The document discusses the deceptive practice of astroturfing on social media. Astroturfing involves individuals or groups masking their identities to make it appear as though their messages have widespread grassroots support. The document outlines how persona management software can automatically generate thousands of fake online profiles to manipulate public opinion. It provides examples of astroturfing campaigns and reveals that the U.S. Air Force has contracted companies to supply persona management software for undisclosed purposes.
This document discusses the deceptive practice of astroturfing on social media. It begins by defining astroturfing as masking orchestrated political or commercial messaging campaigns to give them false grassroots appearances. It then provides examples of how persona management software can automatically generate large numbers of fake online profiles to manipulate public opinion. It warns that these practices threaten democracy by obscuring real from fake people and opinions. It concludes by noting concerns that military organizations are using such software to potentially manufacture consensus and public opinion.
The document discusses astroturfing, which refers to imitating or faking grassroots support through coordinated efforts. It describes how persona management software can automatically generate large numbers of fake online profiles to manipulate public opinion. The software allows people to pose as many different users simultaneously and make it difficult to identify the true source. The document expresses concern that such tactics threaten online democracy and debate by obscuring real from fake opinions. It provides examples of astroturfing campaigns in politics and by corporations, and notes that even the US military is seeking persona management tools.
Reveal & Reduce the threat of Deep Fake Technologystuwilson.co.uk
The document discusses the threats posed by manipulated media and lack of privacy online. It notes that democracy, individual liberties like privacy, and social tolerance could collapse if any of these three pillars fail. It advocates developing critical thinking through reading to build resistance against "Fake Light" - artificially appealing but manipulated versions of reality designed to manipulate users. Overall, the document expresses concern about how digital technologies can undermine truth and authenticity if misused.
Presentation to European Parliament on fake news, changes in our media environment, and what can be done to ensure news and media serve our democracies, with links to underlying independent, evidence-based research.
Americans have drastically expanded their active communities online and offline. Their world is expanding and narrowing at the same time because of social media’s hyperlocalization quotient. And “cyberdisinhibition”—being more willing to behave online in ways they wouldn’t in person—has both emboldened users and led them to inappropriate behavior. These are among the findings from a nationwide study on social media conducted by Euro RSCG Worldwide. Despite buzz to the contrary, online social networking is having the effect of enhancing, not deteriorating, relationships among Americans. This new study, of 1,228 American social media users, found that by interacting through online media, consumers are more connected than ever.
This document provides guidance on evaluating news sources and identifying fake news. It discusses how to present and identify fake news to help students learn. It defines types of misleading news like fake news, bad news, biased media, and satire. It outlines characteristics of fake news stories and how they spread, often through social media and by appealing to emotions. Reasons fake news spreads, like for money or opinion, are explored. Issues with images, headlines, and videos are covered. Games and activities for evaluating news sources are suggested to help build fact-checking skills. Course assignments are mentioned to develop skills in understanding multiple perspectives on diversity issues.
This document introduces a handbook for journalism education on the topics of journalism, 'fake news', and disinformation. It defines key terms like disinformation, misinformation, and propaganda. It explains that disinformation refers to deliberately misleading information spread to confuse or manipulate people, while misinformation refers to unintentionally misleading information. The document discusses how digital technologies and social media enable the spread of disinformation and undermine trust in journalism. It argues that journalists need to strengthen fact-checking, avoid inadvertently spreading false information, and proactively uncover new forms of disinformation to maintain credibility. The handbook aims to help educate journalists on responsibly addressing this crucial issue.
The Turing test asked whether one could recognize the behavior of a human from that of a computer algorithm. Today this question has suddenly become very relevant in the context of social media, where text constraints limit the expressive power of humans, and real incentives abound to develop human-mimicking software agents called social bots. These elusive entities wildly populate social media ecosystems, often going unnoticed among the population of real people. Bots can be benign or harmful, aiming at persuading, smearing, or deceiving. Here we discuss the characteristics of modern, sophisticated social bots, and how their presence can endanger online ecosystems and our society. We then discuss current efforts aimed at detection of social bots in Twitter. Characteristics related to content, network, sentiment, and temporal patterns of activity are imitated by bots but at the same time can help discriminate synthetic behaviors from human ones, yielding signatures of engineered social tampering.
This document discusses the deceptive practice of astroturfing on social media. It begins by defining astroturfing as masking orchestrated political or commercial messaging campaigns to give them false grassroots appearances. It then provides examples of how persona management software can automatically generate large numbers of fake online profiles to manipulate public opinion. It warns that these practices threaten democracy by obscuring real from fake people and opinions. It concludes by noting concerns that military organizations are using such software to potentially manufacture consensus and public opinion.
The document discusses astroturfing, which refers to imitating or faking grassroots support through coordinated efforts. It describes how persona management software can automatically generate large numbers of fake online profiles to manipulate public opinion. The software allows people to pose as many different users simultaneously and make it difficult to identify the true source. The document expresses concern that such tactics threaten online democracy and debate by obscuring real from fake opinions. It provides examples of astroturfing campaigns in politics and by corporations, and notes that even the US military is seeking persona management tools.
Reveal & Reduce the threat of Deep Fake Technologystuwilson.co.uk
The document discusses the threats posed by manipulated media and lack of privacy online. It notes that democracy, individual liberties like privacy, and social tolerance could collapse if any of these three pillars fail. It advocates developing critical thinking through reading to build resistance against "Fake Light" - artificially appealing but manipulated versions of reality designed to manipulate users. Overall, the document expresses concern about how digital technologies can undermine truth and authenticity if misused.
