In our spotlight this week, we turn our attention to manipulation. Now I posted a quote on FB not long ago from one of my new favorite books, Lexicon: A Novel by Max Barry. Here’s the quote:
“The key to the Web is it’s interactive. That’s the difference. Online, someone visits your site, you can have a little poll there. It says, ‘Hey, what do you think about the tax cuts? ’ And people click and segment themselves. First advantage right there. You’re not just proselytizing, speaking into the void. You’re getting data back. But here’s the really clever part. Your site isn’t static. It’s dynamically generated. Do you know what that means? It means the site looks different to different people. Let’s say you chose the poll option that said you’re in favor of tax cuts. Well there’s a cookie on your machine now, and when you look at the site again, the articles are about how the government is wasting your money. The site is dynamically selecting content based on what you want. I mean, not what you want. What will piss you off. What will engage your attention and reinforce your beliefs, make you trust the site. And if you said you were against tax cuts, we’ll show you stories of Republicans blocking social programs or whatever. It works every which way. Your site is made of mirrors, reflecting everyone’s thoughts back at them. That’s pretty great, right? And we haven’t even started talking about keywords. This is just the beginning. Third major advantage: People who use a site like this tend to ramp up their dependence on it. Suddenly all those other news sources, the ones that aren’t framing every story in terms of the user’s core beliefs, they start to seem confusing and strange. They start to seem biased, actually, which is kind of funny. So now you’ve got a user who not only trusts you, you’re his major source of information on what’s happening in the world. Boom, you own that guy. You can tell him whatever you like and no one’s contradicting you.” Close quote. (Barry, Lexicon)
I Have Nothing to Hide
I am repeatedly struck by the shear number of people who don’t seem to care who is collecting what information about them and anyone else. I often hear things like, “I don’t care—I have nothing to hide.” Like that’s the point of all the data mining—duh!
Most of the data mining is more about guiding folks than about finding them in some nefarious or criminal activity. Remember the words of the so-called father of modern propaganda, Edward Bernays. In his words, and I quote, “Ours must be a leadership democracy, administered by the ‘intelligent minority’ who know how to regiment and guide the masses. The common interests very largely elude public opinion entirely, and can be managed only by a specialized class whose personal interests reach beyond the locality…If we understand the mechanism and motives of the group mind, it is now possible to control and regiment the masses according to our will without their knowing it.” (Bernays, Public Opinion)
Get a clue folks, in today’s Orwellian world, the agenda is all about owning you—your thoughts and therefore your behavior! If we allow this, Sheeple we are and Sheeple we will remain!
Thanks for the read and as always, I truly appreciate your comments and feedback.
Eldon Taylor
Provocative Enlightenment
NY Time Bestselling Author of Choices and Illusions
www.eldontaylor.com