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RE: Transparency in public discourse and the protection of privacy, revisited

in #informationwar6 years ago

There is a cost to transparency because so few are actually willing to engage in it and there is the tendency to mine information for any slip and then use that as a way to undermine a personality. There are several people I would say that have done this to me here in various ways, most of it tied to having an open wallet or public support.

However, there is also a growing need for transparency in order to trust. If we think back to the amount of extremely vocal and prolific support Trump got on twitter from eggs with very low follower count, you can see how easy it is in social media to game the narrative and appear much more supported in view than other forms. Twitter doesn't have a one account per person mechanism either. While I am not for this, imagine if everyone had to sign up under their social security number on social media.

When so many people are faceless, how can one trust their intention when there is zero cost to them, no blow-back, no accountability for words or actions? The internet provides a mask of protection and while great for those who may be persecuted in some areas, the amount of various troll types far outnumber the ones who would actually face much personal risk for speaking their mind. Bank robbers and the KKK wear masks for a reason.