On Centralized Disinformation

The Old Web

Before the emergence of what is now called Web2.0 the world wide web was much more decentralized. One could browse several different websites each owned by an individual showcasing their work and interests. Content would reflect the site creator allowing self-expression to a global audience. This web still exists, but it exists in the shadow of Web2.0 and its sprawling userbase.

Consolidation

Since the late 2000s and thoughout the 2010s the “wild west” web has consolidated around a hand full of large internet platforms. There was a convenience of simply registering for an account at no cost and with no real technical knowledge required to set up a new profile. Over the course of the 2010s this consolidation accelerated accompanied by increasing restrictions and what has been called “social cooling”. By surrendering power to a few tech companies this has seeded problems for the development of the web itself and with real world consequences. It used to be the case that when a distant relative forwarded a nonsense email to you it could be easily ignored and likely end up in your spam folder automatically. Now the content of that email is trending on Twitter and Facebook. If you came across an oddball website it could be dismissed quickly for obvious reasons. This isn’t the case with a YouTube video presenting itself in a more polished context, or similarly in comments below the video. All of the disinformation is in one place with a large audience now.

On cannabis

My experience

My experience with cannabis has been both been very limited and very positive. I never used any drugs routinely beyond caffeine until well into adulthood. I was never a fan of drug culture including the “dude weed” element of it. I’ve also had an aversion to self-medication and still do to some extent since I know what I know and I know what I don’t know, and so I will at least trust pharmacologists, and doctors that have taken the time to study drugs over my own base assumptions. That said, my experience is my own and evolving so nothing stated here should be treated as advice, promotion, or discouragement from starting/continuing/stopping the use of cannabis or other psychadelic substances. I believe that is a personal decision that needs to be approached with intentionality only for those of free willing and not under social pressure in any direction one way or the other.

OPSEC

Delete your Meta accounts

If you’re on Facebook, it is simply not possible to exercise any form of privacy and confidentiality online. Every post, like, share, follow, friend, and engagement with the platform builds an online identity that you have little control over. Deleting your account is the only thing you can do to even start protecting your online information. If you’re really serious you should consider deleting your posts, removing your likes, unfriending your contacts, and just scrubbing the account before deleting just to be thorough.