#(I /don’t/ have notifs for your blog turned on cuz notifs drive me crazy but King would)

[king-orange]

Highly unlikely. I have the thingy that let’s me know when you post.

[realtalkingpoints]

What happened with FB Notifications this weekend, and why do I care…???

By Staff realtalkingpoints blog

January 27, 2020 

So what did happen with Facebook (FB) notifications this weekend?  Anything?  If you look for news coverage as I have, of a major news event involving FB, you can’t find it.  I found one or two articles referencing ‘degraded performance’ in obscure publications I’ve never heard of before, and only after searching several search engines. Two articles… on something that I’m sure affected thousands, and thousands of users.  So why did some people post about their FB notifications being blank?  Why is that even a big deal, I mean, can’t you shut those off in settings anyway? What’s the big deal?

Not everyone has seen this subtle suppression technique in action, and perhaps most who haven’t, are using social media differently than those of us who have.  To turn it back a step or two, let’s talk about conservatives complaining they are being suppressed on social media.  You’ve heard this complaint, right?  Usually one of your Trump supporter friends, who’s quickly dismissed by their liberal friends as dreaming up conspiracy theories, and just brushed off because it’s publicly acceptable to not like them, ‘cuz, Trump... So, those people.  Conservatives, claiming they are being shadow banned or deboosted or censored on social media.  

I am one of those people. I will go on social media and discuss politics, usually with people who don’t agree with me.  I will openly express support for our president, Donald Trump, and make more enemies than friends in doing so.  And I will support other ideas, movements, and policies that define conservatism, by participating in conversations initiated by politicians and news personalities all over popular social media platforms.  I’ve been doing this for years, motivated not by the argument itself, but by the concern that the conservative perspective was under-represented in these online discussions, and by the realization that these online discussions were becoming the epicenter of the political discussion itself.

At the heart of it, it’s a demographics problem.  In general, conservatives are older. Not that there aren’t young conservatives, or old liberals for that matter.  But in general, most college kids want to protest something…  And tell them that college should be free, and of course most of them will agree.  As they get older, and many achieve success in career, family and finance, many of them begin to realize the value of the conservative principles they had rebelled against.  As in the college tuition for example.  Once they have struggled through the weight of the debt, and finally paid it off, there is a sense of accomplishment, and a greater understanding of the value of the dollar.   Perhaps they still hate debt, and that’s a good thing. But they have learned through experience, that debt is a temptation dangled throughout life, that can be conquered, but must be entered into carefully, and weighed against the benefits it will afford.  There might also be the eventual realization that our banking system relies on loans and interest, and the requirement that loans be paid back, so banks can make more loans and provide liquidity to the economy.  The wisdom of these experiences has simply not been achieved by the younger, ‘why can’t it be free’ ideologues.  

Ask yourself, how many 18 year-olds don’t know how to use the internet?  The answer is basically zero.  Now ask the same question of 75 year-olds?  It’s definitely not zero.  Perhaps a large percentage over 75 is technically using the internet, but many are using it only sparingly, to do email, mail order and basic browsing. The fact is, we still have several generations who grew up, went through their education, and much of their career before the internet was even invented.  Many of them are intimidated by the internet, perhaps rightly so, but they are definitely not participating in political debates on FB.  My basic understanding of mathematics suggests that the online discussions were more heavily influenced by younger, more liberal perspectives than their conservative counterparts, based on the demographics of the participants.  And as I became more and more involved in these conversations, it seemed obvious to me that this was in fact the case.  The conservative perspective was simply not getting the same representation on these platforms.  It was probably around the same time, that I also realized the social media conversations were driving the television news cycles, not the other way around.

Consider a news anchor or TV journalist with a twitter account.  Perhaps they have a show that comes on at 8 pm.  But they get a news scoop at 11 am.  Historically, viewers would hear about it at 8pm.  Today, it’s tweeted out almost as it happens.  By 8pm showtime, the news has been tossed about by everyone who approves, disapproves or is suspicious of.  I’d theorize, that the 8pm broadcast still benefits from the social media discussion.  It’s more informed and refined, having been both challenged and expanded upon as like minded followers along with oppositional personalities weigh in on the discussion.  The conversation moves forward at the speed of the internet, as passionately informed ideologues share their best arguments in support of, or in opposition to the conflict of the day.  The argument may well be settled by 8pm, regardless of how it gets reported on the individual networks.  The conclusion for me is easy.  News travels faster on social media, than on TV news broadcasts.  And this is revolutionizing news itself.  

