This continues previous post
Zuck on Opioids
13 April, 2018
Privacy
City Hall Disclosure Policy
"The City of Nelson does not share any of the individually identifiable information you may provide with the sites to which the City of Nelson links. We may, however, share aggregate data with such websites (such as how many people use our site)".
Nelson City Hall Website
Shape Shifters
Not "we may" - but "however" we do! All the time! And "such websites" means Facebook, since Facebook is doing the tracking of City Hall's user-clickers, and even if this actually were only for an accurate count (a pretext!): just for that they would need to be "individually identifiable" as well.
Which they are through all their unsecured Profile Data - involuntarily "shared" with Facebook via City Hall.
And automatically those of all their Friends.
But City Hall does not make this clear to its clickers - goes no further than the mealy-mouth Disclosure Policy above!
Identity Thieves
The double-dipping becomes a major issue during about 10 hours of disconcerting - often scary! - Washington Senate/House Hearings on the 87mill-Cambridge-Analytica disaster with Mark Zuckerberg.
Where he keeps talking about wanting the trust of users - and Senators/Representatives find it hard to trust him and his corporation over millions of blatantly manipulated subscribers.
Soul Merchants
Either City Hall is naively ignorant of Facebook's intentions with these data, or it knowingly feeds clickers to Zuckerberg; he in turn selling them to advertisers hawking anything under the sun - including political nudges.
An individual user's possibly very extensive Profile Data usually are spread over a multitude of diverse advertisers' data bases - often with dodgy commercial agendas.
Facebook - mainly focused on ever-increasing cash-flow-thus-power from/over advertisers - turns a blind eye where it should step-in!
Simple question and loud HELLO! City Hall: Why should "such websites" otherwise give a damn about "how many people use our site"?
Bottom-line: City Hall is enabling commercial exploitation of those unwitting Facebook users connecting with it.
Facebook has the same relationship with Nelson Star/Daily user-readers. Only it's not under the pretext of just counting clickers. There no reason at all is given for harvesting them.
Mind Snatchers
Facebook Canada's public policy wonk Kevin Chan - Policy Director for former Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff; still with deep access to the Liberal government tsk-tsk - during his recent grilling by a parliamentary committee in Ottawa - said in his opening statement:
"I want to begin by sharing that, while we do not yet have all the facts surrounding the situation with Cambridge Analytica, what is alleged to have occurred is a huge breach of trust to our users.
For that we are very sorry."
The Record.com, 21 April, 2018
This relates to 620k Canadians - how many in Nelson? - part of the Cambridge Analytica personal-data-sweep for political purposes. And who knows what else by who knows whom. Zuckerberg admits the probability of other players.
Apologizing after the fact is meaningless: these Canadian users' Profile Data are irretrievably way out there somewhere.
Nelson subscribers also may not know: Facebook has been getting away with similar schemes since 2010. They just didn't get significant push-back until now.
Aplologists
So now it is share, share, share and trust, trust, trust and sorry, sorry, sorry with CEO Zuckerberg, COO Sheryl Sandberg, and Kevin Chan.
Chan's sorry actually carries some weight in Canada: here saying sorry works in any situation.
Seemingly deemed sufficient enough by him as well, as he refuses to answer reporters' questions after the committee hearing, dealing mainly with Facebook shamelessly cozying up to the Liberal government in regards to - while not registered as lobbyist.
"After the CBC reported on the controversy, Facebook sent a statement saying it will "soon" register its personnel as lobbyists.
NDP MP Charlie Angus is skeptical about Facebook's decision to register now.
"Why is it that Facebook only does the right thing when they get caught," he told the CBC."
CBC News, April 22, 2018
Why, indeed!
Users-or-not, consider becoming informed!
They need to be stopped!
Artist:
Federico Salmi
Deb Kozak, Mayor
dkozak@nelson.ca
Frances Long, Director - Corp. Services
flong@nelson.ca
Kevin Cormack, CAO
kcormack@nelson.ca
City Council
nelsoncouncil@nelson.ca
I was not impressed with Zuck's performance (Zuck to those in the fold) during his House Hearing in Washington, 11. 04. 2018.
United States
His performance was repetitious: while consistently referring to issues raised by House Members as "important", he frequently was uninformed of them. Or pretended to be. We're talking key-issues. To the point of several times dryly asked whether he, indeed, is Facebook's CEO.
Only having 4 min to get their concerns across/ask questions didn't give Members enough time to one-by-one decisively further their cause - although cumulatively they did - while making it easier for Zuckerberg: frequently trying to "filibuster" with flatish chatter - from which one Member sternly asked him to refrain.
Of course - one prominent topic in the Hearing was how Facebook does/did/didn't identify dodgy accounts to then shut them down in a definitive and timely manner or-not. The Russia thing, fake this-and-that, privacy.