Presentation to European Parliament on fake news, changes in our media environment, and what can be done to ensure news and media serve our democracies, with links to underlying independent, evidence-based research.
Americans have drastically expanded their active communities online and offline. Their world is expanding and narrowing at the same time because of social media’s hyperlocalization quotient. And “cyberdisinhibition”—being more willing to behave online in ways they wouldn’t in person—has both emboldened users and led them to inappropriate behavior. These are among the findings from a nationwide study on social media conducted by Euro RSCG Worldwide. Despite buzz to the contrary, online social networking is having the effect of enhancing, not deteriorating, relationships among Americans. This new study, of 1,228 American social media users, found that by interacting through online media, consumers are more connected than ever.
This document provides guidance on evaluating news sources and identifying fake news. It discusses how to present and identify fake news to help students learn. It defines types of misleading news like fake news, bad news, biased media, and satire. It outlines characteristics of fake news stories and how they spread, often through social media and by appealing to emotions. Reasons fake news spreads, like for money or opinion, are explored. Issues with images, headlines, and videos are covered. Games and activities for evaluating news sources are suggested to help build fact-checking skills. Course assignments are mentioned to develop skills in understanding multiple perspectives on diversity issues.
This document introduces a handbook for journalism education on the topics of journalism, 'fake news', and disinformation. It defines key terms like disinformation, misinformation, and propaganda. It explains that disinformation refers to deliberately misleading information spread to confuse or manipulate people, while misinformation refers to unintentionally misleading information. The document discusses how digital technologies and social media enable the spread of disinformation and undermine trust in journalism. It argues that journalists need to strengthen fact-checking, avoid inadvertently spreading false information, and proactively uncover new forms of disinformation to maintain credibility. The handbook aims to help educate journalists on responsibly addressing this crucial issue.
The Turing test asked whether one could recognize the behavior of a human from that of a computer algorithm. Today this question has suddenly become very relevant in the context of social media, where text constraints limit the expressive power of humans, and real incentives abound to develop human-mimicking software agents called social bots. These elusive entities wildly populate social media ecosystems, often going unnoticed among the population of real people. Bots can be benign or harmful, aiming at persuading, smearing, or deceiving. Here we discuss the characteristics of modern, sophisticated social bots, and how their presence can endanger online ecosystems and our society. We then discuss current efforts aimed at detection of social bots in Twitter. Characteristics related to content, network, sentiment, and temporal patterns of activity are imitated by bots but at the same time can help discriminate synthetic behaviors from human ones, yielding signatures of engineered social tampering.
This slideshow was presented as part of the Johnson County Community College Retirees Association (JCCCRA) session on how to spot fake news. Several steps were outlined to verify the accuracy of everything from email chain letters to websites to Facebook postings. Included in the session was information on known fake news sites, fact checking sites and key characteristics of bogusness. The session was offered on May 15, 2017 on the JCCC campus.
The document provides an overview of the documentary "Future Radicals" which tracks the history and growth of the hacktivist group Anonymous from its beginnings on 4chan to its evolution into a more organized group conducting cyber protests in support of issues like Wikileaks and the Arab Spring. It discusses how Anonymous employs the same digital technologies it aims to protect to conduct distributed denial-of-service attacks and website defacements. The documentary includes insider accounts of Anonymous operations and interviews with cybersecurity experts and Anonymous members on the group's activities and increasing surveillance from law enforcement agencies around the world.
More than 50% of individuals now learn about breaking news through social media rather than traditional news outlets. Social media has also helped police solve crimes by allowing crowdsourcing of information and videos from the public. However, there are also risks like misidentifying suspects that can slow investigations or wrongly accuse innocent people. Overall, social media has changed how the public engages with news and investigations.
The document discusses the role of social media in Islamic da'awah (preaching/proselytizing). It outlines the benefits and dangers of social media, provides case studies of how social media has been used effectively in da'awah work and movements, and proposes an agenda for Muslims to better utilize social media for da'awah. Key points include that social media allows rapid information dissemination, can be used as a tool for social movements and criminal investigations, and that Muslims should focus on training, networking, and targeted da'awah through social media.
Can Artificial Intelligence Predict The Spread Of Online Hate Speech?Bernard Marr
Online hate speech is a big issue, and many are worried that it leads to radicalization and actions in the real world. Here, we look at how artificial intelligence (AI) can now be used to detect hate speech and predict its impact.
Social Media: the good, the bad and the uglyJosh Cowls
1. Social media can facilitate information sharing and communication, aiding disaster relief and public health efforts. However, when information is more mediated, people can be anti-social, offline power dynamics are replicated online, and behavior is difficult to measure accurately.
2. While social media aim to be horizontal, in reality prominent offline figures and media elites still hold sway. Measuring public opinion on social media also faces challenges regarding representativeness and reliability.
3. Those who have access to large social media datasets can use algorithms to potentially influence users or even predict criminal behavior, showing the power of "big data."
This document discusses how to identify fake news and evaluate information sources. It provides tips on asking four basic questions - what, who, why, when - to analyze a source's relevance, authority, objectivity and timeliness. For example, if a source lacks an identifiable author or organization, or does not provide unbiased information, it should not be trusted. The document also lists several fact-checking websites that can be used to verify claims. Overall, it emphasizes the importance of carefully assessing the quality and reliability of information found online.
AI and Fake News: How Technology Has Changed Modern Propaganda QuekelsBaro
If you've been on social media at all in the past decade, you've likely spoken to at least one synthetic person without even realizing it. To be honest, probably more than one.
