Disinformation and Education – Social Media and AI

Disinformation and Education – Social Media and AI

Byrichard

Disinformation and misinformation work for a very simple reason. People who did not study history, and do not follow current affairs do not have the background information to spot what is true from what is untrue. They are unable to use history’s lessons to see the warning signs and act accordingly.


Algorithms and Social Media


In Mindf * cuk by Chris Wylie we read about how big data and algorithms were used to identify and exploit people’s gullibility to get them to vote for Brexit in England, and the Republican candidate in the US. Algorithms, for years have controlled what we see, by whom, and how often. Facebook has been caught more than once playing with algorithms to intentionally make people miserable as well as to manipulate people in to seeing things one way, rather than the other.


More a mondane example, before Facebook bought Instagram we saw images by friends, colleagues and family. When Facebook took over control of the timelines they started to show ads more and more frequntly. Eventually every fourth post was by an influencer or an ad. The timeline that had been about friends, families and more became a glossy magazine, where our wasted time was making money for people who saw no value in us. That’s why I left Instagram.


I left Facebook because I was flammed.


Twitter went from being a chronological timeline where retweets and conversations made posts prominent to a network where the timeline is controlled by algorithms. Normal people become invisible, and flame wars, trolling, and indoctrination spread with ease. YouTube is exposed to this issue too.


AI and Social Media


On Monday CNN explored: With the rise of AI, social media platforms could face perfect storm of misinformation in 2024 where it spoke about the generation of fake images, fake videos and disinformation articles to control what people “knew”, “thought” and more. That’s where Mainstream media should be working to provide people with reliable information that disproves and neutralises the disinformation generated by AI.


Education and Context


One of the deepest issues that England, the US and other countries face, is that people have not studied history in enough depth and have not followed current affairs seriously enough either. They believe what they read at face value and they have no historical and contemporary context from which to determine if information is factual, or disinformation.


In the past the role of Public Broadcast Services and Mainstream media was to inform, educate and entertain the masses, to provide them with context, for the information that they are being given. It was meant to be neutral and balanced. Brexit wasn’t covered in a neutral and balanced way. Almost all air time was in favour of Brexit, so people never heard about the dangers of Brexit.


As I said at the time, if the English want to know whether Brexit will work, just look at the Swiss Far Right and their failed attempts to split from the European Union. More than once they voted to break ties, and each time they had to come back, for science and for trade.


Knowledge and Trust


For a while Facebook, Twitter and Instagram were driven by our social network. We read the posts by friends, and saw the posts of friends of friends. The community was tight knit and we were seeing content by people we had chosen, or that had been chosen by friends. We were shown content by people whose biases and views we understood. Algorithm and AI driven social media destroy that network of trust and show us content by strangers, as well as conversations by strangers. The tight knit community that we had grown to know, and trust, was replaced by a faceless mass of strangers. I trusted my network.


The Fediverse and Mainstream Media


Although mainstream media are regularly owned and controlled by Right wing parties, we expect them to provide some reliable information. We can also choose who we see, and follow, on the fediverse. The fediverse still has chronological timelines for us to follow. We are still on control of that social network.


Google News


Many do not like Google, or Google News. I find it a good source for news and information because, within seconds I can see what the key stories are, but I can also see who said what, and when, with ease. I can build up an image of what news is hard news, and what news is likely to be biased or opinion driven, rather than factual.


Media Literacy


Media studies have been seen as a Mickey Mouse course, compared to scientific and other persuits but in the age of social media Media Studies are more important and relevant than ever. What was once a Mickey Mouse course, has become essential knowledge. With the role of mainstream media and Public Broadcast Services being diminished by social media, so it has become essential for people to understand what they are reading, whom it was written by, what their bias may be, and what motivates them.


And Finally


AI can be used to generate fake images, fake videos and fake articles with ease. These videos, for the less discerning web or social media user can mislead them into thinking that something we know to be absurd, is factual. The people who do not have the contemporary news content to differentiate between news, and disinformation are not equipped for the current social media landscape.

The Contrast Between French and Swiss News

The Contrast Between French and Swiss News

Byrichard

As I struggled to find a neutral topic to write about I noticed the distinct difference between how the French and the Swiss media are speaking about the fifth wave. The swiss say that it is “pre-occupying” and that it “has won the French speaking part of Switzerland” and “no long term impact on Swiss finances.” Switzerland is not taking the pandemic seriously anymore and reminds me of England. It is denying that there is a problem and taking reactive rather than pro-active measures.


France in contrast, with just 100 cases per 100,000 people are discussing booster shots for the entire population now. There is mention of “a preparation of a strategy to stop the rebound in the number of cases and about how Macron may prepare safety measures, to stop the increase in the number of cases.