So what does all this have to do with notifications?  Why are some people upset about not receiving notifications, and how does it relate to conservatives who think they’ve been censored?  Notifications are what you get when someone likes, shares, or responds to your comment on social media.  Think of an account you follow, that posts discussion of news events.  It appears in your news feed, and you can interact with it. You can like it, share it on your account for your followers, or you can comment on the issue being discussed. Liking, seems to be the least consequential interaction you can engage in.  When you like a post, or a comment, the ‘author’ of that post or comment will usually get a notification that it was liked.  The more likes, the more notifications, and the author gets a sense of community approval or indifference to their thoughts.  I’m sure the biggest accounts with hundreds of thousands of followers often do turn off their notifications, because it’s a given that they will receive hundreds or thousands of interactions every time they post, and to receive notifications of every one would be overwhelming.  But for the average user, notifications of likes are a positive reinforcement to their opinions.  It lets them know that they have accomplished an understanding of the issues being discussed and have expressed something that others agree with.  So why is not getting notified of likes, such a big deal?  We haven’t got there yet…

The effect that the notification suppression has on social media is at least two fold.  Many believe that it is used as a form of punishment by social media platforms to persuade accounts away from posting about topics they don’t want on their platforms.  I remember seeing a song parody by conservative social media personality Steven Crowder. (video here)  I had already experienced the notification suppression (along with other shadow banning techniques), but had struggled to find discussions from other conservatives that this was actually happening (resulting in the all too frequent ‘you’re a conspiracy theorist’ accusations).  Thankfully, Steven Crowder had turned the song into a gripe about all the suppressions and de-platforming that his video podcast had gone through. Their parody of “Man of constant sorrow” included an adapted chorus line that went something like ‘notifications don’t work for days’.  And then I knew.  It was happening, it was real, it was on purpose, and it was a punishment for content the platform developers disagreed with.  I wasn’t crazy.  Or if I was, then so was Steven Crowder, and I was in good company.  

But the effects of suspended notifications goes beyond a superficial punishment for content the platform disapproves of.  When applied to the comments of a deep debate, it has a chilling effect on the discourse being exchanged.  Take Russia collusion for example.  Some of us who followed the developments closely, realized long ago that the claims being made by leftist liberal media about the President’s alleged treasonous Russian contacts just didn’t add up.  Imagine a social media post about Russia collusion, and a discussion took shape in the comments.  Maybe there was breaking news, and the possibilities of what it could mean were being brainstormed for the first time, right there on FB.  Crowdsourcing at it’s finest.  But it was a work day, so average Joe quickly shared his thoughts in the comments section while eating breakfast.  Joe’s thoughts sparked a lightbulb in another participant who replied to Joe’s comment with the missing link to Joe’s idea.  When Joe checked his phone at work, he got the notification, read the reply, realized the missing link, added another comment with his conclusions, and a new part of the mystery was solved.  Much of Russia collusion was unraveled just like that. The major account they were both following, absorbed the developments, polished the theory, and it was ready for the 8pm news broadcast.  The information exchange had moved ahead at the speed of the internet.

So what if, Joe never got that notification…  Joe checked his phone, but there was no indication anyone had interacted with his comment.  Maybe Joe interacts with lots of posts and doesn’t have time to circle back and check them all for replies.  He relies on the notifications to tell him when it’s happened.  The next time he went on the social media site, he interacted with other posts on other topics, and never realized the missing link to complete his theory was waiting for him in the comments section, where he had participated earlier.  He never knew, so he never looked, and the discovery was never made.  By suspending the notifications, they interrupted the conversation and curtailed the exchange of information.  Whether by accident or by design, the platform developers and admins have realized that by suspending notifications, they can suppress the exchange of ideas and content.  Interrupt the dialog, and it will at the very least, slow the development of ideas and analysis.  And notification suppression likely has effects that we have not yet realized. Remember, they have all the data. They know how notification suppression effects the entire community when used in different capacities, and they are using it more and more.

