@VirginiaMurr@mastodon.social
@VirginiaMurr@mastodon.social avatar

VirginiaMurr

@VirginiaMurr@mastodon.social

Social media researcher, mom, philosophy grad, and book lover. I loathe fake accounts and platform manipulation. #nobot

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VirginiaMurr, to random
@VirginiaMurr@mastodon.social avatar

Just a reminder: aside from all of the other bad things Zuckerberg has said and done, his company also offered advertisers the opportunity to target emotionally vulnerable KIDS.

From the 2017 article below: Facebook "offered advertisers the opportunity to target 6.4 million younger users, some only 14 years old, during moments of psychological vulnerability, such as when they felt 'worthless,' 'insecure,' 'stressed,' 'defeated,' 'anxious,' and like a 'failure.'”

https://www.wired.com/2017/05/welcome-next-phase-facebook-backlash/

grammargirl, to random
@grammargirl@zirk.us avatar

I'm at my computer all day. No platform that forces me to use an app will ever be my main.

VirginiaMurr,
@VirginiaMurr@mastodon.social avatar

@grammargirl

Same.

Not an app person -- never will be.

VirginiaMurr, to random
@VirginiaMurr@mastodon.social avatar

If you assume, up front, that the GOP will do the UNethical thing, then Trump's bump in support after being indicted is expected--not surprising.

(It's odd to me that the talking point is how unexpected his bump is. Unexpected by whom? Those who still think the GOP have a moral compass? Yikes.)

Also: this should reiterate why it's vital to go after Trump for the crimes he (clearly) committed, not act as a deterrent from going after him.

dznz, to random

I’m just remembering the time FB killed a bunch of small media companies by pretending that its video engagement was through the roof.

And the time they non-consensually experimented with only showing awful things to certain users to see if it would isolate and depress them (it did).

And the time they hosted the livestream of a mass shooting hate crime.

And the time they enabled a genocide.

Or Cambridge Analytica. JFC remembering facts and events is not hard.

VirginiaMurr,
@VirginiaMurr@mastodon.social avatar

@dznz

One of the worst for me was that they offered for advertisers to target KIDS in who "during moments of psychological vulnerability".

Targeting emotionally vulnerable kids.

For profit.

Here's the 2017 article from Wired: https://www.wired.com/2017/05/welcome-next-phase-facebook-backlash/

ryanhoulihan, to random
@ryanhoulihan@mastodon.social avatar

You guys just have to be cool about non-binary people. Or compromise and shoot for 40% less fucking weird. Who cares if you’ve “heard of” things before? You are literally awake right now and you’re gonna find out new things. Are you, like, okay babe? What is this about? What are you not getting? Take a lap. Call your mom or something. You’re fine, it’s literally fine. Things were fine and they’re still fine. You’ve used a singular “they” before, I promise you. People run 10Ks. You can do this.

VirginiaMurr,
@VirginiaMurr@mastodon.social avatar

@ryanhoulihan

From an older mom who fully understood & supported LGBTQ but got honestly confused as the community grew ...

When I run into something I'm not familiar with (non-binary was one of those things a while ago), I ask my 20-something kid who is fully informed. Talk to the kids; they're alright. 😃

I saw someone in the replies say we don't need to understand. For me, it's important to know enough to make sure I'm not accidentally degrading people (e.g., wrong pronouns, etc.).

ryanhoulihan, to random
@ryanhoulihan@mastodon.social avatar

deleted_by_author

    •
    VirginiaMurr,
    @VirginiaMurr@mastodon.social avatar

    @ryanhoulihan

    Hahaha ... I once went to a dinner (long story) where several millionaires and one billionaire were in attendance. It was a painfully weird experience. A whole different world (and, except for dessert, the food was obnoxiously gross).

    VirginiaMurr,
    @VirginiaMurr@mastodon.social avatar

    @ryanhoulihan

    Yesss! 🤣

    jwildeboer, to random
    @jwildeboer@social.wildeboer.net avatar

    I admit. I am too old to get excited by Apple Vision Pro or other VR things. I prefer real human interaction. If you think I will miss out on wonderful new opportunities that come at a steep price and some sort of subscription — I will happily miss out and use my money and time for more important things. I will accept your "OK, Boomer" :)

    VirginiaMurr,
    @VirginiaMurr@mastodon.social avatar

    @jwildeboer

    Just wanted to send a standing ovation your way for saying this.

    👏 👏 👏

    ubiquity75, to random

    The first 15-20 minutes of doing email is deleting crap emails.

    VirginiaMurr,
    @VirginiaMurr@mastodon.social avatar

    @ubiquity75

    Email belongs in the 9th level of Dante's Inferno.

    VirginiaMurr, to random
    @VirginiaMurr@mastodon.social avatar

    Almost all of the GOP candidates insisting Trump shouldn't be indicted for things like espionage and criminal conspiracy to obstruct ... really makes one think they're doing this because they don't want to be indicted for crimes they plan to commit if they ever (heaven forbid) become President.

    briankrebs, to random

    Look at what passes for the news; "New data shows that 13% of Americans have had sex while on a virtual call. I’d love to connect you with [blah blah] to discuss this data and best practices for virtual etiquette."