I find Switzerland’s approach to the pandemic to be disheartening. I have been reading a book about a Submariner who went from pro-active submarine life to reactive, business life, and he talked about how he tried to change things around, where he could. It’s about anticipating problems, rather than letting them fester until they are impossible to ignore. That is what Switzerland, under the current government is doing.


France has a pro-active approach. We see that a problem is growing and we know that hospitals are going to be overloaded, but we want to get ready to take measures to limit the consequences, and the damage. They are speaking of elaborating strategies that will mitigate the risk, and they are not speaking of just vaccines and boosters. The approach takes a global approach.


Having said all of this, we know that this pandemic, once it gains critical mass, provokes big “waves” of infection. I expect France to go into lock down within a week or two. If this does occur then curfews may come back into play, and driving from one side of France to the other will be complicated. That is why I should leave this weekend, if I want to spend Christmas in Spain. Last year I made excuses for too long, and France, and Spain went into lockdown, and I had no certainty of getting from A to B. This year I want to avoid that. I know that returning to Switzerland will be easier, than going on a “trip”.


At least I will escape crowds and Christmas carols. I will also probably see more sun, and not be as cold. I will also be in a place where people do sometimes wear masks outdoors. You can’t imagine how good it feels to see people being cautious, rather than careless.

The Blogosphere Is Finished with University. Here’s Proof.

Byrichard

Finished with uni and dissertations

Here is some evidence to demonstrate that I am not the only one to have finished university and there are a lot of really happy people around.

I’ve been so lazy for the past two days because I can. Nothing is hanging over me anymore so I’m taking advantage of this fact. When Monday comes I’ll start being productive again but it’s time for a well-deserved break.

Been listening through half of the top 200 songs of 1990 to 2000 already.

What others are saying

The Post Dissertation Was Great Fun But Now It’s Time To Get Out

Byrichard

I’m really happy to be done with university after three years where I was forced to be in one country rather than another but it’s time to get out of Harrow.

On Wednesday night we were all at the SU bar celebrating the end of the course from 2pm till two or three am and it was great. I hadn’t seen so many people from my grade in one place for months and months. Really refreshing to see.

It’s been a good three years and there are many good memories. It’s time to move on and I think the first step is to get out of halls as soon as Saturday and going back to Switzerland for some rest and recuperation before coming back to the big city for employment and such.

I can look for work from anywhere and flights are relatively cheap in contrast.

I’m going to have to re-think the title of this blog now

My Dissertation Is Finished, Handed In.

Byrichard

My dissertation had been finished and ready to print since yesterday afternoon but it’s today that i finally printed out the entire document for handing in to the university for assesment. it’s 10,800 words for some of the most highly produced work I have ever done. It feels good to have handed it in and never to have to worry about it.

Many of the others have handed in the work and it’s going to be celebrated tomorrow although the prospect of spending my first real day of freedom hung over does not appeal to me therefore I’m planning on not drinking.

Now what to do with all this time I’ve got. Find a place to live, find a place to work and more. Everything is there, absolute freedom to do anything at any time i want now.

A Writer Can Expect To Revise His Work Over A Hundred Times

Byrichard

Those words were magic, a writer can expect to review his work over a hundred times. That so many times. Can you imagine going through something one hundred times? By the end, you’re going to go mad.

Actually, when I’m working on video it’s not unusual for me to watch the same five minutes 20-30 times till I’m satisfied it’s perfect.

I’ve been applying that procedure to my dissertation which is why I still haven’t completed it. I was feeling discouraged this morning but this afternoon when I heard the sentence I’m now using as a title for this I felt encouraged.

Of course, it’s hard, of course, it’s repetitive but if you want to write well you’ve got to give it the time it requires. What’s the point in having a dissertation to write if you’re going to do it within two days. What about all the thought process. What about all the conversations you’re missing out on.

I joked with someone who was still taking notes today, “45 credits…. ah that’s worth at least 45 minutes of work”. She probably hates me for saying that but come on, it’s your dissertation. It’s the first time that people want you to blab for so long about a topic of your choosing. No one else tells you what to write, only how you should write it.

Some friends are smart, they chose the subjects they love. So did I, means you’re studying even when you’re not.

Add to this the process of writing. It’s enjoyable. Put some music on, zone out for an hour or two and just write, research, and learn more about what you love, then write more. Write to learn rather than the other way around. I love the thought of writing to learn. It’s a book I read several years ago, when still at La Chat in Geneva.

I think I’d like to be a writer. I don’t mind academic writing as long as I have as much time as I want, or else organise my time so that I fool myself into believing I have as much time as I want.

