I didn’t want to read to read the Mark Manifesto. I didn’t want to read it because I knew it was full of crap. 6000 words of self-glorifying, sheltered, market-driven crap that I can see right through.
For those who have not read the Manifesto, you can read it – off of Facebook – here: http://www.recode.net/2017/2/16/14640460/mark-zuckerberg-facebook-manifesto-letter
For those who do not wish to read any of the Zuck-bro’s incessant dribble about how he has some value to humanity, I will summarize it in about 10% of the words.
Section 1:
Zuck-bro says: “Facebook stands for bringing us closer together and building a global community.”
Really? I thought Facebook was about finding hot ass and gossiping about people. Oh, wait, no that is why it was created. Facebook users, not Zuck-bro -- the good people of the world -- created a website that is about connecting people throughout the world with their participation… something Zuck-bro hesitantly did after realizing he could make much more money if he made the site public.
I mean, it’s not VIP if you let everyone in…
The truth is, the Internet is creating a global community – not Facebook. Stop wildin’ Zuck-bro, you’re not Al Gore. You made a popular website – that is all.
Section 2:
Zuck-bro says: “A healthy society also has many layers of communities between us and government that take care of our needs.”
Alright, here’s where it gets interesting… so, those people that are on Zuck-bro’s website started creating groups. (He takes credit for this.) These groups are a natural extension of humanity’s tendency to congregate across interests. He then provides examples of Facebook groups that are doing good for humanity.
Again, I am confused – what do these have to do with Zuck-bro?
Read further –
“Our goal is to strengthen existing communities by helping us come together online as well as offline, as well as enabling us to form completely new communities, transcending physical location.”
Oh…. I get it! He’s going to sell us his new VR tool. Meet group member in real time without leaving your chair. Combine that with some VR sex toys, and you’ve got the complete human experience.
Brave New World, much?
Section 3:
Zuck-bro says: “To prevent harm, we can build social infrastructure to help our community identify problems before they happen.”
Do I even need to explain why this is a bad idea?
Now, this part of his manifesto he can legitimately take credit for. Simply by having so many people logged on to a single website, it is very easy to disperse information to a large number of people at one time.
It is also easy to monitor the actions of people at one time. That is how Zuck-bro gets to write about saving the world through a website because he could literally blackmail half of the world with their own data if he wanted to.
It’s going to be a big task… managing the safety and welfare of the entire world – so Zuck-bro is planning to use AI to help. But don’t worry, your privacy will not be compromised, What’sApp has end-to-end encryption.
Savior or overseer … it’s a very thin line at this point.
Section 4:
Zuck-bro then reveals that “research suggests the best solutions for improving discourse may come from getting to know each other as whole people instead of just opinions -- something Facebook may be uniquely suited to do.”
The key word in this statement is “may.”
Come on… the best way to get to know people is by talking to them.
This section is fun because buried deep within the dribble is an apology for polarized, and often fake- content.
Section 5:
Zuck-bro explains, “as the largest global community, Facebook can explore examples of how community governance might work at scale.”
You knew this was coming, right?
For sale to the highest bidder: civic compliance.
Section 6:
Zuck-bro reminds us, “Facebook is not just technology or media, but a community of people.”
Here Zuck-bro apologizes for misclassifying posts as hate speech and ignoring those that should have been removed. He promises to be better and blames his sheltered life for the mistakes.
So that it won’t happen in the future, he is introducing community ‘policing’ (let’s be honest – that’s what it is) to decide what is and isn’t too offensive.
How kind of you Zuck-bro.
Facebook is not the Internet. It is the largest social community on the Internet. The Internet is run by people – not Zuck-bro. His manifesto is an insult to the intelligence of those of us who were here before he had the bright idea to build a site where he and his friends could more easily hook up with girls.
Full Disclaimer: I’m not a fan of Facebook and the photo is me - from my online modeling portfolio.
My other articles on the topic:
https://byrslf.co/i-left-facebook-fb17934bb5aa#.wh4mpuq7r
https://bullshit.ist/i-left-facebook-not-social-media-a7c72057d645#.1g7ocr7xw