anyone that
any practice invalidates a person’s religiosity is a negation of the denier’s
freedom of religion. “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you” is not
called the "Golden Rule" for nothing.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Yet, in our efforts to defend free speech and freedom of
religion, we have inadvertently allowed horrible hate, propaganda and
incitement against our neighbors. In trying to prove sunlight is the best
disinfectant, we have gotten burned. Extremists and hatemongers made the
seemingly reasonable argument that censoring their hate would damage the principles
of free speech or freedom of religion, while all the time, damaging the
founding principles of our democracy was their actual goal. We blinked. We were
not brave or bold. We erred on the side of caution.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The result has not been good.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Voicing intolerance to hate, bigotry, propaganda,
distortions and falsehoods is the ultimate exercise of free speech. This
challenge comes with great responsibility. We must be ready to know how to
defend truth, how to define hate speech, how to define our principles and
defend what we say. This is all new to most of us and we may get it wrong. We
need to start teaching the children how to recognize and advocate truth. The
need to acknowledge and celebrate honesty. We may now need to be intolerant of
hate as never before so that there can be a future where free speech is not
weapon but is embraced as the gift it was intended to be.<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />Jonathan Vickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10297584120004582216noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8819856687637243236.post-46745396382635628382019-11-25T18:59:00.001-08:002019-11-26T12:20:11.663-08:00Planning For History<div class="MsoNormal">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXaIcjK5B96jAr2PNLMgoNVRLQbcFUpnEmmNOMycuHafsNjenFRohm61I0_nxvp7IyJVGD0kRbDglHu7svjAciqGC0JPudN51DCclYGDVMpLwA-IEbV5SCLKcZV8IoHD4GH0w8j9H64VI/s1600/no-heroes-300x300.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXaIcjK5B96jAr2PNLMgoNVRLQbcFUpnEmmNOMycuHafsNjenFRohm61I0_nxvp7IyJVGD0kRbDglHu7svjAciqGC0JPudN51DCclYGDVMpLwA-IEbV5SCLKcZV8IoHD4GH0w8j9H64VI/s1600/no-heroes-300x300.png" /></a></div>
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The Casualties of a War Without Heroes<o:p></o:p></div>
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The community of internet users is starving for a leader.
Not a leader in size, technology, finance, data, algorithms. A leader in
thought, imagination and daring vision.<o:p></o:p></div>
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We had such things in simpler times, but when things got
complicated in 2005–2006 no one wanted to discuss policy, threats, impact or
how we should protect users. No one wanted to be that leader. The internet
would self-regulate. Users would be the leaders. That was the idea anyway.<o:p></o:p></div>
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In the internet world we all strive to be the first, the
best, the successful, the brightest. Yet it seems, none of us wants to take on
the responsibilities inherent in being the leader — taking responsibility for
the bad and the good. Even doing the assessment of the bad and good takes a
thick-skin that much of our digital world seems to have lost overnight. Those
few industry thought leaders that do exist lead in finding ways to allow
dangerous, hateful and unregulated content. Very few companies in the web world
are pro-actively self-examining their impact on the young, the vulnerable or
the susceptible segments of the world.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Being the leading social media platform, search engine, blog
or forum, the leading e-commerce, fund raising or currency exchange all carry
an inherent responsibility. In part, that responsibility comes from the
information each company manages and the success they have achieved as a result
of marketing their user’s data. They owe the users. You owe them a safe, secure
stable product. Ultimately, if you plan to keep your users, you owe them your
best efforts to remain current and grow the product itself. There is also the
obligation to the industry community and staff. However, there are other
obligations to owners, investors, stockholders and profit, which are often
prioritized over all others.<o:p></o:p></div>
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There has been progress. Money is now being actively
funneled towards the study, detection and removal of hateful, exploitative and
dangerous content. But the solution to the problem is not as easy as saying,
“we are on the right path.” The new research, the new monitoring and
enforcement efforts, the money now being spent all shows that there was indeed
a problem. For over 10 years internet users, young and old, have been subject
to seriously problematic content. Just as some people have benefited greatly
from the internet, others have been greatly harmed. Personal lives, careers,
self-esteem and even basic human judgement and trust, for some, has suffered.
In these cases, the damage was often inflicted with a few mouse-clicks.
Repairing the harm is not nearly as easy. The ability for the average person to
address the damage from cyber-stalking, exploitation, reputation assassination,
bullying and abuse can easily take orders of magnitude more effort to undo that
it took to inflict in the first place.<o:p></o:p></div>
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It is time to look towards healing, repairing and
rebuilding. Trying to bring back to life some of what has died in so many
internet users. Maybe even making them whole again.<o:p></o:p></div>
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As it is so easy to inflict pain on others online, it was
equally easy to not address the problem. Just as it takes many more times the
effort to address the hate than to make it, so healing the residual damage
caused by the hate will take significant effort.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The time to start is now. We need to begin enabling people,
not just to flag hateful content, but to level the playing field by making
those who post hateful content responsible for defending it with the same
effort required by their targets to have it removed.<o:p></o:p></div>
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This starts with making resources available to targets and
victims of bullying, abuse and cyberhate. Those most often victimized are
predominantly, marginalized, underrepresented and under resourced.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Targeted Groups and People Need to be Empowered.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Funds and guidance for victims to hire experts to help
undertake critical tasks required to make a case for their plight to the
Internet platforms. In order to gain the attention of the platforms and to
establish credibility for their situations, it is necessary for victims to
identify the volume, frequency, nature and character of the problem material as
well as the underlying connection or source the material may have to
established hate groups, organizations or political movements. No small
undertaking. This type of research often requires technology, resources and
experience not available to many. The documentation, presentation and
implementation of solutions is often a specialized practice. If legal
assistance is required there are certainly expenses. The resources needed can
easily represent tens of thousands of dollars in time and money, which the
targets must endure and that the perpetrator did not.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Another option is for targets of abuse to acquire training
in how to handle the tasks necessary to identify, characterize, communicate it
to platforms and mitigate cyber abuse. This may not be as expensive, but there
is a learning curve. Not everyone is equally capable of doing the types of
research necessary and sometimes, time is of the essence.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Counseling for victims must be made available. Regardless of
how they have been affected, whether by bullying, revenge porn or scams, they
all need to know they are not alone. Support groups led by industry sponsored
experts could provide an immeasurable benefit to victims. The perpetrators of
abuse must also be made aware that their victims have allies and resources.
Just as victims often give-up trying to fight the hate, perhaps abusers will be
dissuaded when they realize victims are well equipped and supported to thwart
them.<o:p></o:p></div>
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As with physical abuse, cyber-abuse is also cyclical.
Victims become angry, resentful and desensitized, which makes it easy for them
to become the next generation of abusers.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Investing in the future of the Internet, not just the technology,
or the applications, but in developing better users as well benefits everyone.
This is not something that should be left to third parties alone.<o:p></o:p></div>
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This is not just about making a more civil internet, but
about the survival of the internet. About keeping regulation limited and
responsibility high. About making room for all opinions, but safeguarding
facts, reality and history. Democracy is about speaking up without fear.
Democratization of the internet starts, first and foremost, with users being
able to participate without fear. Users who need a parachute should have a
parachute, users who need a safety net should have a safety net and users who
want a trapeze should have one. None of this is beyond our capabilities. None
of this is beyond justification.<o:p></o:p></div>
Jonathan Vickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10297584120004582216noreply@blogger.com0