    Guess I've been doing Zoom wrong. Also, I call bs. Maybe I'd believe 13 percent had sex w/ themselves while on virtual calls. I'm also thinking if you're going to have sex while on a work call, you probably don't care about etiquette.

    VirginiaMurr,
    @VirginiaMurr@mastodon.social avatar

    @briankrebs

    I'd go with:

    "I'm also thinking if you're going to have sex while on a work call"... certainly don't care about etiquette ... or decency or simple respect for other humans.

    baldur, to random
    @baldur@toot.cafe avatar

    I'm going to take the risk of updating my profile photo soon, so if you suddenly see an unfamiliar account, you don't remember following, then that's probably me.

    The old photo dates from just before the plague so due for an update.

    New versus old, if you're curious about how much 4 years of pandemic stress ages you.

    Four year old photo of me looking a bit scruffy

    VirginiaMurr,
    @VirginiaMurr@mastodon.social avatar

    @baldur

    I genuinely thought, "wow, the pics look like they were taken around the same time." You've held up well under the pandemic stress! Kudos!

    briankrebs, to random

    Someone has compromised a bunch of Minecraft plugin developer accounts, and has injected info-stealing malware into a number of widely used plugins for the game. Apparently, this is widespread enough that some involved in the investigation are urging people to just stay off Minecraft for now. Also, it sounds like they need some help.

    More info:

    https://prismlauncher.org/news/cf-compromised-alert/

    More structured breakdown:

    https://hackmd.io/B46EYzKXSfWSF35DeCZz9A

    h/t @MrNuclearMonster

    VirginiaMurr,
    @VirginiaMurr@mastodon.social avatar

    @briankrebs @MrNuclearMonster

    Not regretting my decision to keep all video games in the house off line.

    oliphant, to random

    I read someone on here the other day claiming that Elon Musk has actually created a better space on Twitter with his changes and how it's actually a good thing to constantly be confronting the bad guys and have the bad guys in your space because it creates better conversations and I can't even.

    VirginiaMurr,
    @VirginiaMurr@mastodon.social avatar

    @oliphant

    So, the guy holding the purse strings and having the loudest voice on the platform--and total control over whom sees what, how much, and when, who also happens to support far-right, hateful views and spews them constantly ... is doing a great job and people should support him for creating unsafe spaces that create ripples of increasing vitriol and violence towards marginalized people in the real world?

    No remotely ethically minded, principled human would hold that view. Ever.

    augieray, (edited ) to random
    @augieray@mastodon.social avatar

    Before , parents would always say their kids were virus sponges, catching and bringing home illnesses.

    Then COVID comes along, and people actually believed (with zero merit) that COVID somehow skipped kids and children couldn't spread it. Of course, that was wrong. COVID wasn't a magic virus that ignored classrooms, children and household spread.

    https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/covid-19/more-70-us-household-covid-spread-started-child-study-suggests

    VirginiaMurr,
    @VirginiaMurr@mastodon.social avatar

    @augieray

    Nailed it.

    The persistent lack of basic logic through this whole (still happening) COVID ordeal has been mind-numbing.

    You don't have to be a doctor to understand that airborne viruses don't give a flying fuck who you are or how old you are. If they can attack you, they will. And, when a bunch of people (some of whom have viruses) are hanging together indoors for hours with crappy air filtration & no masks, people will get sick. Viruses do not discriminate. They love all people.

    jerry, to random

    7 months ago, twitter losing their execs responsible for trust and safety would have caused a massive influx of new signups. Over the past few days, they've lost two senior leaders in that area, and I think we've had less signups than on any random days. It's interesting how people adjust to the "new normal"

    VirginiaMurr,
    @VirginiaMurr@mastodon.social avatar

    @jerry

    Maybe. I think it's equally plausible that the people who care at all about that kind of thing left 7 months ago and a bit after that.

    Rather than "adjusting", those who remain never cared enough about things like trust and safety for it to matter--then or now.

    VirginiaMurr,
    @VirginiaMurr@mastodon.social avatar

    @jerry

    That's a good point.

    Sadly, for some, the draw of quantified popularity was enough to overcome their principles.

    markwyner, to random
    @markwyner@mas.to avatar

    Happy birthday, Morgan Freeman.

    VirginiaMurr,
    @VirginiaMurr@mastodon.social avatar

    @markwyner

    Love that man.

    I could listen to him recite Invictus all day, every day. ;-)

    Here he is speaking about Nelson Mandela (he goes on to recite Invictus from memory ... as it was Nelson Mandela's favorite poem).

    https://youtu.be/a7q_vACVwq0

    oliphant, to random

    "Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ. Obey them not only to win their favor when their eye is on you, but as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart. Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not people, because you know that the Lord will reward each one for whatever good they do, whether they are slave or free."

    Look, some of you have seen fit to defend some thing or other in the Bible and that's really great for you, but it's largely wasted on me.

    As you can see, there's a lot of shit in that book and sometimes you defending it is a lot like normalizing some horrible shit that I don't normally tolerate being normalized.