There’s one paragraph that’s taunting me at the moment, I’m going to trick it though, and it will be tamed into a relevant bit of text.

On the Re-Write

Byrichard

I’ve been talking to a lot of people and there is hardly anyone that seems to take the re-write seriously. Most people see the writing phase as the end of the work. There’s a secret I’ve been hiding for some time now.

Re-writing gave me a twenty percent boost in grades. That’s the difference between merit and distinction. That’s the difference between a 2:1 and a distinction for the dissertation. Now take into consideration that the dissertation is worth 45 credits out of 120 for the year. That’s a large enough portion that if you create a good piece of work your grade will increase and your degree may be worth more.

I’ve been talking to people, taking an interest in their work practices and this is what I’ve found. Most people are around the 5-6 thousand word mark whilst four or five are completed. One person is up 23,000 and must cut down on what’s written. Most of these people aim to write from 1-3 thousand words a day and rarely go to see their supervisor. As a result, they’re relying on luck more than other factors.

Luck’s great but when you’re at home and your parents ask, “so how did you do?” the answer won’t be “stop asking me”. Instead, it’ll be. You’ve seen my work, you’ve seen the time and effort I’ve put into it, now let’s just wait and see whether it’s paid off or not.

Of course, pleasing your parents is always rewarding but there’s another motivation. The better the dissertation the more useful it may turn out for when you’re looking for work. Twice I’ve found work thanks to my website… don’t do much for that.

Last year I listened to a journalist and he told the students taking one course to focus their dissertation on a topic that would help them gain employment by demonstrating their in-depth knowledge of a topic, for example on conflict within one region.

It’s 0130am and I pushed myself today. I didn’t feel like writing, I forced myself. I wasted quite a bit of time but whilst I review my results section I can write the key points and write my conclusion according to that section.

Remember, people don’t want to keep flitting back and forth to understand what you mean.

goodnight.

Last Three Steps Before Handing In My Dissertation

Byrichard

Being at the stage I’m at, and having discussed the work with the tutor there are three things I must make sure to do before handing in the work.

The first task is uniformity. I need to go through two or three sections and make sure that I tie them into the overall structure of the dissertation work. It’s meant to flow from one section to another. That’s something I’ve got to work on.

The second thing I’ve got to work on one or two paragraphs, make sure that the information that I wrote down is comprehensive and there’s no so what question left in the air.

The final task is to make sure that I have a clear dissertation title and write the dissertation conclusion according to this. Once that’s done I’m pretty much done with this most major of assignments and it’s been a great learning curve. I think it’s been the best learning experience overall that I’ve had in University.

I’m Almost Done With Uni

Byrichard

I’m almost done with uni but it’s so hard. I’ve been working on and off on three projects now for at least three weeks and I’ve spent so much time on these projects that today I finally met my saturation point so I left the computer behind and dropped down to the bar for a drink or two and for company.

There were only a few people watching a football match and no media students from my year. They don’t have the luxury I have, of being able to leave everything for an hour or two before coming back to it and I do.

I took one of the booths and sat there thinking of nothing and doing nothing. It was nice to do nothing but rest, the only sound was football and then some music.

When I went outside a very amusing conversation was to be listened to and I laughed, feeling the pressure decline at last and being more sedate once more. It’s so great to think that in a week I’m done, that I have complete freedom. I can’t wait and I could get it within three or four days if I work really hard.

I’m no longer worried about the calendar, no longer worried about the deadline, no longer unable to say dissertation without feeling a sudden excess of stress. Instead, I’m calm, relaxed and it’s really nice.

I just can’t get to writing anymore. I’m going to have to re-write my conclusion taking the main points from my analysis and making sure that it’s clear and concise, a paragraph per point, and a summary for the conclusion. That’s the results and conclusion that I’m talking about.

Long live the end, the end of my academic workload, and the beginning of adulthood once more. Three years in the making.

Saw The Film Shooter And Really Enjoyed it

Byrichard

Last night I was feeling good about how my dissertation was going so I got my shoes on and walked to the cinema, feeling good about what I had achieved in the day. I went from my dissertation being a collection of words on the computer to it being printed out for visual inspection.

What I found as I looked through the thousands of words I have written is that I am quite happy with the way it’s going and thought that I’m going to meet the target date for the handing in earl, if everything goes well from here on.

When I went to see Shooter I really enjoyed the film. I often find that I prefer war films to other genres because although the story format is always the same the way the story is more engaging than many of the other styles of films. It’s great fun to watch explosions, to watch works of great precision.

I also approve of the choice of women selected for the film. It’s a nice distraction from what I’ve spent most of my time looking at recently. i.e. words on a screen.

I’d recommend people to see it.