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Uncomfortable times. As these FAANG organisations grow ever more powerful. In a way these few organisations control majority people's attention, and thereby inf

Uncomfortable times. As these FAANG organisations grow ever more powerful. In a way these few organisations control majority people's attention, and thereby influencing behaviour and increasingly knowledge as well. I guess its human nature, conquest.

bjo590 6y ago
It's uncommon throughout human history for private organizations to have such concentrations of wealth and power. Typical such concentrations have been reserved for the state.
- chillacy 6y ago
  I recall Harari talks about the cycle of capital in Sapiens, with the Dutch punching above their weight compared to Spain due to how they could fundraise for wars by raising war bonds or selling stock, vs the Spanish king who had to increase taxes but could only get as much out of unwilling people. It turned out to be a powerful idea. Technology is also developing faster now than ever before. To what extent they're related may be up to debate, but at least according to Harari, there's a very virtuous cycle between science and capital (also empire, but that's a separate topic).
Nasrudith 6y ago
It is the opposite really - opinions are some of the least controlled they have ever been as reach is far equalized and means of control at a low. It is one of the least conquered times. Hell the idea that they can even 'control the attention' is a fallacy that assumes they have active knowledge of what their content will do like the New York Times has an editorial control. It is like the idiot congresspeople who spent their question time complaining about their negative search results for their name. Even the heaviest handed management would fail to exercise the level of control as an editor of a scientific journal who knows absolutely nothing about the underlying field.
- swayson 6y ago
  I mean it is of course a complex system and not meant to be interpreted too simplistically. The gist of my point is, never estimate the power and effect of marketing, media, bureaucracy, laws, and policies on collective human behavior. A few big corporate tech players are increasingly growing in power to influence/control collective behaviour. Which includes funding internal departments to lobby to change laws based on some agenda. Those laws control human behaviour. Those tech organisations also determine the information flow of: words, symbols, images, effectively culture. There is a reason why militaries invest money in meme warfare for example, and these organisation effectively have that power.

bjo590 6y ago

It's uncommon throughout human history for private organizations to have such concentrations of wealth and power. Typical such concentrations have been reserved for the state.

chillacy 6y ago
I recall Harari talks about the cycle of capital in Sapiens, with the Dutch punching above their weight compared to Spain due to how they could fundraise for wars by raising war bonds or selling stock, vs the Spanish king who had to increase taxes but could only get as much out of unwilling people. It turned out to be a powerful idea. Technology is also developing faster now than ever before. To what extent they're related may be up to debate, but at least according to Harari, there's a very virtuous cycle between science and capital (also empire, but that's a separate topic).

Nasrudith 6y ago

It is the opposite really - opinions are some of the least controlled they have ever been as reach is far equalized and means of control at a low. It is one of the least conquered times. Hell the idea that they can even 'control the attention' is a fallacy that assumes they have active knowledge of what their content will do like the New York Times has an editorial control. It is like the idiot congresspeople who spent their question time complaining about their negative search results for their name. Even the heaviest handed management would fail to exercise the level of control as an editor of a scientific journal who knows absolutely nothing about the underlying field.

swayson 6y ago
I mean it is of course a complex system and not meant to be interpreted too simplistically. The gist of my point is, never estimate the power and effect of marketing, media, bureaucracy, laws, and policies on collective human behavior. A few big corporate tech players are increasingly growing in power to influence/control collective behaviour. Which includes funding internal departments to lobby to change laws based on some agenda. Those laws control human behaviour. Those tech organisations also determine the information flow of: words, symbols, images, effectively culture. There is a reason why militaries invest money in meme warfare for example, and these organisation effectively have that power.