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Exclusive: Guardian analysis prompts calls for new drive to combat conspiracy theories

Posted by Editorial Team on September 20, 2020 at 9:35am
Exclusive: Guardian analysis prompts calls for new drive to combat conspiracy theories “Engagement with anti-vaccine posts on a sample of UK Facebook pages trebled between July and August, analysis by the Guardian has found, triggering calls for a major new push to tackle conspiracy theories.” There are at least two worrying strands to this story; 1) the uplift and proliferation of “misinformation” being spread freely and virally inside social media. With those behind the theories profiting financially from them. And 2) the drive to suppress the freedom of speech, differing view points etc as calls for government and platform led censorship is discussed. Somehow we need, globally, to be able to balance the two. On the one hand misinformation could cost lives and on the other censorship that squashes anything but the “official” narrative is a form of dictatorship. We can’t expect to fully understand the complexity of issues through memes and social media posts. https://www.facebook.com/103626624451616/posts/200157001465244/
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Another piece of coronavirus misinformation is making the rounds. Here’s how to sift through the muck.

Posted by Editorial Team on September 19, 2020 at 8:43am
Another piece of coronavirus misinformation is making the rounds. Here’s how to sift through the muck. Why does misinformation in this time of need of clear concise thought keep going viral about this virus? https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/2020/09/coronavirus-origins-misinformation-yan-report-fact-check-cvd/ https://www.facebook.com/103626624451616/posts/199925351488409/
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Watch Netflix documentaries “The Social Dilemma” and “The Great Hack.” If you want to see what is really going on behind the scenes of social media companies and their manipulation of us all and their

Posted by Editorial Team on September 18, 2020 at 7:36am
Watch Netflix documentaries “The Social Dilemma” and “The Great Hack.” If you want to see what is really going on behind the scenes of social media companies and their manipulation of us all and their compliancy in the manipulation of world elections. This area is where Sleepless Dystopian’s main focus is. And as the November elections draw closer in the US now more than ever we urge people to put down their phones and give social media a break. From data driven behavioral marketing targeting your every move online, to segmented real time advertising targeting different messages to every single one of us differently based on our profile driving wedges between members of the same household. Companies like Cambridge Analytica (of which there are still many) trying to manipulate your vote or even for you not to vote. And of course foreign state interference and propagation of fake news from unreliable sources. With all this interference “sense making” is almost impossible. Our best advice is switch off the phone, turn off the TV and don’t read the newspapers: instead visit each candidates website, fully understand their plans, their objectives and the issues they are running on and make an informed decision as to whether you agree with them or not. And then vote. Don’t let anyone, any advert, any meme and “group” on Facebook or elsewhere convince you to not vote. Don’t take the bait of political advertising and headline grabbing slogans. It’s time we all leaned to think for ourselves again without the influence and manipulation of social media. It’s time to take a break. Get outside and enjoy nature. And vote. Watch Netflix documentaries “The Social Dilemma” and “The Great Hack.” If you want to see what is really going on behind the scenes of social media companies and their manipulation of us all and their compliancy in the manipulation of world elections. This area is where Sleepless Dystopian’s main focus is. And as the November elections draw closer in the US now more than ever we urge people to put down their phones and give social media a break. From data driven behavioral marketing targeting your every move online, to segmented real time advertising targeting different messages to every single one of us differently based on our profile driving wedges between members of the same household. Companies like Cambridge Analytica (of which there are still many) trying to manipulate your vote or even for you not to vote. And of course foreign state interference and propagation of fake news from unreliable sources. With all this interference “sense making” is almost impossible. Our best advice is switch off the phone, turn off the TV and don’t read the newspapers: instead visit each candidates website, fully understand their plans, their objectives and the issues they are running on and make an informed decision as to whether you agree with them or not. And then vote. Don’t let anyone, any advert, any meme and “group” on Facebook or elsewhere convince you to not vote. Don’t take the bait of political advertising and headline grabbing slogans. It’s time we all leaned to think for ourselves again without the influence and manipulation of social media. It’s time to take a break. Get outside and enjoy nature. And vote. https://www.facebook.com/103626624451616/posts/199693628178248/
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A 6,600-word internal memo from a fired Facebook data scientist details how the social network knew about specific examples of global political manipulation — and failed to act.

Posted by Editorial Team on September 15, 2020 at 7:30am
A 6,600-word internal memo from a fired Facebook data scientist details how the social network knew about specific examples of global political manipulation — and failed to act. A 6,600-word internal memo from a fired Facebook data scientist details how the social network knew leaders of countries around the world were using their site to manipulate voters — and failed to act. https://www.facebook.com/103626624451616/posts/198925004921777/
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Russian government hackers have targeted at least 200 organizations tied to the 2020 U.S. election in recent weeks, according to Microsoft Corp.

