Twitter to ban all political advertising – BBC News
October 30, 2019
“While internet advertising is incredibly powerful and very effective for commercial advertisers, that power brings significant risks to politics,” company CEO Jack Dorsey tweeted.
— Read on www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-50243306
Facebook allows prominent right-wing website to break the rules
October 29, 2019
This kind of “inauthentic coordinated behavior” violates Facebook’s rules. Facebook has taken down smaller and less coordinated networks that promoted liberal content. But Facebook told Popular Information that it will continue to allow this network to operate and amplify The Daily Wire’s content.
— Read on popular.info/p/facebook-allows-prominent-right-wing
Baker’s willingness to admit the technical incoherence of crypto bans is great, a massive step forward, but American legal officials shouldn’t even be debating whether or not it’s possible to ban crypto. If Barr managed to produce a working “solution” to the problems that Baker raises, we still shouldn’t use it, because Americans have the right to make choices that enhance their own security, privacy and integrity, even if that makes cops work harder.
— Read on boingboing.net/2019/10/28/san-bernadino-conversion.html
Navy Yard worker outed by Unicorn Riot is indicted for lying to the FBI about his white nationalist group memberships / Boing Boing
October 27, 2019
When Salem, NJ’s Fred C. Arena applied for a job at Philadelphia’s Navy Yard, he underwent an FBI background check in which he falsely claimed that he was not a member of the Vanguard America, a white nationalist group that was part of the lethal far-right “Unite the Right” 2017 gathering in Charlottesville; whose members…
— Read on boingboing.net/2019/10/27/brotherly-love.html
Spooky Sunday
October 27, 2019
Tim Cook Interview with People en Espanol | People en Español
October 26, 2019
I remember when I read your column, one of the sentences that most surprised me was: “I’m proud to be gay, and I consider being gay among the greatest gifts God has given me.”
Yes, I strongly believe that. I think there’s many meanings behind this. One is, it was his decision, not mine. Two, at least for me, I can only speak for myself, it gives me a level of empathy that I think is probably much higher than average because being gay or trans, you’re a minority. And I think when you’re a majority, even though intellectually you can understand what it means to be in a minority, it’s an intellectual thing. It’s not intellectual for me to be in a minority. I’m not saying that I understand the trials and tribulations of every minority group, because I don’t. But I do understand for one of the groups. And to the degree that it helps give you a lens on how other people may feel, I think that’s a gift in and of itself.
— Read on peopleenespanol.com/chica/tim-cook-the-power-of-diversity/
Zuck Testified Before the House Financial Services Committee and It Did Not Go Well for Him — Pixel Envy
October 25, 2019
REP. OCASIO-CORTEZ: Would I be able to run advertisements on Facebook targeting Republicans in primaries saying that they voted for the Green New Deal? I mean, if you’re not fact-checking political advertisements — I’m just trying to understand the bounds here. What’s fair game?
ZUCKERBERG: Congresswoman, I don’t know the answer to that off the top of my head. I think probably.
— Read on pxlnv.com/linklog/zuck-testifies-again/
Tolkien’s Lessons for Trump
October 24, 2019
Like the United States under the Trump administration, Mordor under the rule of the Dark Lord Sauron, at the end of the Third Age of this world, was a vibrant and unquestioned world superpower suddenly facing threats from various sides. A revived Gondor under King Elessar Telcontar loomed on its western borders. To the north, the Elves of Lothlórien joined with the Woodland Realm and the extranational, quasi-religious White Council to conquer the Mordorian exclave of Dol Guldur in Mirkwood. While Mordor, much like the United States with Saudi Arabia, pursued alliances with the nearby Variags of Khand and the Corsairs of Umbar, most of its military and economic support came from more distant powers like Rhûn and Far Harad.
— Read on foreignpolicy.com/2019/10/21/trump-administration-mordor-failed-hegemon-tolkien/
80×25 « blarg?
October 23, 2019
Every now and then, my brain clamps on to obscure trivia like this. It takes so much time. “Because the paper beds of banknote presses in 1860 were 14.5 inches by 16.5 inches, a movie industry cartel set a standard for theater projectors based on silent film, and two kilobytes is two kilobytes” is as far back as I have been able to push this, but let’s get started.
— Read on exple.tive.org/blarg/2019/10/23/80×25/
Getting Tough on the Corporate Snoopers | Irreal
October 22, 2019
Getting Tough on the Corporate Snoopers | Irreal
— Read on irreal.org/blog/
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Imagine if Facebook were prohibited from collecting its users’ information without their permission and that Zuckerberg could go to jail for ignoring the ban.
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Pocket Realities 