Zuckerberg assured the Committee that he will have 20.000 experts looking at possible "bad actors" by the end of this year, with their work supplemented by tailor-made algorithms. One more good year for 'infiltrators'.
While home-grown problems - not so sexy - have been major, largely unattended - although known - issues since at least 2011.
Example: One Member producing an image for all to see, taken of a Facebook page on the same morning, with a list of outlets - itemized info, addresses! - selling Opioids illegally over the Internet.
Facilitated by target-specific advertising on Facebook.
Zuckerberg claimed no knowledge of this, and when asked why these lists could (still!) run on Facebook, after the not so recent any longer hoopla(s) which ultimately got everybody together here, he said a possible problem has to be "flagged". When the Member replied he was flagging it now, and could Zuckerberg commit himself to these lists being identified and deleted forthwith: he wouldn't.
Another Member then added that people may not flag a problem, assuming someone among millions surely to have done so already. Or that Zuck was already on it.
Which frequently has proven to not be the case!
The general tenor here and throughout the Hearing:
You want to be a leader - so lead already!
What with algorithms on everything Facebook: whipping-up a quickie for their Opioid crisis - just as drastic as ours - should be simple enough.
Of great immediate benefit to many!
But Zuckerberg - nothing!
While he loftily goes on about highest ideals of privacy, equality, community, sharing-sharing-sharing, and how "important" all that is to "us" - he seems to float above the fray.
Detached - also remarked on by Members.
Canada
Canadians need to take part of the blame for this seemingly easy access to large amounts of Opioids. While there is great concern here about the availability of and escalating addiction and deaths to/through them: where are those researching all this - if not on Facebook!?
Nelson City Hall
Subscribers clicking on City Hall's Facebook presence clearly are a feast for hovering overlords.
City Hall Disclosure Policy
"The
City of Nelson does not share any of the individually identifiable
information you may provide with the sites to which City of Nelson
links. We may, however, share aggregate data with such websites (such as
how many people use our site)."
"Such
websites" meaning Facebook, since Facebook is doing the tracking, and for an accurate count (a pretext!) individual clickers have to be "individually identifiable". Obviously - by their Profile Data! And those of their Friends!
Sold to advertisers of anything.
Nelson Star
Becoming more transparent in this Hearing's exploration -
What with the Black Press/Nelson Star's unholy alliance with Zuck: when his subscribers click on any item on the Star's website - any! - post a comment, participate in a poll/survey, or even just click on Like - they are immediately identified as particular 'types' and funneled into (a) particular box(es). This automatically including anything on their Profiles not nailed-down. And Friends.
Seemingly even after they have logged-off! Excused as "sometimes for security".
Anyway - this info-trove is constantly added to through click-recognition, molded/remolded into whole personae - even added to creatively, these then made available to Facebook's advertisers pushing just about anything. Unchecked.
For most effective syphoning: only Facebook users can comment on the Star's website.
Originally anyone could. Then Zuck took over commenting, with terms of use explained explicitly by him in a page-long set of rules. And then only Facebook users could comment. Eventually this page of rules disappeared - I certainly can't find it - and now one simply signs-in to Facebook under an item to be commented on. If not a user - herein lies the rub! - this is the place to join!
In effect - Zuck now is largely running the local public's opinion through the Star. And that of about 70 other Black Press publications.
Facebook feeding hand-picked Nelson subscribers/Star readers - commenters-or-not, with their unsecured site-data - to its own advertisers.
Deleting does not mean gone-for-good! A closed account is not closed to Zuck. Everything Facebook is repurposed!
Nelson Daily
While The Nelson Daily initially held out against the Facebook take-over of commenting: they are now into it with a vengeance. Catching-up! Their Facebook commenting directives do go on, much more explicitly and incomprehensibly than the Star's ever.
For a look just click on Facebook Comments plugin under any item.
Also:
YouTube
"Mark Zuckerberg's second grilling from US lawmakers - watch live"
I sat through 5 hours of this Hearing plus some of that in the Senate - admittedly in chunks, I could only take so much weaseling Zuck - more firmly convinced than ever: I'm better off without Facebook. And booklets.
But then again - who knows: there may be an algorithm for heretics as well. After all - although I don't own a pad or smartish phone - I am on the Internet.
"I don't have full knowledge of our systems."
Mark Zuckerberg - Senate Hearing, 10. 04. 2018
Image Credits:
mirror.co.uk
South China Morning Post
Washington Post
The Wrap
journalscene.com
Deb Kozak, Mayor
dkozak@nelson.ca
City Council
nelsoncouncil@nelson.ca
Kevin Cormack, City Manager
kcormack@nelson.ca
Frances Long, Director - Corporate Services
flong@nelson.ca
The Georgia Straight's
Who are BC's most right-wing journalists and broadcasters
Charlie Smith, Dec 23, 2010
places Tom Fletcher 3rd on their list of 10.