Virtual worlds allow for new social networks to form and mimic real life interactions. Research shows that people's behavior and acceptance of offers in economic games is influenced by their avatar's appearance, regardless of their actual physical traits. While technology has increased communication and mobility, exposing people to more individuals, social networks have grown stronger with each new communication technology rather than being diminished. Online social networks both reflect real world connections and enable new relationships, though most users' networks remain close to maximum expected connections in person. While information is easily shared online, social regulation emerges and online and offline networks are distinct though based in human social instincts.
The Boston Police Department effectively used Twitter and Google Person Finder to disseminate information during the 2013 Boston Marathon bombings when cell service was disrupted. BPD tweeted 148 times over 5 days, growing its Twitter followers from 54,000 to over 330,000. Google Person Finder allowed over 5,400 people to be registered so families could locate loved ones. While some online forums like Reddit dangerously spread misinformation by misidentifying suspects, the BPD and digital tools overall helped provide security and calm the public during the crisis.
This document discusses how to take control of your online presence through social media. It covers the basics of LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter and encourages the reader to answer five key questions: why they should be online, what they have to say, who they are trying to reach, how to find them, and how to connect and engage. The document provides tips on creating a consistent online profile across platforms and making yourself more "googleable" to increase your online presence.
Twitter is a microblogging service that limits messages (called tweets) to 140 characters. It launched in 2006 and gained popularity during the 2008 political conventions. The short format was inspired by text messages and aims to share brief updates about what users are doing at the moment. Though initially dismissed by some, it has grown to millions of users and found success in real-time information sharing during events and with companies using it for customer service. Its future potential and business model remain uncertain given the simplicity of its format.
Kaplan & Haenlein - The early bird catches the news nine things you should kn...ESCP Exchange
Micro-blogs (e.g., Twitter, Jaiku, Plurk, Tumblr) are starting to become an established category within the general group of social media. Yet, while they rapidly gain interest among consumers and companies alike, there is no evidence to explain why anybody should be interested in an application that is limited to the exchange of short, 140-character text messages. To this end, our article intends to provide some insight. First, we demonstrate that the success of micro-blogs is due to the specific set of characteristics they possess: the creation of ambient awareness; a unique form of push-push-pull communication; and the ability to serve as a platform for virtual exhibitionism and voyeurism. We then discuss how applications such as Twitter can generate value for companies along all three stages of the marketing process: prepurchase (i.e., marketing research); purchase (i.e., marketing communications); and post-purchase (i.e., customer services). Finally, we present a set of rules–—The Three Rs of Micro-Blogging: Relevance; Respect; Return–—which companies should consider when relying on this type of application.
DEF CON 27 - JOSEPH MENN - change the world c dc styleFelipe Prado
The book profiles the Cult of the Dead Cow (cDc), the oldest surviving and most famous hacking group. It explains how cDc members developed important hacking tools and launched the hacktivism movement to push for better security and consumer protection. While mostly remaining anonymous, some key members like Beto O'Rourke went on to advise presidents and tech CEOs. The book tells the story of how cDc pioneered hacktivism and security research that still influences privacy and national security debates today.
Kaplan & Haenlein - Users of the world, unite - the challenges and opportunit...ESCP Exchange
The concept of Social Media is top of the agenda for many business executives today. Decision makers, as well as consultants, try to identify ways in which firms can make profitable use of applications such as Wikipedia, YouTube, Facebook, Second Life, and Twitter. Yet despite this interest, there seems to be very limited understanding of what the term ‘‘Social Media’’ exactly means; this article intends to provide some clarification. We begin by describing the concept of Social Media, and discuss how it differs from related concepts such as Web 2.0 and User Generated Content. Based on this definition, we then provide a classification of Social Media which groups applications currently subsumed under the generalized term into more specific categories by characteristic: collaborative projects, blogs, content communities, social networking sites, virtual game worlds, and virtual social worlds. Finally, we present 10 pieces of advice for companies which decide to utilize Social Media.
Fake News, Real Concerns: Developing Information Literate Students (December ...ALAeLearningSolutions
This document summarizes a presentation by Donald Barclay on how librarians can help improve information literacy in the age of social media and fake news. It begins with introductions and defines different types of misinformation like lying, propaganda, humor and altered information. It discusses challenges like information overload and confirms people tend to overestimate their ability to evaluate information. It provides examples of teaching concepts like logical fallacies and addressing emotions. Finally, it argues information literacy must be taught across curriculums and evaluating information requires both rational and emotional thinking.
The document discusses astroturfing, which refers to imitating or faking grassroots support through coordinated efforts. It describes how persona management software can automatically generate large numbers of fake online profiles to manipulate public opinion. The software allows multiple personas to be controlled by one person, making it difficult to identify artificial accounts. Concerns are raised that such tactics threaten online democracy and debate. The US Air Force was revealed to have contracted software that can create fake personas for astroturfing purposes.
Free Personal Statement Checklist Personal StateCourtney Bennett
The Kennedy family experienced much tragedy and misfortune over the generations. Some of the most notable incidents included Joseph Kennedy Jr.'s death in a plane explosion during World War II, Rosemary Kennedy undergoing a botched lobotomy that left her incapacitated, and John F. Kennedy being assassinated while president. The numerous tragic events that befell prominent members of the politically influential Kennedy family over the decades led some to see them as being cursed with bad luck.
