Current Sr. Google Engineer Goes Public on Camera: Tech is "dangerous," "taking sides"

[Jhhnn]

I see. And the fact that SourceWatch is owned by Center for Media and Democracy, a progressive watchdog group, doesn't give you pause about their impartiality?

Don't you think it's better to independently consider the substance of the argument rather than simply attacking the source?

I see. And the fact that SourceWatch is owned by Center for Media and Democracy, a progressive watchdog group, doesn't give you pause about their impartiality?

Don't you think it's better to independently consider the substance of the argument rather than simply attacking the source?

Funny that. The Sourcewatch piece is meticulously documented w/ footnotes as to events that are part of the public record. You can follow them clear to Hell & gone for more insight.

The simple truth is that O'Keefe's efforts are generally fraudulent in a variety of ways. To be highly skeptical of his veracity is to be more than generous.

 

[hal2kilo]

Did you watch the video? I also notice you aren't exactly responding to Amused's posts about it, if you are so concerned about "substance".

Things like the following is the insane right's world of reality that they dwell in:
https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-n...-finds-new-life-jeffrey-epstein-news-n1034741

It's got such a true ring to it. The Clinton bodies just keep piling up.

 

[zinfamous]

No,


Of course not.



Because the things that sourcewatch are saying are TRUE.
Veritas says things which are FALSE.

exactly this. It's the same broken conservative logic that Fox created in GOP brains back in 1991 and they've never relented: "There are two sides to every story!" That has NEVER been true. Giving air time to known liars with a provably false platform is not creating a "fair" discussion. It is lending validity to something that is inherently invalid. There is no other way around that.

It is this confusion of trust in information that has created the modern GOP and why, in far greater numbers, you will see conservatives making endlessly broken arguments couched from known bullshit sources with thoroughly compromised information. We're approaching 3 decades of this new paradigm, now, and it's a wonder if republicans will ever be able to come back to their senses? If I had to guess, the first step would be ousting the evangelical "silent majority" (which was never an accurate representation of anything) form their party, because such people are morally obligated to distrust truth and observation above their own faith and belief. That's simply true, and such a person will never be trusted to engage honestly in any discussion that matters across wide social issues, effecting very diverse groups of people. They simply can't be engaged honestly, because it is not in their nature to accept tested truth.

 

[Amused]

Did you watch the video? I also notice you aren't exactly responding to Amused's posts about it, if you are so concerned about "substance".

Of course they aren't. They're only here for low hanging fruit. The one post that actually details WHY this video is little more than an absurd conspiracy theory video akin to chemtrails and flat earth is ignored.

The fact that this ENTIRE SUBJECT is the right-wing bitching and whining about the FREE MARKET rejecting them is ignored.

The very fact that the ONLY way to change the outcome is to take away the freedoms of private property owners and tightly regulate and control thus destroying the free market is ignored.

 

[Victorian Gray]

It is quite obvious that social media and big tech companies have a bias today. These are people that have been indoctrinated in college to think anything that doesn't agree with their agenda is bad and wrong. Liberals today don't understand what free speech really is and why it is just as important to defend the rights of those that you don't agree with just as much as those you do agree with. Ironic considering it was once the liberals that were fighting for a right to offend and not be subject to the over reaching morality of the conservative religious right. Today the liberals are the oppressors.

#fuckofftroll

 

[DrDoug]

Yes, could you please give me instructions on how to read the thread?

No problem!

Step #1: Pull your head out of your ass. I'll wait until you are able to do that to continue, OK?

 

[Skel]

Did anyone actually watch the video?

I did. I honestly think it's more amusing than factual. They're trying to frame this guy as some insider that has the keys to the kingdom and knows everything, but even he says

"“I don’t have a smoking gun. I’ve just been coding since I was 10, I have a PHD. I have 5 years experience at Google and I just know how algorithms are."

The guy works on the Google Assistant, not the search, not Google News. It's pretty much just all his feelings. No real facts. Just shit thrown out there like

"I look at search. I look at Google News. I see what it’s doing and I see Google executives go to Congress and say it’s not manipulated, it’s not political and I’m just so sure that’s not true. (Cut to dramatic music and random imagery)

One of my more favorites was
"Somehow they put a extreme bias on certain sites. For example CNN is the most commonly used source in google news. 20% of all searches for Donald Trump are from CNN."
No source, no proof of anything. Just that 20% and according to him when you put that against the whole internet that's horrible. I guess he wants some rando's blog posts.

