The New Yorker this week features an article on Roger McNamee, early technology pioneer, on the Facebook matter. It is a fascinating story of the conversion experience of an important early investor in, to a critic of, Silicon Valley.
The focus of his 2019 book is, of course, the creation of Mark Zuckerberg. But were you, dear reader, aware that Facebook is currently valued at $500 Billion dollars? That is an astronomical sum by an measure.
More to the point, McNamee charges that Facebook, Google, and other such firms have made our private data a source of profit. Is this right?, McNamee asks.
Regular readers of this blog can easily guess at my own personal response. But, naturally, I encourage each person to make up his or her own mind. Zucked should help.
N.B. Also see comment below for more.
The focus of his 2019 book is, of course, the creation of Mark Zuckerberg. But were you, dear reader, aware that Facebook is currently valued at $500 Billion dollars? That is an astronomical sum by an measure.
More to the point, McNamee charges that Facebook, Google, and other such firms have made our private data a source of profit. Is this right?, McNamee asks.
Regular readers of this blog can easily guess at my own personal response. But, naturally, I encourage each person to make up his or her own mind. Zucked should help.
N.B. Also see comment below for more.
Brian Barth in the "New Yorker article writes: "...McNamee's dire warnings about behavioral manipulation may not be entirely sound. McNamee's oft-repeated claim is that surveillance capitalism undermines democracy by manipulating users' habits and choices, but his rhetoric effectively cedes agency to tech companies: we're helpless unless Silicon Valley agrees to change its ways." (Dec. 2, 2019, p. 31.)
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