1Current Events Case StudyUMGAnthony Bahlman11.docxrobert345678
1
Current Events Case Study
UMG
Anthony Bahlman
11/06/2022
2
Introduction
With a personal worth that is believed to be $273 billion, Elon Musk is the wealthiest
man on the face of the earth. This is comparable to the gross domestic product of either Portugal
or New Zealand, two nations that are consistently listed among the top 50 richest nations in the
world. Musk has had a great deal of success in the creation of new technologies, the most notable
of which are the game-changing Tesla electric automobiles and, more notably, his SpaceX
commercial rocket ships. On 14th of April, he made public his ambition to leave his stamp on the
social media sector, and he proceeded to do so by launching a successful hostile acquisition
attempt for Twitter in the amount of $43 billion (Jia, 2022). He has presented himself as a "free
speech absolutist" in order to garner support for his candidacy for the position with the
corporation.
Musk asserts that at the present time, Twitter is not fulfilling the "societal imperative"
that it should serve as a "platform for free expression throughout the globe." In March, he asked
his 81 million followers on Twitter their opinions on the matter and warned that "considering
that Twitter functions as that of the unofficial public town square, failure to adhere to the ideals
of free speech severely weakens democracy." He claims that Twitter "has to be changed as a
private corporation" and he believes he is the right person to carry out this transformation (Safak,
2022).
Identify and Analyze
Musk's ambition to acquire Twitter might be related to his ongoing need to address the
media bias he believes exists in the world at large and specifically in regards to him and his
businesses, and which is only accentuated in the online social media space. His ideas on online
3
expression as well as social media are misguided. First, he fails to recognize that free speech
laws in the US are meant to limit the behavior of governments, not businesses or individuals. The
First Amendment severely restricts government power by stating that Congress shall make no
legislation "abridging" free expression. In the past 230 years, legislators and judges in the United
States have painstakingly chiseled out a few narrow exceptions to this blanket ban on
government intervention. It is already well-established precedent that governments have some
leeway to regulate things like where and when speech may take place, the distribution of child
pornography, and incitement to violence.
In the United States, however, private businesses were never meant to be subject to these
free-speech requirements. Using them on sites like Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, or
TikTok would be particularly detrimental. Active and responsible moderation of information on
their platforms is in the betterment of our societal structure and in the businesses' financial
interests. If Elon must does .
This slideshow was presented as part of the Johnson County Community College Retirees Association (JCCCRA) session on how to spot fake news. Several steps were outlined to verify the accuracy of everything from email chain letters to websites to Facebook postings. Included in the session was information on known fake news sites, fact checking sites and key characteristics of bogusness. The session was offered on May 15, 2017 on the JCCC campus.
The document provides an overview of the documentary "Future Radicals" which tracks the history and growth of the hacktivist group Anonymous from its beginnings on 4chan to its evolution into a more organized group conducting cyber protests in support of issues like Wikileaks and the Arab Spring. It discusses how Anonymous employs the same digital technologies it aims to protect to conduct distributed denial-of-service attacks and website defacements. The documentary includes insider accounts of Anonymous operations and interviews with cybersecurity experts and Anonymous members on the group's activities and increasing surveillance from law enforcement agencies around the world.
More than 50% of individuals now learn about breaking news through social media rather than traditional news outlets. Social media has also helped police solve crimes by allowing crowdsourcing of information and videos from the public. However, there are also risks like misidentifying suspects that can slow investigations or wrongly accuse innocent people. Overall, social media has changed how the public engages with news and investigations.
The document discusses the role of social media in Islamic da'awah (preaching/proselytizing). It outlines the benefits and dangers of social media, provides case studies of how social media has been used effectively in da'awah work and movements, and proposes an agenda for Muslims to better utilize social media for da'awah. Key points include that social media allows rapid information dissemination, can be used as a tool for social movements and criminal investigations, and that Muslims should focus on training, networking, and targeted da'awah through social media.
Can Artificial Intelligence Predict The Spread Of Online Hate Speech?Bernard Marr
Online hate speech is a big issue, and many are worried that it leads to radicalization and actions in the real world. Here, we look at how artificial intelligence (AI) can now be used to detect hate speech and predict its impact.
Social Media: the good, the bad and the uglyJosh Cowls
1. Social media can facilitate information sharing and communication, aiding disaster relief and public health efforts. However, when information is more mediated, people can be anti-social, offline power dynamics are replicated online, and behavior is difficult to measure accurately.
2. While social media aim to be horizontal, in reality prominent offline figures and media elites still hold sway. Measuring public opinion on social media also faces challenges regarding representativeness and reliability.
3. Those who have access to large social media datasets can use algorithms to potentially influence users or even predict criminal behavior, showing the power of "big data."
This document discusses how to identify fake news and evaluate information sources. It provides tips on asking four basic questions - what, who, why, when - to analyze a source's relevance, authority, objectivity and timeliness. For example, if a source lacks an identifiable author or organization, or does not provide unbiased information, it should not be trusted. The document also lists several fact-checking websites that can be used to verify claims. Overall, it emphasizes the importance of carefully assessing the quality and reliability of information found online.
AI and Fake News: How Technology Has Changed Modern Propaganda QuekelsBaro
If you've been on social media at all in the past decade, you've likely spoken to at least one synthetic person without even realizing it. To be honest, probably more than one.
Virtual worlds allow for new social networks to form and mimic real life interactions. Research shows that people's behavior and acceptance of offers in economic games is influenced by their avatar's appearance, regardless of their actual physical traits. While technology has increased communication and mobility, exposing people to more individuals, social networks have grown stronger with each new communication technology rather than being diminished. Online social networks both reflect real world connections and enable new relationships, though most users' networks remain close to maximum expected connections in person. While information is easily shared online, social regulation emerges and online and offline networks are distinct though based in human social instincts.