For 13 years - since 2005 - he's been with Black Press BC in various reporting-roles and pretty much their raison d'etre.
A right-wing propaganda machine: now carried in about 70 Black Press publications. Generally free - the only game in town - community papers.
Captive audiences.
"Previous employment included 3 years as a refinery and pollution facilities operator for Petro-Canada in Taylor BC, experience that has assisted me in energy policy reporting."
Tom Fletcher, LinkedIn
Somewhere in there his wife is Public Affairs Officer for the BC Liberal Government.
Black Press also owns the Nelson Star.
Currently - on the Star's (LOCAL) OPINION (web)page #1 -
8 out of 20 pieces are by Tom Fletcher.
Routinely fed to the Star by Black Press central at the coast with most everything else, except the very little very local whatever - and advertising.
Is it just me, or ....?
Image Credits:
Black Press
Atsushi Kaneko
David Black, Owner
dblack@blackpress.ca
Tom Fletcher, Reporter
tfletcher@blackpress.ca
@tomfletcherbc
Eric Lawson, Local Publisher
eric.lawson@blackpress.ca
As Donna Macdonald - self-appointed City Hall Doyenne - makes guiding points for prospective Council candidates in her
COLUMN: Seven months and counting!
Nelson Star, Mar 21, 2018,
the subheading -
It's time for candidates to Google search -
bypasses warts-and-all self-assessment, necessary for presenting an up-front on all fronts persona within a City Hall context - before the election. Later building on that persona - if elected.
Ideally.
A strong vision of themselves as effective Councillors from the beginning.
I don't remember seeing possible candidates for the current and previous Council in meetings months prior.
Even once candidates ...
What their desire/need/whatever to 'serve' was actually based on is the proverbial anybody's guess. Certainly not connected to close observation of Council at work - collectively/individually.
Therefore one may question how much they actually knew first-hand about what they were aiming to get themselves into.
After being elected wasting much time getting the hang of the job. This - including expected to work within City Hall's 2nd Floor feudal system - had them dither for ages. Has.
Anyway - what Macdonald and several how-to-papers/videos - this time around - suggest is having "aspiring councillors" (Councillor Purcell incorrectly identifying would-be candidates when commenting on Macdonald's column) nudged along with self-evident running-for-local-office P.R. to learn how to be generic Councillors together - respectfully. Agreeing to be agreeable, not (wanting) to rock anyone's boat.
Motivation here not the driving force.
Ideally - would-be candidates and candidates (Councillors as a matter of course) simply fall back on - integrity. This single necessary point of reference to be held close in any situation during election and at City Hall.
Where decision-making largely plays-out in 2nd-Floor domination-games. A double-whammy consistently to be dealt with: for newbies usually a major shock to the naive concept of their contribution to saving the world. Locally.
Also - Smallishtown politics are personal, as is Smallishtown business, and what with both snuggling with each other: everybody has an agenda to protect and further.
Surviving at and after City Hall.
Integrity intacta?
None of this found on Google or touched-on by Macdonald.
A simple and effective way to help determine whether-or-not you are suited for a Councillor's work is this:
1.
Make a deal with yourself to go to every Council Meeting from now on - 2 per month - plus any other City-originated event.
Every meeting - the whole meeting. Regardless of your level of interest: showing some nonetheless!
See and be seen.
Possibly heard.
Watching a Council Meeting on your computer from the comfort of your couch - now possible - is hardly the same as actually being in the (usually overheated, poorly ventilated) Council Chamber. Observing Councillors inter/reacting-or-not. For 2 hours plus.
Part of your commitment here - integrity!? - would need to be getting out of the house - weather and all. Adding another hour going/coming.
Councillors have no choice - no matter how much they also would rather not go.
2.
If you - after a few meetings - start having excuses for not wanting to/being able to go or just admit you are bored, you must consider this:
Councillors need to attend every open Council Meeting plus the many closed to the public, as well as strings of committee-meetings - for 4 looong years. Not just sitting there like you - doing stuff, too! Piles of mind-numbing stuff!
3.
So - if attending just a couple of meetings bores you - be honest now! - don't waste the public's goodwill by having yourself elected! Getting the job can be relatively easy. Doing it could turn into one tedious, dragged-out bitch you can't get out of!
With significant reverberations for the Whole.
Those who ran last time, didn't make it and want to run again: shouldn't assume they know the routine. Clearly they don't! As in - where are they now? Why aren't they out there?
If you can realistically align your personal strengths (and weaknesses) with White Fortress doings (keenly observed/evaluated over months!), and you still want to run: show us what you've got!
Giving us time to get to know you well before the election - without not-again! enough-already! election-speechifying.
Votes for you will follow!
Image Credits:
Keith Haring
tumblr
pinterest
Deb Kozak, Mayor
dkozak@nelson.ca
City Council
nelsoncouncil@nelson.ca
