Democratisation by Social Media and the Internet Is Just Meaningless Waffle
Social Media and the Internet are literally in our faces 24/7 but our political engagement is diminishing.
Media
internet
What Cheeto, Bojo and Scomo are up to
It has been a tough week for conservative leaders with Trump impeached and the evangelical magazine Christianity Today calling for his resignation, Johnson in the UK announcing voter fraud measures reminiscent of the American deep South, and in Australia Morrison being criticised for missing in action, upstaged by a 13 year old girl and pushing through protection for religious bigotry that Israel Folau would be pleased with.
Bridges fights losing twitter battle with Nigel Latta
Simon Bridges’s twitter account has chosen to celebrate Christmas by engaging in a twitter spat with well known Media personality Nigel Latta. And has not fared well.
Free Broadband
Originally posted on Nick Kelly’s blog
Why some MPs should not tweet
National MP Joanne Hayes has provided a textbook example of the perils of Twitter.
Sacha Baron Cohen – greatest propaganda machine in history
A must watch video of Sacha Baron Cohen where he has launched an all out assault on Facebook and Twitter and has called them “the greatest propaganda machine in history”.
Social Media – A force for good?
Nick Kelly on the role of social media in the UK election.
Twitter announces end to paid political advertising
Jacinda Ardern’s campaign against harmful social media has had an effect with Twitter deciding to ban political advertising on the grounds that internet advertising brings significant risks to politics.
Labour reduces the number of cats getting stuck in trees every month
Meanwhile, National signalled they need a hand with statistics, and the public gladly stepped up.
Five days is a long time in politics
Five days ago Simon Bridges predicted that unemployment had gone up. The latest figures show that the unemployment rate is at its lowest rate for the past eleven years. Update: My enthusiasm was too high. It has been pointed out to me that the Bridges tweet was from last year. My apologies to Simon …
The Greens’ attack ad
The Greens recent ad mocking Simon Bridges has attracted some strong criticism. But is it justified?
When your Comms team goes rogue
Former UK Labour MP Jared O’Mara must be regretting not treating his staff better as his Comms adviser has announced his resignation via O’Mara’s own twitter account.
Right wing loses it after Prime Minister makes a cake
In a week where Donald Trump almost starts war against Iran, gets accused again of sexual assault, and has his ICE staff deny toothpaste, soap and blankets to kids in detention and Boris Johnson gets accused of domestic violence the local right loose it when Jacinda Ardern makes a cake.
Death tax fake news
Social media was responsible for the repeated broadcasting of the claim that Labor in Australia intended to bring in a death tax. What should happen when claims that are clearly wrong are made?
Hate Speech Is an Evitable Evil
Online behaviour like any other behaviour can be modified but this will not happen by itself.
Jacinda achieves international commitment to social media change
Jacinda Ardern has shown true international leadership by achieving considerable international consensus to effecting change in the way that social media operates.
Swarbrick 2 Bennett 0
Paula Bennett has declined to engage in a debate with Chloe Swarbrick on National TV.
Swarbrick 1 Bennett 0
Chloe Swarbrick has responded Paula Bennett’s derisory comments about the proposed cannabis drug reform with a very elegant burn.
The Herald paywall
The Herald is getting ready this week to install a paywall.
Should white supremacists be preferred over ISIS?
According to media sources in the United States Twitter won’t autoban white supremacists because too many GOP Politicians would be banned.
Splitters!
David Moffett, a Former board member of the New Conservative Party has announced the launch of a new new conservative party.
Regulating social media
Is it possible that the zeitgeist for global social media regulation is peaking at the right time, and the big tech giants will accede?
Confirmation bias
The internet neatly divides us into separate isolated tribes with polarised views of what are the issues and what is reality. How do we engage in a civilised discussion to educate each other and reach a consensus of what we should be doing?
Reflections on Free Speech and Public Discourse
Silencing dissonant voices only leads to more and stronger dissonant voices and further radicalisation.
Bridges’ emotional junior staffer problem
The emotional junior staffer incident shows that National’s internal discipline is poor and that leaks are continuing.
WTF Free Speech coalition?
The Free Speech coalition has attacked the Chief Censor’s decision to rule the Christchurch Mosque killer’s manifesto as objectionable as an attack on free speech. But the New Zealand Council for Civil Liberties has characterised the Censor’s decision as being entirely conventional.
The trouble with Facebook
The Government and some major corporations have called for changes to Facebook in the way it operates.
Simon Bridges’ twitter game
Why is Simon Bridges’ twitter account liking and retweeting his own tweets?
Why New Zealand needs a capital gains tax
Expert comment suggests that a capital gains tax will redress inequality, improve the economy and make housing more affordable.
Cameron Slater slithers into bankruptcy
Yesterday Cameron Slater announced that he would be seeking bankruptcy. It is unlikely to help him to avoid the stress of dealing with the legal consequences. The three current defamation cases that he is defending so badly have very little to do with money and a lot to do with making sure neither he nor any other arsehole dares to use his vile tactics again.
All hail our computer overlords
IBM has staged a debate between an IBM computer and the world debating champion. The human won but the debate suggests that it may be just a matter of time … and the computer had remarkable things to say about poverty.
Digital Corporations: Pay Us What You Owe Us
The Government has indicated that it will seek to tax digital companies from overseas.
National crashes select committee meeting
National has decided to play politics and sabotaged today’s Finance and Expenditure Select Committee meeting.
Simon Bridges twitter game
Simon Bridges’ twitter account has been tweeting about unusual subjects lately.
Karma Cameleon
Cameron Slater is seriously ill. The Whale Oil blog will carry on without him, but in the meantime, Cam is asking for help.
Family First thinks there is a Cafe porn watching crisis
Family First thinks that there is a crisis of porn watching at cafes. And has commissioned Curia to see if others think the same.