Hope that saves someone's 15 mins..

 

[hal2kilo]

I did. I honestly think it's more amusing than factual. They're trying to frame this guy as some insider that has the keys to the kingdom and knows everything, but even he says

"“I don’t have a smoking gun. I’ve just been coding since I was 10, I have a PHD. I have 5 years experience at Google and I just know how algorithms are."

The guy works on the Google Assistant, not the search, not Google News. It's pretty much just all his feelings. No real facts. Just shit thrown out there like

"I look at search. I look at Google News. I see what it’s doing and I see Google executives go to Congress and say it’s not manipulated, it’s not political and I’m just so sure that’s not true. (Cut to dramatic music and random imagery)

One of my more favorites was
"Somehow they put a extreme bias on certain sites. For example CNN is the most commonly used source in google news. 20% of all searches for Donald Trump are from CNN."
No source, no proof of anything. Just that 20% and according to him when you put that against the whole internet that's horrible. I guess he wants some rando's blog posts.

Hope that saves someone's 15 mins..

Thanks. I refuse to watch a product from an organization that has about a 100% track record of producing fake and manupulated editing of videos. Poor ACORN never had a chance.

 

[darkswordsman17]

Of course they aren't. They're only here for low hanging fruit. The one post that actually details WHY this video is little more than an absurd conspiracy theory video akin to chemtrails and flat earth is ignored.

The fact that this ENTIRE SUBJECT is the right-wing bitching and whining about the FREE MARKET rejecting them is ignored.

The very fact that the ONLY way to change the outcome is to take away the freedoms of private property owners and tightly regulate and control thus destroying the free market is ignored.

What you need to realize is they're just trying to overload people with noise so as to distract from the latest shit show in Turmp world, where Mueller straight up said that Turmp did all of the things that right wingers claimed Turmp didn't do and have tried to claim the Mueller report completely exonerated him of (when it did literally the total opposite).

That coupled with all the links between Turmp and Epstein is revealing that Turmp likely has been involved with child sex ring.

It is making them hysteric in trying to dump bullshit and noise to drown out that their hero is a likely treasonous criminal that has raped possibly as much as any other high profile rapist revealed in the past few years.

 

[brycejones]

I thought for sure @Atreus21 was going to be back any time to respond to @Amused.

 

[UglyCasanova]

What could have been an interesting topic unfortunately was derailed into simply a circle jerk attacking the source without any mention of the topic itself. Great example of why this forum has all but died, people have left this place for more open and mature forums to be honest. Which is sad because AT used to be great.

Haven’t watched the vid yet because I’m not in a place where I can, but read through the NYT article which was interesting. There was a great Joe Rogan interview with Jack Dorsey where he made the point that these tech companies are all located in a very polarized bubble and their policies are effected by this, even though they may not mean for it to be, and it’s important for them to diversify themselves geographically as a way to diversify their thoughts and ideas.

The end result of staying polarized and not only that but using their very considerable size and power to manipulate public discourse will ultimately be regulation which is unfortunate. The question is coming up as to what are these companies and their positions within our societies. Should Google as a private entity be allowed to manipulate its algorithms or advertising accounts in the case of Tulsi etc to favor candidates, manipulate public discourse, and actively engage in driving politics and elections in a certain direction.

Do those worried about Russian (or any foreign) interference in our elections share the same concern about a handful of private corporations doing the same? It’s an interesting conversation to have.

 

[brycejones]

What could have been an interesting topic unfortunately was derailed into simply a circle jerk attacking the source without any mention of the topic itself. Great example of why this forum has all but died, people have left this place for more open and mature forums to be honest. Which is sad because AT used to be great.

Haven’t watched the vid yet because I’m not in a place where I can, but read through the NYT article which was interesting. There was a great Joe Rogan interview with Jack Dorsey where he made the point that these tech companies are all located in a very polarized bubble and their policies are effected by this, even though they may not mean for it to be, and it’s important for them to diversify themselves geographically as a way to diversify their thoughts and ideas.