Posted by Editorial Team on September 11, 2020 at 6:15am
Russian government hackers have targeted at least 200 organizations tied to the 2020 U.S. election in recent weeks, according to Microsoft Corp. It’s never been so important to get out or mail in Vote in the US this year. Whatever side you are on don’t get dissuaded from Voting. Double check any social media sources, including this one. Check for Bias, check and double check before reposting. Russian interference is just one source, a very prevalent source, where the aim is to meddle with the election process and result. https://www.wsj.com/articles/russian-hackers-have-targeted-200-groups-tied-to-presidential-election-microsoft-says-11599763502?mod=mhp https://www.facebook.com/103626624451616/posts/197996451681299/
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Michael Moore presents Planet of the Humans, a documentary that dares to say what no one else will — that we are losing the battle to stop climate change on ...

Posted by Editorial Team on September 6, 2020 at 11:33am
Michael Moore presents Planet of the Humans, a documentary that dares to say what no one else will — that we are losing the battle to stop climate change on ... This film is an important eye opener, not just in what we are doing to the environment with fossil fuel but also the lies told to us regarding biofuel and other “sustainable” fuels, often promoted by so called climate change activists organizations; who have sold out to big business. The only possibility for change is if we change the way we live and hold government, industry and the individuals that profit off and promote these lies accountable. https://youtu.be/Zk11vI-7czE https://www.facebook.com/103626624451616/posts/196915941789350/
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On "Good Morning America," the infectious disease expert said unequivocally that more than 180,000 Americans have died of the coronavirus.

Posted by Editorial Team on September 3, 2020 at 7:32pm
On "Good Morning America," the infectious disease expert said unequivocally that more than 180,000 Americans have died of the coronavirus. “ Dr. Anthony Fauci this week debunked an online theory that suggested the coronavirus had accounted for only 9,000 U.S. fatalities, noting that such a figure was only a fraction of the actual death toll. The infectious disease expert stated unequivocally on “Good Morning America” that more than 180,000 Americans have died of COVID-19. “The point that the [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] was trying to make was that a certain percentage of them had nothing else, just COVID,” Fauci said Tuesday. “That does not mean that someone who has hypertension, diabetes who dies of COVID didn’t die of COVID-19, but they did. So the numbers you’ve been hearing, the 180,000 plus, are real deaths from COVID-19.” https://www.facebook.com/103626624451616/posts/196242941856650/
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1min Read: Opinion: Conspiracy and War on Sensemaking You would be amiss to have not noticed there is a war on our ability to make sense of the world going on right now. The information wars are ragin

Posted by Editorial Team on August 30, 2020 at 1:55pm
1min Read: Opinion: Conspiracy and War on Sensemaking You would be amiss to have not noticed there is a war on our ability to make sense of the world going on right now. The information wars are raging in the western world. The war on reality, the war on facts and the idea of fake news and “altern... New post / opinion piece on SleeplessDystopian.com on Conspiracy and War On Sensemaking https://www.facebook.com/103626624451616/posts/195175855296692/
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Thousands gather in Trafalgar Square to hear calls for lockdown rules to be removed

Posted by Editorial Team on August 30, 2020 at 11:26am
Thousands gather in Trafalgar Square to hear calls for lockdown rules to be removed Yep it’s happening here too folks; following this will be another outbreak and lots of the people in this picture will end up dead. Sorry but the same is happening all over the world. If you think it’s a hoax fine, but that doesn’t give you the right to also ignore the law and not where a face mask or gather in large groups when the majority of the population not only believe the news and fears around Covid (because we engage in critical thinking and analysis). Multiple versions of the same story to follow: Covid denier tests positive and dies! Same story different country. https://www.facebook.com/103626624451616/posts/195142601966684/
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Groups pitching to perceived desire for alternative output as trust in BBC falls

Posted by Editorial Team on August 30, 2020 at 10:40am
Groups pitching to perceived desire for alternative output as trust in BBC falls Oh great and now this: one thing I have always been proud of in the UK is that our TV news media has always been more nuanced about its bias and political leanings. Where is the fun in picking apart their stories if we end up turning our news channels into a US style platform where the bias and political leanings are blatant. The battleground will then become one of shouting at each other (we are already about there on social media) and platforms of political propaganda. I for one like to take in a broad spectrum of news media that is both left and right leaning. On global issues and news I try to look at western, eastern and Asian news sites to try and getting a more rounded view and clearer picture, whilst always taking into consideration both the author and the media’s agenda around a particular framing of the story. And maybe this is something I should do more of and more explicitly at sleeplessdystopian.com; break up a story into multiple opposing views, expose the perceived framing and what that tells us about the agenda and try to make sense of what is really going on. Maybe this armchair activist needs to get more “active!” I might need more coffee though on these sunny Sunday mornings. https://www.facebook.com/103626624451616/posts/195134205300857/
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Film-maker says enthusiasm for president in swing states is ‘off the charts’ and urges everyone to commit to getting 100 people to vote