The Boston Police Department effectively used Twitter and Google Person Finder to disseminate information during the 2013 Boston Marathon bombings when cell service was disrupted. BPD tweeted 148 times over 5 days, growing its Twitter followers from 54,000 to over 330,000. Google Person Finder allowed over 5,400 people to be registered so families could locate loved ones. While some online forums like Reddit dangerously spread misinformation by misidentifying suspects, the BPD and digital tools overall helped provide security and calm the public during the crisis.
This document discusses how to take control of your online presence through social media. It covers the basics of LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter and encourages the reader to answer five key questions: why they should be online, what they have to say, who they are trying to reach, how to find them, and how to connect and engage. The document provides tips on creating a consistent online profile across platforms and making yourself more "googleable" to increase your online presence.
Twitter is a microblogging service that limits messages (called tweets) to 140 characters. It launched in 2006 and gained popularity during the 2008 political conventions. The short format was inspired by text messages and aims to share brief updates about what users are doing at the moment. Though initially dismissed by some, it has grown to millions of users and found success in real-time information sharing during events and with companies using it for customer service. Its future potential and business model remain uncertain given the simplicity of its format.
Kaplan & Haenlein - The early bird catches the news nine things you should kn...ESCP Exchange
Micro-blogs (e.g., Twitter, Jaiku, Plurk, Tumblr) are starting to become an established category within the general group of social media. Yet, while they rapidly gain interest among consumers and companies alike, there is no evidence to explain why anybody should be interested in an application that is limited to the exchange of short, 140-character text messages. To this end, our article intends to provide some insight. First, we demonstrate that the success of micro-blogs is due to the specific set of characteristics they possess: the creation of ambient awareness; a unique form of push-push-pull communication; and the ability to serve as a platform for virtual exhibitionism and voyeurism. We then discuss how applications such as Twitter can generate value for companies along all three stages of the marketing process: prepurchase (i.e., marketing research); purchase (i.e., marketing communications); and post-purchase (i.e., customer services). Finally, we present a set of rules–—The Three Rs of Micro-Blogging: Relevance; Respect; Return–—which companies should consider when relying on this type of application.
DEF CON 27 - JOSEPH MENN - change the world c dc styleFelipe Prado
The book profiles the Cult of the Dead Cow (cDc), the oldest surviving and most famous hacking group. It explains how cDc members developed important hacking tools and launched the hacktivism movement to push for better security and consumer protection. While mostly remaining anonymous, some key members like Beto O'Rourke went on to advise presidents and tech CEOs. The book tells the story of how cDc pioneered hacktivism and security research that still influences privacy and national security debates today.
Kaplan & Haenlein - Users of the world, unite - the challenges and opportunit...ESCP Exchange
The concept of Social Media is top of the agenda for many business executives today. Decision makers, as well as consultants, try to identify ways in which firms can make profitable use of applications such as Wikipedia, YouTube, Facebook, Second Life, and Twitter. Yet despite this interest, there seems to be very limited understanding of what the term ‘‘Social Media’’ exactly means; this article intends to provide some clarification. We begin by describing the concept of Social Media, and discuss how it differs from related concepts such as Web 2.0 and User Generated Content. Based on this definition, we then provide a classification of Social Media which groups applications currently subsumed under the generalized term into more specific categories by characteristic: collaborative projects, blogs, content communities, social networking sites, virtual game worlds, and virtual social worlds. Finally, we present 10 pieces of advice for companies which decide to utilize Social Media.
Fake News, Real Concerns: Developing Information Literate Students (December ...ALAeLearningSolutions
This document summarizes a presentation by Donald Barclay on how librarians can help improve information literacy in the age of social media and fake news. It begins with introductions and defines different types of misinformation like lying, propaganda, humor and altered information. It discusses challenges like information overload and confirms people tend to overestimate their ability to evaluate information. It provides examples of teaching concepts like logical fallacies and addressing emotions. Finally, it argues information literacy must be taught across curriculums and evaluating information requires both rational and emotional thinking.
The document discusses astroturfing, which refers to imitating or faking grassroots support through coordinated efforts. It describes how persona management software can automatically generate large numbers of fake online profiles to manipulate public opinion. The software allows multiple personas to be controlled by one person, making it difficult to identify artificial accounts. Concerns are raised that such tactics threaten online democracy and debate. The US Air Force was revealed to have contracted software that can create fake personas for astroturfing purposes.
Free Personal Statement Checklist Personal StateCourtney Bennett
The Kennedy family experienced much tragedy and misfortune over the generations. Some of the most notable incidents included Joseph Kennedy Jr.'s death in a plane explosion during World War II, Rosemary Kennedy undergoing a botched lobotomy that left her incapacitated, and John F. Kennedy being assassinated while president. The numerous tragic events that befell prominent members of the politically influential Kennedy family over the decades led some to see them as being cursed with bad luck.
1Current Events Case StudyUMGAnthony Bahlman11.docxrobert345678
1
Current Events Case Study
UMG
Anthony Bahlman
11/06/2022
2
Introduction
With a personal worth that is believed to be $273 billion, Elon Musk is the wealthiest
man on the face of the earth. This is comparable to the gross domestic product of either Portugal
or New Zealand, two nations that are consistently listed among the top 50 richest nations in the
world. Musk has had a great deal of success in the creation of new technologies, the most notable
of which are the game-changing Tesla electric automobiles and, more notably, his SpaceX
commercial rocket ships. On 14th of April, he made public his ambition to leave his stamp on the
social media sector, and he proceeded to do so by launching a successful hostile acquisition
attempt for Twitter in the amount of $43 billion (Jia, 2022). He has presented himself as a "free
speech absolutist" in order to garner support for his candidacy for the position with the
corporation.