So today, Saturday January 25, 2020, my notifications page on FB went blank.  I had experienced many inconsistencies with my notifications in the past.  Times when notifications for specific conversations seemed to roll in days after the actual interactions happened (perhaps what Steven Crowder was referring to in his song parody).  Also notifications about comments that don’t show up in the thread the notifications came from.  I’m sure there’s others.  Lots of games being played by the overlords with their precious notifications.  But never had my notifications page been completely blank.  Until today. And knowing the unique importance of notifications, I became quite concerned.  I posted immediately on FB, and other social media sites.  I asked if anyone else had blank notifications pages on FB.  The answers came in rather quickly.  Yes, yes, yes.  Many friends on FB said they had similar experiences today or had seen posts from their friends that were experiencing the issue.  Other platforms generated input that it was happening on FB in the UK, and seemed like a wide scale problem.  Of course many assumed it was the usual ‘technical glitch’ that so often explains the unexplained phenomena on the internet.  Yet another friend made curious observation, that I had been suspicious of.  He said something to the effect ‘all my friends who engage in partisan politics on FB are complaining about notifications today’.  It hadn’t affected his notifications, but he felt he had noticed a correlation among those claiming they had.  He thought it was affecting those who regularly espouse their political views on the platform.  

FB has been vocal about their displeasure with the politics playing out on their platform.  They have made public commitments to crack down and dissuade certain types of political content, including political ads during the election cycle.  So was this notification suppression, a deliberate attempt to punish politicos for opining on FB?  If it was a deliberate act, their timing was likely no accident either.

Today was the beginning of the President’s legal defense arguments in the Senate impeachment hearings. Today was the first day, that the President actually got to defend himself via legal representation on national TV in the impeachment charade that’s been going on for months now.  It was right after sharing a video of his legal team delivering devastating remarks and embarrassing the Democrat hoaxers that my notifications suddenly went blank.  Was my sharing a political video embarrassing Democrats, related to my notifications disappearing?  Was this the notifications punishment that FB has used so many times before but on a bigger, more obvious scale?  Were they exercising their leverage to interrupt the conversation and curtail the flow of information?   Where are the news stories about this?  I looked and looked and found very little. Did they choose today because they knew most news outlets would be focused on impeachment and therefor unlikely to spend much time on a silly FB glitch?  Surely, there were zillions of political posts on FB in recent days, as the Democrats delivered their case to the Senate.  Did they choose today specifically to send a different message? The day that the President mounts his legal defense is the day FB decides to punish users for political content…???  

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AVEkDRgytCU)

[yourescapetofiction]

The Tides Have Turned (Omaha Squad Fanfiction)

A/N: This is my old work, The Tides Have Turned. It is a complete story that I am reposting on this blog so the work isn’t lost and can be found for those interested :)

One

Sunlight streamed through the cracks in the blinds of my bedroom window. I take a moment to savor the warmth on my face. Ahhh, summer vacation. The house was currently buzzing as my parents were packing for the annual Hamptons trip. 

Living in Omaha made everyone stir crazy to get to the beach. My phone started vibrating wildly on my nightstand, removing me from my daydream. A smile crept on my face as I saw a notification for the group message with my best friends. Let’s see, there was Jack Johnson, and Jack Gilinsky, the infamous Sam Wilkinson, and last but never least Nate Maloley. 

My parents had gone to college with both Johnson and Gilinsky’s parents, so I was stuck with these kids but I secretly didn’t mind. The Jacks and I befriended Sam and Nate in middle school and formed a crew that felt more like family. Our families had insisted the trip to the Hamptons be a tradition, and it soon became the event of the year that we would all look forward to. Nate and Sammy, as he was affectionately known, being regulars at our houses were apart of this tradition from the start.

I unlock my phone to view the group chat, where Johnson was vigorously typing away. J😇: Yoooooo guys y'all ready for the time of your lives?! J😇: G, man, you better not forget to pack underwear this time man cause you sure as HELL aren’t borrowing mine 😷

I chuckled at Johnson’s threat, when Gilinsky’s name popped up on the screen.

G👨: Come on man that was one timeeeee 😑

Me: Still one time too many G….

G👨: Oh don’t you start too y/n

Sammy😈: Yeah y/n as I recall you barely remember to pack your shit, so get on it!!!

Nate😊: For real cuz I’m about to head your way after I pick these fools up. Don’t wanna be caught without clothes now would ya? 😜

Me: Alright, alright I’m goinggg 😒 be careful, see you soon 💞

I put my phone in my bag and finish throwing the rest of my clothes in my suitcase. We were going to be gone for a month, so I didn’t exactly pack light. I dragged my case downstairs where I saw my parents packing up their car from the garage. The parents decided it was best if they drove separately and actually paid to rent out a hummer bus for us kids. They were all really cool about giving us our own space on this vacation, we would typically do our own things and just share the house at night.

