Fwd: <nettime> living under algorithmic governance

[Mirimir]

On 09/09/2016 04:46 AM, Cecilia Tanaka wrote:
> Interesting point of view...  :)

Well, until they nationalize Facebook, it's a private firm, and isn't
required to host anything that it doesn't want to. It's also not
required to answer complaints, except as required by law.

When I read this, I wondered how Facebook could take down stuff on
Aftenpost. Then I got that Felix is complaining about stuff taken down
from Aftenpost's Facebook page. WTF?

Anyway, Facebook is not our friend. They're just monetizing love. And
they're quite prudish and risk-averse. But then, that's their right.

So what would a cypherpunk do? Maybe figure out how to fuck with
Facebook? Create markets for anonymous Facebook accounts? Develop
alternatives to Facebook that aren't censored, and can't be censored,
and figure out how to popularize them?

I don't know, but just complaining about Facebook seems pointless.

> sea sea
> --
> "I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to
> say it."
> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
> From: "Felix Stalder" <felix at openflows.com>
> Date: Sep 9, 2016 5:35 AM
> Subject: <nettime> living under algorithmic governance
> To: <nettime-l at mx.kein.org>
> 
> 
> "Listen, Mark, this is serious. First you create rules that don’t
> distinguish between child pornography and famous war photographs. Then
> you practice these rules without allowing space for good judgement.
> Finally you even censor criticism against and a discussion about the
> decision – and you punish the person who dares to voice criticism.
> 
> <...>
> 
> To be honest, I have no illusions that you will read this letter.
> The reason why I will still make this attempt, is that I am upset,
> disappointed – well, in fact even afraid [...]."
> 
> http://www.aftenposten.no/meninger/kommentar/Dear-Mark-I-am-writing-th
> is-to-inform-you-that-I-shall-not-comply-with-your-requirement-to-remo
> ve-this-picture-604156b.html
> 
> 
> This is from a recent open letter to FB's Mark Zuckerberg by Espen
> Egil Hansen, editor-in-chief of Aftenposten, Norwegian largest daily
> newspaper. The context is an article about a chain of events that
> Hansen describes as follows:
> 
> "A few weeks ago the Norwegian author Tom Egeland posted an entry on
> Facebook about, and including, seven photographs that changed the
> history of warfare. You in turn removed the picture of a naked Kim
> Phuc, fleeing from the napalm bombs – one of the world’s most
> famous war photographs.
> 
> Tom then rendered Kim Phuc’s criticism against Facebook for banning
> her picture. Facebook reacted by excluding Tom and prevented him from
> posting a new entry."
> 
> Aftenpost article about all of this was, naturally, illustrated
> with said picture. Facebook demanded with standard form-letter than
> Aftenpost delete the picture and when didn't comply, FB deleted the
> entire article after less than a day.
> 
> The point I want make is not how the traditional media have become
> depended on FB and how this is now going to bite them. That's obvious.
> 
> What struck me more was the pithy description of the experience of
> living under algorithmic governance: opaque and arbitrary rules, which
> produce absurd effects, but, from the point of view of the governing
> entity, this much less important than the fact that these rules scale
> well. The absurdity of the results comes from the application of the
> rules without consideration of the ambiguities and constant negations
> that make up daily life and that are, in fact, an important basis
> for freedom. If rules aren't acknowledged as unambiguous there is no
> legitimate ground for complying with the rules in more than one way.
> 
> The second point is the experience of the enormity of the distance
> between those who govern and those who are governed. This open letter
> is like burning incense in a temple to placate angry gods. And
> remember, this how it feels to a bona-fide member of the national
> elite in a wealthy country. I presume the other 99.999% of FB users
> wouldn't even bother to complain....
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> --
> 
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> 
> 
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