Musk asserts that at the present time, Twitter is not fulfilling the "societal imperative"
that it should serve as a "platform for free expression throughout the globe." In March, he asked
his 81 million followers on Twitter their opinions on the matter and warned that "considering
that Twitter functions as that of the unofficial public town square, failure to adhere to the ideals
of free speech severely weakens democracy." He claims that Twitter "has to be changed as a
private corporation" and he believes he is the right person to carry out this transformation (Safak,
2022).
Identify and Analyze
Musk's ambition to acquire Twitter might be related to his ongoing need to address the
media bias he believes exists in the world at large and specifically in regards to him and his
businesses, and which is only accentuated in the online social media space. His ideas on online
3
expression as well as social media are misguided. First, he fails to recognize that free speech
laws in the US are meant to limit the behavior of governments, not businesses or individuals. The
First Amendment severely restricts government power by stating that Congress shall make no
legislation "abridging" free expression. In the past 230 years, legislators and judges in the United
States have painstakingly chiseled out a few narrow exceptions to this blanket ban on
government intervention. It is already well-established precedent that governments have some
leeway to regulate things like where and when speech may take place, the distribution of child
pornography, and incitement to violence.
In the United States, however, private businesses were never meant to be subject to these
free-speech requirements. Using them on sites like Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, or
TikTok would be particularly detrimental. Active and responsible moderation of information on
their platforms is in the betterment of our societal structure and in the businesses' financial
interests. If Elon must does .
Mae Khoory International DevelopmentReflection Paper 3 Dr. IPazSilviapm
Mae Khoory
International Development
Reflection Paper 3
Dr. Indrakshi Tandon
Critique the relationship between international financial institutions (i.e. the World Bank and the IMF) and developing nations, and their promotion of neoliberal economic policies.
The World Bank and the International Monetary Fund has expanded their global reach and exert a great amount of influence when dealing with foreign countries and their internal affairs. These financial institutions hold a lot of power when it comes to determining the future of a developing country (or any country whether rich or poor, that took a loan from them). A great example of how these financial institutions utilize their power is the in documentary watched in class, which exhibited the IMF and the Suharto Regime, their relations, what went wrong and the consequences suffered.
Just a brief summary of both financial institutions, the World Bank was founded at the United Nations Monetary and Financial Conference (also known as the Bretton Woods Conference) in 1944. The International Monetary Fund was also founded alongside the World Bank in 1945, which was in the end of World War II. These financial institutions followed the Bretton Woods system; this system was used to control the value of money between countries. They were established in an era where the political climate was completely different than the current political climate. At the beginning, their aim was to help developing countries emerge from poverty and instability, but that slowly changed into an aggressive implementation of neoliberal economic policies that did more harm than good to the underdeveloped countries.
After gathering information and building up a fundamental idea of both these financial institutions and their forceful implementation of neoliberal policies on developing countries; I have concluded that developing countries are the puppets of these financial institutions, and these financial institutions are the puppets of the neoliberal “regime”. Firstly, why do I say neoliberal “regime”? Let us begin by defining a regime. In politics, a regime is a form of government (or a set of rules) that shapes the procedures of a government and its relationship with the society. In this case, the regime consists of private and powerful individuals who own large and powerful corporations that permit control for their own interests in order to gain profit; they shape the procedures of the (underdeveloped) society. I am pointing out the fact that these financial institutions use neoliberal policies as a form of governing on a country.
Why do I say puppet? In regards to the developing country’s relationship with these institutions, they fell into the hands of these powerful entities in (most likely) the desperation of their need for money. After being loaned the money, the IMF and the World Bank are able to control these countries’ internal affairs because now, they have a say in how they should use that money. Wher ...
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Astroturfing ppt 42512
1. Photo by Mario Sixtus
Astroturfing: How “Persona Management
Software” is being Used to
Drown the Voice of Democracy
Dianne Dyslin – MSPC 3050 – April 25, 2012
2. • In this course, we’ve celebrated the many ways in
which social media gives power to the people.
We’ve talked about how it was instrumental in
launching the Arab Spring and how it gives the
everyday person a chance to be heard.
• But there is a much darker side to social media
that robs it of its potential to be a forum for
exploring issues, testing ideas, and opening
debate. It is known as “astroturfing” and it is the
Darth Vader of the Internet.
4. • AstroTurf is the bright green artificial grass
used in some sports stadiums and playing
fields. The term “astroturfing” is wordplay
based on grassroots democracy
efforts, i.e., truly spontaneous undertakings
largely sustained by private persons, as
opposed to
politicians, governments, corporations, or
public relations firms. Thus the term
“astroturfing” refers to imitating or faking
popular grassroots opinion or behavior. 1
5. Astroturfing’s techniques usually consist
of a few people attempting to give the
impression that mass numbers of
enthusiasts advocate some specific
cause. The term is said to have
originated with former US Senator Lloyd
Bentsen of Texas in 1985, when he was
quoted by the Washington Post as
saying, “A fellow from Texas can
tell the difference between grass
Former Treasury Secretary Lloyd
Bentsen in 1995.
Mike Theiler/Reuters
roots and Astroturf,” when
describing the “mountain of cards and
letters” he got promoting what he saw
as the interests of insurance companies.
He said, “This is generated mail.” 2
6. • Astroturfing can take many forms, but with regard to
social media, it refers to conversations and reviews
expressed within online communities that are coming
not from legitimate, sharing consumers, but rather
from hired imposters, who don’t disclose their
connection to an organization. 3
• Most astroturfing takes place on the forums and
comment sections of blogs and newspaper websites.
