Metrics | Manipulation & Bias

Whether you want to believe it or not facts are facts, and I can prove everything I'm about to say beyond a shadow of a doubt. Ever since politics became the end all be all of all conversations online, the measure of one's worth in society, it has been leveraged unfairly by those in power. By those powerful elite who would use it to persuade their audience and supporters to rally for the their continued seat in power. Online this manipulation is broad and sweeping, wholly unavoidable. It covers everything from search engine priority to visibility of social sites for anyone conducting business. 

If you say something the powers that be don't like you are effectively buried in the algorithm, in the search engine, and on social media. The bad thing is that the main search engines have a monopoly on the flow of information, and have chosen to gate access to that information often times outright censoring that which they do not agree with. Creating a bias that favors their vocal minority, and casts the majority of fact based links completely out of view. They want to be the literal Ministry of Truth while stopping the spread of truth in it's tracks.

As flawed as the takes on truth and fact have been coming from the powerful and influential one would assume they'd not be allowed to solely operate the social goings on of the internet, but they all have a monopoly on what is shared, and what is not. They have seen to it that they own and run the very foundational building blocks, and infrastructure of the world wide web. Quelling competition, and leaving the inquisitive user to only have access to what it is they deem worthy of attention on the information super highway. These days that amounts to divisive propaganda, and scapegoating that sees the most corrupt among the powerful and influential untouched by authority. They bypass laws with their monetized stranglehold, and bend laws to their will in order to maintain control on narratives, and what gets out to the public. 

On the metrics side of things this overreach also has a tendency to drown out anyone who has spoken out against the Ministry of Truth, and their supposed experts. I know this, because it has negatively impacted my reach from here, and elsewhere. I have seen with my own eyes how simply tweeting something that goes against the grain adversely effects views, and audience reach/retention. I've bared witness to my social media presence being leveraged against me in such a manner as to try, and get me to stave off any efforts in countering the ongoing political angles. Rewarding me with views and an audience when I'm a good lad, and punishing me like a scolded dog when I step out of line. 

No matter how well my SEO efforts were implemented, and no matter how much I diversified across social media platforms the impact of speaking out for truth sake was always met with me being demoted, metrically, and algorithmically. I have gone out of my way to research my presence on the social media sites I frequent, and the search engines that are most peoples' go to sources for information in order to confirm this. What I found in a majority of instances was that I was buried, or shadowbanned. Throttled to Hell and back. 

This has nothing to do with blog mismanagement either. It does, however have to do with, the monopoly and bias of those who own and operate these platforms. Again, I have verifiable proof regarding everything I've said. It is not conspiracy, and is very factual. There is, without doubt, a favorable bias towards those that bend the knee to the accepted narratives, and a negative slant given to those who don't. Politics has become the end all be all measure of worth on the internet, and where you lie politically will greatly impact success or failure depending on which route you choose to take. Be it about identity politics, or politics in general.

All that having been said, there's little to nothing that can be done to stop this bias. There are no viable alternatives that have not, themselves, become biased or slanted. You're either bending the knee and benefitting from it or fighting the system and failing, because of it. It's a Sisyphean punishment for the modern businessman or entrepreneur. No longer can you achieve top spot through merit alone. The powers that be won't allow it. Meritocracy in a Socialist democracy is a contradiction, and would undermine their totalitarian agenda. They only want those they know will contribute to the corporate circle jerk to have any part in their gamed monopoly. Should anyone who knows better gain influence it would threaten said monopoly. That's why they are all about the collective, and keeping people from becoming outstanding individuals, future leaders of men and women.

Photo by Suzy Hazelwood