“All set?” My dad asked me as I wheeled my suitcase into the garage. “Yeah, I think so. You guys heading out now?” I asked. My mom came around the corner rattling off a list to see if she forgot anything. “Alright it looks like we are good to head on our way. The Johnson’s and Gilinsky’s are already on their way. You be safe ok?” She looked at me quite seriously. “Of course mom, always am.” I reassured her. “I know you are, and the boys are with you. You watch out for each other.”

As if they heard their names, a God awful screeching of brakes and a loud honk of a horn filled the air. I cringe instantly. 

“Speak of the Devils” my dad chuckles. “All aboard!” Nate shouts out of the window. I turn around and smirk at the dimpled boy hanging out of what has to be the largest vehicle I’ve ever seen. I quickly say goodbye to my parents and they pull out of the driveway giving the boys a honk as they pull away.

“Classy,” I sarcastically utter as the Jacks and Sam get out of the back. “Only the best for you” Sam smirks and bows in front of me. “Shut up Wilkinson,” I laugh loudly.

Jack G suddenly envelops me in a tight hug and spins me around, barely containing his excitement for the trip.

“Damn G, excited?” I screech at the unexpected tight hug. “Only to be vacationing with my best girl” he winks and flashes his million dollar smile. “Not even a minute into vacation and G’s already making moves. Unbelievable” Sammy laughs nudging Nate through the open window. Johnson swiftly puts my case in the trunk, and we all hop in.

“Why do we need this huge bus for just the five of us?” I ask openly to the four guys. I see Nate look in the rear view mirror as he navigates out of my neighborhood.

“You don’t know?” Sam questions his eyebrows practically touching the roof. “Know what?” I nervously chuckle. “The parents extended the invite to some of the other boys” Gilinsky explains. “Oh,” I try not to sound confused and/or disappointed. “Well who then?” “Cam, Nash, Kenny, and Swazz” Johnson speaks up. “Well this vacation just got interesting” I laugh. The guys all nod their head in agreement, but silently we all know that nothing can come between the tight bond the five of us have.

We are all laughing and vibing to the radio discussing our plans for when we we get to the beach house. 25 minutes later Nate stops the bus outside of an apartment building and I see four boys exit with beach towels, chairs and coolers. Damn they packed heavier than I did!

They load their stuff into the trunk and commence their bro hand shakes with the guys and greet me warmly with hugs. Cam and Nash are instantly vining and posting snapchats of them acting wild and I giggle at the chaos that Is the backseat.

I quickly hop up in front where Nate looks surprised to see me. “Hey y/n” he smiles brightly to see me putting my seatbelt on. “Hey Skate,” I flash him a smile. “I hope you don’t mind I join you up here, it was getting kinda crowded back there.” He laughed showcasing those dimples of his. 

He was definitely a good looking guy. He had dark hair that would curl when it got too long, and a perfect smile with dimples that punctuated his face. He had tattoos on his chest and arms, and he definitely looked like the “bad boy” of our group. But really he was just as goofy as the rest of us.

“Of course I don’t mind you joining me babe” he said while starting the bus up again. I blush slightly at the pet name, I never quite got used to it when the guys were flirty or used pet names on me.

We were well on our way to begin this road trip, and I closed my eyes enjoying the sound of the crazy guys in the back seat. Suddenly the sound of Carly Rae Jepson’s “Call Me Maybe” pierced through the space causing my eyes to fly open. Nate looked at me and mouthed “what the fuck?” I had to stifle my laughter as I turned around to see the others.

“Yo who the fuck is in charge of music right now?!” Nash bellowed causing us all to laugh.

An embarrassed Gilinsky was feverishly trying to switch the song on his phone

“I swear I don’t listen to that guys, it just came on shuffle or some shit” He muttered knowing the guys would never let him live that one down. Johnson started to climb over the seats before he snatched the phone from Gilinsky’s hand “man gimme that” he said shaking his head. “Man I’m in charge of the aux cord now. Watch and learn G” Gilinsky glared at him slightly before he caught me looking at him. He playfully winked before returning to the conversation.

I turned back in my seat and kicked my converse off trying to get comfortable. Nate moved his bag so I had some room to stretch out. 

“Here lil’ mama” he said. I laid my head back against the headrest figuring I could take a nap for most of the drive. A wave of contentment that I was vacationing with my best friends again washed over me as I slowly drifted to sleep. I couldn’t be sure, but I could swear I felt a hand wrap around mine from the seat next to me.