Here, individual astroturfers can leave comments under
numerous identities with little fear of discovery. 4
7. • Message boards, chat rooms, and listservs are a
great way to anonymously monitor what is being
said. Once you plug into this world, it’s possible to
make postings to these outlets that present your
position as an uninvolved third party. 5
• This deception is most likely to occur where
the interests of companies or governments
come into conflict with the interests of the
public. 6
10. Examples of Astroturfing
• Examples of astroturfing abound, but British blogger George
Monbiot of The Guardian provides a couple of particularly good
ones. He writes that he was first introduced to astroturfing in
2002, when two investigators, Andy Rowell and Jonathan
Matthews, looked into a series of virulent comments made by two
people calling themselves Mary Murphy and Andura Smetacek.
They launched ferocious attacks, across several Internet
forums, against a scientist whose research suggested that Mexican
corn had been widely contaminated by GM pollen.
• Rowell and Matthews found that one of the messages Mary
Murphy had sent came from a domain owned by the Bivings
Group, a PR company specializing in Internet lobbying. An article on
the Bivings website at that time explained, “There are some
campaigns where it would be undesirable or even disastrous to let
the audience know that your organization is directly involved . . .”
11. • The Bivings site also quoted a senior executive
from the biotech corporation Monsanto, thanking
the PR firm for its “outstanding work.” When a
Bivings executive was challenged by
Newsnight, he admitted that the “Mary Murphy”
email was sent by someone “working for Bivings”
or “clients using our services.” Rowell and
Matthews then discovered that the IP address on
Andura Smetacek’s messages was assigned to
Monsanto’s headquarters in St. Louis, Missouri.
• There’s a nice twist to this story: AstroTurf™ --
real fake grass – was developed and patented by
Monsanto. 7
12. • Monbiot provides his second, and far scarier example
of astroturfing, in a recent February
23, 2011, column. He writes that in December
2010, he was contacted by a whistleblower, who had
been part of a commercial team employed to infest
Internet forums and comment threads on behalf of
corporate clients. His job was to promote their
causes and argue with anyone who opposed them.
• Like other members of his team, he posed as a
disinterested member of the public. Or, to be more
precise, as a “crowd” of disinterested members of
the public. This gentleman used 70 different
personas, both to avoid detection as well as to create
the impression that there was widespread support
for his pro-corporate arguments. 8
13. How is this possible?
A real person using the Internet. Unfortunately we can no longer assume what we are reading
is written by one of these creatures. Photograph: Jeff Blackler/Rex Features
14. • Emails obtained by political hackers from a US
cyber-security firm called HBGary Federal
suggest that a remarkable technological
armory is being deployed to drown out the
voices of real people.
• The foremost weapon of this high-tech arsenal
is known as “persona management software,”
which multiplies the efforts of each
astroturfer, creating the impression that
there’s major support for what a corporation
or government is trying to do.
15. • This software creates all the online furniture a
real person would possess, i.e., a name, email
accounts, web pages, and social media.
Essentially, it automatically generates what look
like authentic profiles, making it hard to tell the
difference between a virtual robot and a real
commentator.
• Fake accounts can be kept updated by
automatically reposting or linking to content
generated elsewhere, reinforcing the impression
that the account holders are real and active.
16. • Human astroturfers can then be assigned these “pre-
aged” accounts to create a back story, suggesting that
they’ve been busy linking and retweeting for months.
No one would suspect that they came onto the scene
for the first time a moment ago, for the sole purpose of
attacking an article on climate science or arguing
against new controls on salt in junk food.
• With some clever use of social media, astroturfers
can, in the security firm’s words, “make it appear as if a
person was actually at a conference and introduce
himself/herself to key individuals as part of the
exercise . . . There are a variety of social media
tricks that we can use to add a level of
realness to fictitious personas.” 9
17. A PDF of a federal contract from the 6th Contracting Squadron at MacDill Air Force
Base, located south of Tampa, Florida, dated June 22, 2010. Other sites listed as “place
of performance” for the contract were Kabul, Afghanistan, and Baghdad.
18. • In this same article, Monbiot provides an even more
disturbing revelation. The US Air Force has been
tendering for companies to supply it with persona
management software. He doesn’t say for what
purpose, only that the USAF would like it to perform
the following tasks:
a. Create “10 personas per user, replete with
background, history, supporting details, and cyber
presences that are technically, culturally and
geographically consistent . . . Personas must be able to
appear to originate in nearly any part of the world and
can interact through conventional online services and
social media platforms.”
19. b. Automatically provides its astroturfers with “randomly
selected IP addresses through which they can access the
Internet” (an IP address is the number which identifies
someone’s computer), and these are to be changed every
day, “hiding the existence of the operation.” The software
should also mix up the astroturfers’ web traffic with
“traffic from multitudes of users from outside the
organization. This traffic blending provides excellent cover
and powerful deniability.”
c. Create “static IP addresses” for each persona, enabling
different astroturfers “to look like the same person over
time.” It should also allow “organizations that frequent
same site/service often to easily switch IP addresses to
look like ordinary users as opposed to one organization.”
20. • As Monbiot so astutely observes:
“Software like this has the potential to destroy
the Internet as a forum for constructive
debate. It jeopardizes the notion of online
democracy. Comment threads on issues with
major commercial implications are already
being wrecked by what look like armies of
organized trolls . . .”
