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vgr's profile
Venkatesh Rao
Venkatesh Rao
Venkatesh Rao
@vgr

Tweets

Venkatesh Rao

@vgr

This is my conversational account. For my work follow @ribbonfarm, @breaking_smart, @artofgig. Tweets are 90% vacuous views, apathetically held. Mediocritopian.

Los Angeles, CA
venkateshrao.com
Joined August 2007

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    1. Venkatesh Rao‏ @vgr 7 May 2019
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      There are going to be a 1000 different ideas of "humanistic values" that platforms "should" conform to. How do we sort them out? Maybe we need *gasp* a systemic interaction model where all actors can contend? Sure, some have more agency than others. Welcome to humanity.

      1 reply 0 retweets 3 likes
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    2. Venkatesh Rao‏ @vgr 7 May 2019
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      I'd rather trust my ability to surf the emergent behavior created by algorithms whose effects are only partly within the design-intention authority of owners, and figure out how to harmonize with it.

      1 reply 0 retweets 6 likes
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    3. Venkatesh Rao‏ @vgr 7 May 2019
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      Don't forget: things like employment and ownership status matter far less than actual agency. A special interest group that uses shaming and pressure tactics to enforce a UI or data rights feature is just another group of engineers pushing their algorithms onto the rest of us.

      1 reply 1 retweet 10 likes
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    4. Venkatesh Rao‏ @vgr 7 May 2019
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      The fact that they are on paper "solving" for something other than money or engagement does NOT mean they are morally superior, better at designing emergent effects, or actually capable of acting in the emergent best interests of everybody.

      1 reply 3 retweets 12 likes
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    5. Venkatesh Rao‏ @vgr 7 May 2019
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      If the solution to "bad" algorithms is "good" algorithms by people who set themselves up as the arbiters of good and bad, we're right back where we started, having to decide whether or not we trust makers of algorithms. Checks and balances are nice, but there are no saints here.

      2 replies 2 retweets 13 likes
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    6. Venkatesh Rao‏ @vgr 7 May 2019
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      This is what increasingly pisses me off: the presumptive, holier-than-thou patronizing assumption that "we know better than you who is good and evil, and let us, the good guys, play policeman and rein in the capitalists, the bad guys, who only want your $ and engagement"

      5 replies 1 retweet 17 likes
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    7. Joel D  🕯 🦴‏ @joeld 7 May 2019
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      Replying to @vgr

      This makes complete sense, although I don't quite share the pissed-off reaction. All I’m truly, selfishly interested in is whether graph mind is going to help my kids live their best life or not. If it will, I feel good participating, cos I enjoy doing so! If not, I feel icky.

      1 reply 0 retweets 1 like
    8. Venkatesh Rao‏ @vgr 7 May 2019
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      Replying to @joeld

      And that's really all you need to navigate graph minds. It's not an alien superhuman monster that is mind-controlling you. You already have much of the agency required to manage your use of these services.

      1 reply 0 retweets 1 like
    9. Joel D  🕯 🦴‏ @joeld 7 May 2019
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      Replying to @vgr

      For sure. I mean, I'm not afraid of being mind-controlled, simply of contributing IQ to a collective that is working away indifferently on a plane in which people truly don't/can't matter. Agency+power+idiotic indifference frightens me a little. That fear maybe misplaced here?

      1 reply 0 retweets 0 likes
    10. Venkatesh Rao‏ @vgr 7 May 2019
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      Replying to @joeld

      I think the point that both you and the harsher critics are missing is that YOU have the opportunity to try and grok where the graph mind is headed and looking for ways to generatively participate. The indifference has 2 sides to it. If you genuinely see nothing there, walk away.

      2 replies 0 retweets 0 likes
      Venkatesh Rao‏ @vgr 7 May 2019
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      Replying to @vgr @joeld

      Why would you assume that where the graph mind is headed is necessarily of no interest to you? If a starship is about to launch for Alpha Centauri and you're given a seat by default, yes you can get off. But perhaps you should consider that going to Alpha Centauri might be fun.

      1:44 PM - 7 May 2019
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        2. Joel D  🕯 🦴‏ @joeld 7 May 2019
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          Replying to @vgr

          A very good point. maybe it's a consequence of truly naive 38-year old ennui (40 < 40). I pretty much know where my individual/real life is going and it's nowhere special. I'm going to try to have fun on the way…

          1 reply 0 retweets 0 likes
        3. Joel D  🕯 🦴‏ @joeld 7 May 2019
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          Replying to @joeld @vgr

          …but I spent my childhood in Superior National Forest and I loved it, so making the decision that my kids will be on Alpha Centauri instead feels kind of hard?

          1 reply 0 retweets 1 like
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