The end result of staying polarized and not only that but using their very considerable size and power to manipulate public discourse will ultimately be regulation which is unfortunate. The question is coming up as to what are these companies and their positions within our societies. Should Google as a private entity be allowed to manipulate its algorithms or advertising accounts in the case of Tulsi etc to favor candidates, manipulate public discourse, and actively engage in driving politics and elections in a certain direction.

Do those worried about Russian (or any foreign) interference in our elections share the same concern about a handful of private corporations doing the same? It’s an interesting conversation to have.

By his own admission the “source” has nothing.

 

[Victorian Gray]

What could have been an interesting topic unfortunately was derailed into simply a circle jerk attacking the source without any mention of the topic itself. Great example of why this forum has all but died, people have left this place for more open and mature forums to be honest. Which is sad because AT used to be great.

Haven’t watched the vid yet because I’m not in a place where I can, but read through the NYT article which was interesting. There was a great Joe Rogan interview with Jack Dorsey where he made the point that these tech companies are all located in a very polarized bubble and their policies are effected by this, even though they may not mean for it to be, and it’s important for them to diversify themselves geographically as a way to diversify their thoughts and ideas.

The end result of staying polarized and not only that but using their very considerable size and power to manipulate public discourse will ultimately be regulation which is unfortunate. The question is coming up as to what are these companies and their positions within our societies. Should Google as a private entity be allowed to manipulate its algorithms or advertising accounts in the case of Tulsi etc to favor candidates, manipulate public discourse, and actively engage in driving politics and elections in a certain direction.

Do those worried about Russian (or any foreign) interference in our elections share the same concern about a handful of private corporations doing the same? It’s an interesting conversation to have.

Not with someone as dishonest as you.

 

[HomerJS]

So where is his evidence?

BTW - That White House "summit" contained conspiracy theorists

 

[brycejones]

So where is his evidence?

BTW - That White House "summit" contained conspiracy theorists

But many people were talking about it so #truthiness.

 

[theeedude]

Soon to be former Google Sr. Engineer, probably giving up half a million plus of stock based compensation at these levels. Don't shit where you eat, folks.

 

[UglyCasanova]

What is yalls opinion on the idea that the tech giants are run by and large from within these bubbles in Silicon Valley and a few large cities and are ran by those with essentially all the same viewpoints on things, and that it may effect a lot of their policy and decision making whether they mean to or not - particularly within the context of moderating their platforms/services or using them to influence our democratic process.

There are a handful of tech giants that have outsized effects on us, the economy, our culture, etc. My opinion is that people are realizing that and their size and influence that means power and control coupled with a perception of being bias and poltical and it’s beginning to spook them. Especially when these companies aren’t overtly political like cable news is, but something that isn’t seen as being political and something that is so absolutely ingrained in so many aspects of our lives. Companies that we can’t just switch or ignore.

 

[HomerJS]

What is yalls opinion on the idea that the tech giants are run by and large from within these bubbles in Silicon Valley and a few large cities and are ran by those with essentially all the same viewpoints on things, and that it may effect a lot of their policy and decision making whether they mean to or not - particularly within the context of moderating their platforms/services or using them to influence our democratic process.

There are a handful of tech giants that have outsized effects on us, the economy, our culture, etc. My opinion is that people are realizing that and their size and influence that means power and control coupled with a perception of being bias and poltical and it’s beginning to spook them. Especially when these companies aren’t overtly political like cable news is, but something that isn’t seen as being political and something that is so absolutely ingrained in so many aspects of our lives. Companies that we can’t just switch or ignore.

I would be way more worried about enemies of this country then Google.

 

[UglyCasanova]

I would be way more worried about enemies of this country then Google.

I would be too.

 

[Jhhnn]

What is yalls opinion on the idea that the tech giants are run by and large from within these bubbles in Silicon Valley and a few large cities and are ran by those with essentially all the same viewpoints on things, and that it may effect a lot of their policy and decision making whether they mean to or not - particularly within the context of moderating their platforms/services or using them to influence our democratic process.

There are a handful of tech giants that have outsized effects on us, the economy, our culture, etc. My opinion is that people are realizing that and their size and influence that means power and control coupled with a perception of being bias and poltical and it’s beginning to spook them. Especially when these companies aren’t overtly political like cable news is, but something that isn’t seen as being political and something that is so absolutely ingrained in so many aspects of our lives. Companies that we can’t just switch or ignore.