Posted by Editorial Team on August 30, 2020 at 10:12am
Film-maker says enthusiasm for president in swing states is ‘off the charts’ and urges everyone to commit to getting 100 people to vote Michael Moore warns, for a second time (the first in 2016) that Trump is on his way to victory. He says that you can’t leave it out to the Democratic Party to get Trump out but that the voters, Democratic supporters need to commit to getting 100 people, each, to vote. He correctly predicted the Trump win in 2016. I also predicted this in 2016 as I did with the Brexit vote the year before in a post I wrote ahead of both results. My rationale then came from my analysis of their campaigns. As a marketing and communications specialist I could clearly see that on both occasions the opposition were running better campaigns. Better Branding and Slogans and better use of social media and behavioral targeting. Hopefully the Democrats have woken up to this and are doing a better job this time. This time does feel different and it does feel a lot closers than in 2016. Biden could steal it from under Trumps nose. But only if they pull out all the stops and the Democratic voting public commits, as Moore says, to getting others to vote as well. This is not a time of complacency; it’s a time of action. As a UK citizen looking in its clear to me that the US has one chance to regain its foothold as the global leader and save its democracy from tyranny; and that is to vote Trump out in 2020. https://www.facebook.com/103626624451616/posts/195130578634553/
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Millions in taxpayer cash has been given to company that doesn't appear to have traded since it was founded in 2016 – a questionable move in a bigger “scandal”, according to one MP

Posted by Editorial Team on August 30, 2020 at 9:56am
Millions in taxpayer cash has been given to company that doesn't appear to have traded since it was founded in 2016 – a questionable move in a bigger “scandal”, according to one MP More than £5billion in tax payers money has been given to questionable firms during this pandemic. I keep posting stories like this. But it’s because these particular stories keep growing into one bigger picture story of ineptitude, nepotism and a possible scandal of fraud at the very top of UK government. These companies include some that are apparently dormant, companies that have no experience is dealing with or supplying PPE and (of course) associates and friends of the Conservative party and Dominic Cummings. This is the story of the Tories all over. My entire life there have been stories like this coming out about corruption and nepotism from the Tory party and yet people keep voting them in. Using this pandemic as a chance to get rich is sickening enough. But firms will take advantage of any opportunity they get to make money, this should though be regulated and bids for supplies should go out to tender. This is standard process and weeds out both nepotism and ineptitude (where the bidding process is transparent and honest). Here though there have been no tenders. There has been no transparency and yet companies have been given 1 day contracts that are in the hundreds of thousands of pounds, with no vetting or transparency. This is a true scandal. The people making these decisions should be investigated and held to account. https://www.facebook.com/103626624451616/posts/195127995301478/
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The Trump campaign’s 524-page response to a discovery demand turned up precisely zero instances of mail-in voter fraud.

Posted by Editorial Team on August 25, 2020 at 6:35pm
The Trump campaign’s 524-page response to a discovery demand turned up precisely zero instances of mail-in voter fraud. PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP’S campaign, ordered by a federal court judge in Pennsylvania to back up its claims of fraud in the state’s vote-by-mail system, has documented only a handful of cases of election fraud in recent years — none of which involved mail-in ballots. https://www.facebook.com/103626624451616/posts/193992315415046/
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The Government's manifesto stated “we will make intentional trespass a criminal offence”: an extreme, illiberal & unnecessary attack on ancient freedoms that would threaten walkers, campers, and the w

Posted by Editorial Team on August 25, 2020 at 10:00am
The Government's manifesto stated “we will make intentional trespass a criminal offence”: an extreme, illiberal & unnecessary attack on ancient freedoms that would threaten walkers, campers, and the wider public. It would further tilt the law in favour of the landowning 1% who own half the count... My fellow UK citizens, hikers, ramblers and wild camping enthusiasts please sign this petition. Protect our right to ramble, the right to peaceful protest and on behalf of the traveler community #hiking #thruhiking #wildcamping #rambling https://www.facebook.com/103626624451616/posts/193904092090535/
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