21. • He continues:
“The Internet is a wonderful gift, but it’s
also a bonanza for corporate
lobbyists, viral marketers, and
government spin doctors, who can
operate in cyberspace without
regulation, accountability, or fear of
detection.” 10
22. Conclusion
• This is incredibly insidious stuff and goes well
beyond some company stacking the deck with
favorable comments about a new product launch
on its FB page. Persona management software
threatens the very roots of our democracy,
because it obscures the line between dealing
with a person and dealing with some kind of
“bot,” whose only function is to manipulate our
opinion. Sadly, we can’t tell the difference, and it
appears to be a situation that will only get worse.
23. • Stephen C. Webster, senior editor of Raw
Story, comments:
“Persona management software” can be used
to manipulate public opinion on key
information, such as news reports. An
unlimited number of virtual “people” could be
marshaled by only a few real
individuals, empowering them to create the
illusion of consensus.
24. • Furthermore, it creates:
. . . the potential for military-run armies
of fake people
manipulating and, in some
cases, even manufacturing
the appearance of public opinion. 11
25. • So what does this say about Li and Bernoff’s
groundswell (2008)? 12 How much power can it really
have for getting out the truth and being a tool of
grassroots democracy when the illusion of the latter
can be so easily manufactured and manipulated?
• The prohibitions put in place by professional
organizations, such as the Public Relations Society of
America (PRSA), 13 to inhibit astroturfing are totally
ineffectual when dealing with behemoth organizations
like the US Air Force, which could care less if they are
excommunicated from the member body. Theirs is a
form of stealth marketing so powerful and pervasive
that it totally sidesteps any sanctions that traditional
PR organizations have to offer.
26. References
Text References
1 Astroturfing. Wikipedia. Retrieved April 4, 2012, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Astroturfing
2“Linguist List.” Retrieved April 22, 2012, from http://listserv.linguistlist.org/cgi-bin/wa?A2=ind0403E&L=ads-
l&P=1547
3 Pugh, M. (2010, September 20). Social media increases astroturfing, brands risk losing customers, survey
shows. Retrieved April 5, 2012, from http://socialmediatoday.com/matthewpugh/182608/social-media-
increases-astroturfing-brands-risk-losing-customers-survey-shows
4Bienkov, A. (2012, February 8). Astroturfing: what is it and why does it matter? The Guardian. Retrieved April
23, 2012, from http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/feb/08/what-is-astroturfing?CMP=twt_gu
5Monbiot, G. (2010, December 13). These Astroturf libertarians are the real threat to internet democracy. The
Guardian. Retrieved April 12, 2012, from
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/libertycentral/2010/dec/13/astroturf-libertarians-internet-
democracy
27. Text References, cont’d
6 Monbiot, G. (2011, February 23). The need to protect the internet from ‘astroturfing’ grows ever more urgent.
The Guardian. Retrieved April 23, 2012, from
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/georgemonbiot/2011/feb/23/need-to-protect-internet-from-
astroturfing
7 Op.cit., Monbiot, G. (2010, December 13).
8 Op.cit., Monbiot, G. (2011, February 23).
9 Ibid., (2011, February 23).
10 Ibid., (2011, February 23).
11 Webster,S.C. (2011, February 18). Revealed: Air Force ordered software to manage army of fake virtual
people. The Raw Story. Retrieved April 24, 2012, from http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2011/02/18/revealed-air-
force-ordered-software-to-manage-army-of-fake-virtual-people/
12 Li,
Charlene, Bernoff, J. (2008). Groundswell: Winning in a World Transformed by Social Technologies. Boston:
Harvard Business Press.
13 Public
Relations Society of America (PRSA) Member Code of Ethics. Retrieved April 24, 2012, from
http://www.prsa.org/AboutPRSA/Ethics/CodeEnglish/
28. Photo and Graphics References
Slide 1 – The Write Blog (2012, March 20). Astroturfing: The icky side of social media marketing. Retrieved April
20, 2012, from http://www.thewritersforhire.com/blog/copywriting/astroturfing-the-icky-side-of-social-
media-marketing/ Photo by Mario Sixtus.
Slide 3 – Gibbs, M. (2012, April 14). Astroturfing cold fusion: Making the promise seem real. Forbes. Retrieved
April 20, 2012, from http://www.forbes.com/sites/markgibbs/2012/04/14/astroturfing-cold-fusion-
making-the-promise-seem-real/
Slide 5 – Rosenbaum, D.E. (2006, May 24). Lloyd Bentsen dies at 85; Senator ran with Dukakis. New York Times.
Retrieved April 22, 2012, from http://www.nytimes.com/2006/05/24/washington/24bentsen.html?_r=1
Photo by Mike Theiler/Reuters.
Slides 8 and 9 – Astroturfing. Google Insights for Search. Retrieved April 23, 2012, from
http://www.google.com/insights/search/#q=astroturfing&cmpt=q
Slide 13 – Monbiot, G. (2011, February 23). The need to protect the internet from ‘astroturfing’ grows ever
more urgent. The Guardian. Retrieved April 23, 2012, from
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/georgemonbiot/2011/feb/23/need-to-protect-internet-from-
astroturfing Photo by Jeff Blackler/Rex Features.
Slide 17 – Webster, S.C. (2011, February 18). Revealed: Air Force ordered software to manage army of fake
virtual people. The Raw Story. Retrieved April 24, 2012, from
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2011/02/18/revealed-air-force-ordered-software-to-manage-army-of-fake-
virtual-people/ Federal contract PDF, retrieved April 24, 2012, from http://www.rawstory.com/rs/wp-
content/uploads/2011/03/personamanagementcontract.pdf