So, right wing trolls, crackpots & conspiracy theorists will fight to maintain their revenue streams from social media platforms? Color me shocked.

 

[umbrella39]

What could have been an interesting topic unfortunately was derailed into simply a circle jerk attacking the source without any mention of the topic itself. Great example of why this forum has all but died, people have left this place for more open and mature forums to be honest. Which is sad because AT used to be great.

Haven’t watched the vid yet because I’m not in a place where I can, but read through the NYT article which was interesting. There was a great Joe Rogan interview with Jack Dorsey where he made the point that these tech companies are all located in a very polarized bubble and their policies are effected by this, even though they may not mean for it to be, and it’s important for them to diversify themselves geographically as a way to diversify their thoughts and ideas.

The end result of staying polarized and not only that but using their very considerable size and power to manipulate public discourse will ultimately be regulation which is unfortunate. The question is coming up as to what are these companies and their positions within our societies. Should Google as a private entity be allowed to manipulate its algorithms or advertising accounts in the case of Tulsi etc to favor candidates, manipulate public discourse, and actively engage in driving politics and elections in a certain direction.

Do those worried about Russian (or any foreign) interference in our elections share the same concern about a handful of private corporations doing the same? It’s an interesting conversation to have.

See post 67 then run back to your diaper and binky...

There is nothing to discuss here but yet more self victimization by conservatives that everyone is out to get them. Tech = Liberal so must = manipulated to hurt snowflake conservatives and their free speech. No. No one here is concerned about that or your feigned concern.

Stop creating partisan bullshit where there is none victim.

 

[theeedude]

What is yalls opinion on the idea that the tech giants are run by and large from within these bubbles in Silicon Valley and a few large cities and are ran by those with essentially all the same viewpoints on things, and that it may effect a lot of their policy and decision making whether they mean to or not - particularly within the context of moderating their platforms/services or using them to influence our democratic process.

There are a handful of tech giants that have outsized effects on us, the economy, our culture, etc. My opinion is that people are realizing that and their size and influence that means power and control coupled with a perception of being bias and poltical and it’s beginning to spook them. Especially when these companies aren’t overtly political like cable news is, but something that isn’t seen as being political and something that is so absolutely ingrained in so many aspects of our lives. Companies that we can’t just switch or ignore.

These companies hire the best and the brightest. Those people don't fall for right wing lies and are thus considered a threat by the right. Same right that gutted the fairness doctrine on radio is now whining because the shoe is on the other foot.

 

[Jhhnn]

These companies hire the best and the brightest. Those people don't fall for right wing lies and are thus considered a threat by the right. Same right that gutted the fairness doctrine on radio is now whining because the shoe is on the other foot.

That's different! Because reasons! I'm pretty sure some of these poor bastards learned their first words from Rush Limbaugh.

 

[fskimospy]

What is yalls opinion on the idea that the tech giants are run by and large from within these bubbles in Silicon Valley and a few large cities and are ran by those with essentially all the same viewpoints on things, and that it may effect a lot of their policy and decision making whether they mean to or not - particularly within the context of moderating their platforms/services or using them to influence our democratic process.

There are a handful of tech giants that have outsized effects on us, the economy, our culture, etc. My opinion is that people are realizing that and their size and influence that means power and control coupled with a perception of being bias and poltical and it’s beginning to spook them. Especially when these companies aren’t overtly political like cable news is, but something that isn’t seen as being political and something that is so absolutely ingrained in so many aspects of our lives. Companies that we can’t just switch or ignore.

Basically every large company in the country is run by people who effectively live in a bubble but you never complain about the Waltons, etc.

You’re mad because these people are powerful and live in a bubble that might be unfavorable to you, not that they are powerful and live in a bubble.

 

[DrDoug]

My opinion is that people are realizing...

While that's an opinion, that's not reality. Reality is that you are the one thinking this, as are some other conservatives, because these businesses believe that allowing conservatives to use their platforms to shit all over the people they hate is not good for business.

It's nothing personal, Ugly, it's just that conservatives are a bad fit for some businesses. Instead of forcing companies to let conservatives in, maybe conservatives could stop being assholes and getting banned in the first place? I know that it's really difficult to not be an asshole since I am one myself, but all it takes is some self-control and restraint.

Admittedly, difficult concepts for conservatives to grasp.