    So I just want to bring your attention to this passage, in the New Testament, before we start having scriptural debates, because I will either make you angry or make you cry and I have a great deal of untapped anger about this massive engine of misinformation and violence and exclusion that masquerades as kind words to live by.

    If you find good in this book, that's great.

    But don't try to talk to me like I don't know what's in it, and for every "right practicing church" out there who interprets the scripture the right way (your way) I'll point you to the mud-dwelling snake handlers who are not prepared or willing to make such distinctions and are pretty literalist about it.

    And all of it missing the ultimate point which is that if you're looking for life lessons or guidance there are modern books written by modern people that don't include lessons for how to do slavery right in their "good book."

    VirginiaMurr,
    @VirginiaMurr@mastodon.social avatar

    @oliphant

    Really well stated.

    I am not religious (studied various religions in college, however).

    But I had to figure out how to teach my kids about religion. Christianity, particularly, because of its relevance to much of modern life. Someone says "David v Goliath", they need to understand the reference.

    Anyway, I kind of lucked out in that they learned Greek & Roman mythology first, so they saw how much of Christianity is simply a retelling of older myths.

    ryanhoulihan, to random
    @ryanhoulihan@mastodon.social avatar

    Nobody has wished me a happy Pride, but they have told me about 500+ things that are coming to kill me. It’s officially June!

    VirginiaMurr,
    @VirginiaMurr@mastodon.social avatar

    @ryanhoulihan

    Well, happy Pride, Ryan. ;-)

    Hoping this sends a small smile your way::
    My 12 year old has decided to create a "celebrating Pride month" piece of art every single day this month. (She's the kind of kid who follows through when making commitments like this ... so, she'll definitely do it.)

    VirginiaMurr, to random
    @VirginiaMurr@mastodon.social avatar

    "Ralph Yarl — a Black teenager who was shot in the head and arm after mistakenly ringing the wrong doorbell — walked at a brain injury awareness event in his first major public appearance since the shooting."

    Side-note: TBI is no joke--physically and emotionally (my daughter had one after almost dying in a car wreck yrs ago). My heart goes out to Ralph and his family. Kudos to them for making sure Ralph knows he's not alone.

    https://apnews.com/article/ralph-yarl-brain-injury-shot-teenager-black-kansas-city-e31994020e808dd622cb04c73236fd4c

    tchambers, to random

    From the CEO of blogging site DailyKos, that sees about 160 million visits a year:

    "Using Twitter is still a necessary evil for many of us, me included. But given the pace of alternatives suddenly emerging, those days are numbered. I fully expect Twitter to be obsolete by the end of the year, a $44-billion boondoggle that’ll resemble little more than a glorified Parler or Gab. Yet another ‘unscheduled rapid disassembly’ overseen by Elon Musk."

    https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2023/5/26/2171355/-Twitter-competitors-are-coming-Here-s-what-might-be-next#comment_86275913

    VirginiaMurr,
    @VirginiaMurr@mastodon.social avatar

    @tchambers

    There is no such thing as a needing to partake of a "necessary evil" when it comes to social media. It's social media -- not life/death.

    What they neglect to say is that they are willing to participate in an "evil" (their word) for financial reasons. Their bottom line.

    Interesting that they're willing to admit the platform is "evil" but not admit why they stay.

    oliphant, (edited ) to random

    Newsies, someone come and get your boy, @jeff

    https://newsie.social/@Newsmax

    VirginiaMurr,
    @VirginiaMurr@mastodon.social avatar

    @leighms @oliphant @jeff @Daily_Twerk

    Genuinely -- talk to any disinfo researcher and/or extremism researcher. It's common knowledge in those circles that Newsmax is really bad news.

    Green_Footballs, to random
    @Green_Footballs@mastodon.social avatar

    Nobody ever asked me if I wanted AI to be in every goddamned thing I use online.

    VirginiaMurr,
    @VirginiaMurr@mastodon.social avatar

    @jeffjarvis @Green_Footballs

    Haha ... spell-check and its often counter-intuitive conclusions is a time-sucking headache.

    As I told my youngest (who's growing up surrounded by all things digital): never rely on spell-check. Just learn to spell.

    TonyStark, to random
    @TonyStark@progressivecafe.social avatar

    This article notes that Joe Manchin's income is largely from his family company, which sells waste coal to power plants. Note also that Manchin gets more campaign funding from the oil and methane industry than any other member of Congress. Any.

    1/n

    Manchin attacked EPA’s new rules. They could cost him millions-
    https://www.politico.com/news/2023/05/11/manchin-epa-new-rules-biden-00096320

    VirginiaMurr,
    @VirginiaMurr@mastodon.social avatar

    @TonyStark

    My ex's family is from a small mountain town in KY (yes, it's as bad as it sounds) .... I visited a couple of times.

    The couple of guys who managed to get jobs coaling came home covered in black soot, daily. Not an inch of their skin showed. Their bathtubs were permanently stained black from it. Just imagine what their lungs look like.

    And, yes, one of my ex's uncles died from black lung during that time.

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