I just read an interview with tech people who founded the internet & social media. They were appalled at how their idealism and naivite has shaped up into a nightmare. But one thing stood out for me: how algorithms have changed. Timelines used to to emphasize likes (remember the days of mostly cat videos?). Now it’s all about driving engagement. That’s what advertisers are looking for. And “free” social media is all about getting ads. […]
Author: Lilian
Lilian Nattel is the author of Web of Angels, The Singing Fire and The River Midnight. She lives in Toronto, Canada, in a tall narrow house with a pair of teenagers and a chef-master intellectual.
What Mark Zuckerberg Didn’t Tell You
FaceBook tracks you across the internet on any website that has a FB button, whether or not you are signed into FaceBook and even if you don’t have an account. Is that creepy or what? There is a solution, and at the end of the post I’ll provide it, so scoot down if you’re in a hurry. Zuckerberg addressed the congressional committee of old men who aren’t tech savvy by side-stepping the real issue. He […]
On Embarrassment
I had a housemate, once, with a mean cat. At the start of every summer, she’d have her cat shaved so he wouldn’t overheat. I always had to watch out for Rocky, her cat. He had a habit of leaping up to bite my legs. He also used to torment my cat, growling and swatting with his claws.