Big "Social" Media
What Have Big Social Media Done to Independent Bloggers?
In my "About" page, I make a passing reference to independent web sites and how blogging was the norm until "the people who own and operate social media sites came along and did very mean things to people."
This prompted an attentive and inquisitive new reader of Amplify the Signal to ask, "What have big social media done to independent bloggers?" Good question! When I wrote the original statement about mean things I was imagining effects broader than just an attack on blogging. But for the sake of brevity I'll try to confine this answer to blogging and save the bigger topic for a possible future post. This is going to be a rough outline for now. Here goes!
1. Making…
Randall published this 5 years ago.
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forward this blog post to a friend.Respectful Technology
Is your technology respectful? How would you know?
Everyone is dependent on technology today. But how many of us know what and who is behind our technology?
Should I buy this device for my home? Can I trust it? Should I give this gadget to my child or grandchild? These are important questions and it is *very* hard to get honest answers. The information to help make good decisions is drowned out by advertising, algorithms, and public relations firms.
I want to help change that. I'm an engineer (electrical, in case you're wondering) and have been a technology professional my entire career which spans over 20 years. But more than that I'm an advocate for technology that respects those who rely on it. Humans first. Machines second. No predation allowed.
…Randall published this 5 years ago.
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forward this blog post to a friend.An Open Letter to the Mayor of Vancouver
You have a problem. A big one.
Dear Mr. (New) Mayor,
You have a problem. A big one.
I bet you're thinking "Oh great, another rant about the sorry state of housing in this city." Well, you're wrong.
On Monday evening, a little boy, barely 4 years old, and his Mom were hit hard by a reckless driver while crossing a residential street adjacent to East 1st Ave. Both were tossed like crash test dummies onto the pavement. The little boy landed on his head and lay crying with his skull bleeding. The mom fared a little better, but barely. Have you ever landed on your head? How did it feel? Have you ever watched an ambulance close its' doors and rush away wondering if you will…
Randall published this 4 years ago.
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forward this blog post to a friend.Fake News
You're likely worrying about the wrong problem
In the past few years, the world has been awash in a term called "fake news." I recall first hearing the term in conjunction with the US presidential election campaign in 2016. My American colleagues at the time were chatting about whether news they were seeing and reading was real or not. I could sense clearly that this situation was to them quite troubling. How to know who to vote for? How to know if a given story was trying to trick "us"?
After a bit of squirmy hand-wringing, one of them helpfully pointed out that there was a website (or was it several websites?) that could confirm/verify whether a given story would pass a fact check. The rest of the group seemed pleased with the tip. Problem…
Randall published this 4 years ago.
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forward this blog post to a friend.Joseph Overton
What Is Dare Not Said
The Overton Window is a concept that some of you might be familiar with, but probably not in this context. Please allow me expand on it to encompass the theme of this site.
According to the authoritative source, "Joseph Overton observed that in a given public policy area, such as education, only a relatively narrow range of potential policies will be considered politically acceptable."1
In nearly every domain, there are alternatives ways of living or topics of discussion that a large majority of people deem to be too radical or off-the-wall to even entertain. And if they do, it's usually with a dismissive sneer. (I've also heard this referred to as the "third rail", a…
Randall published this 4 years ago.
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forward this blog post to a friend.Second Hand Smoke
Who's Blowing It In Your Direction?
I'm old enough to remember when I'd walk into a restaurant and be asked "Smoking, or non-smoking?" I've never been a smoker, but my answer to the question seldom seemed to matter. There was nearly as much smoke in the non-smoking section as there was in the smoking section. Smoke drifted everywhere, and unless one wore a respirator, it generally couldn't be avoided. The question more aptly should have been, "Would you like some smoke or a lot of smoke with your meal?" Ah, the good old days!
As a society, we got smarter. It took decades though. The "smoking does not cause cancer" lie was finally exposed, and the horrible health effects of second-hand smoke became public knowledge. It's easy and tempting to…
Randall published this 4 years ago.
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forward this blog post to a friend.French Fried Information
What have you eaten recently?
I love french fries. They're delicious, inexpensive, and comforting. They're also easy to get.
But, I don't eat them every day. I want to, but to do so would be to subject myself to health risks that don't justify the pleasure that I would get from a steady diet of comfort food. It is widely known that one's body chemistry changes with foods ingested. The chemistry changes that french fries are known to cause are not changes that I want. And, spending the remainder of my life in a state of poor physical health for the sake of a short-term "Mmmm that tasted good" doesn't sound like a bargain. At best french fries are a once-in-a-while treat. Maybe you feel the same?
So what does that have to do with "…
Randall published this 5 years ago.
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forward this blog post to a friend.Mobility Greed
This is a placeholder for an upcoming post. Please stay tuned.
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