Alex Epstein comments on and shares an excellent video of TED presenter Eli Pariser on Beware the Online Content Filter Bubble. Pariser shows that Google search results are highly customized. They are not uniform from user to user. They represent an insular view of the online world based on the user’s preferences and behavior, a personal bubble cut off from the rest of the Net and the real world.
Pariser innocently pleads that large companies like Google and Facebook have a social obligation to connect that bubble to the world. They should include content that isn’t just relevant but important and fair, and even challenging and uncomfortable.
He points to changes in the newspaper industry a century ago that resulted in a seachange of social-based journalistic and editorial ethics with the hope that such integrity will happen again.
Eli, seriously? [Insert evil laugh here.] This isn’t your great grandfather’s society. This is anarchy.
Current media can have its benefits, like social media used to report atrocities and uprisings. But that’s a lucky side effect. No one calls Fox TV on its absurd claims of being unbiased. It’s only when it gets truly outrageous like the News of the World’s voice mail invasions that anyone notices … long after the government has been co-opted. Google’s mantra of Do No Evil quickly gets compromised in the complexity of a pluralistic international community. Facebook is frequently lost when it comes to personal privacy.
Corporate self-regulation is a failed experiment, especially in a competitive tech market that must produce ever better results to generate more revenues the next quarter. The US Supreme Court has given corporations individual-like powers to spend money on elections and influence government and policy but without the concomitant nuisance, I mean obligation, to be a socially responsible citizen.
Our me-first consumer generation expects higher service and relevance in an Internet awash with virtually unlimited choices. And even if people aspire to higher ideals their actual actions don’t reflect it, such as in dating.
Externalities be damned, even in politics. The current conservative government and the rise at all costs of the individual as the final decision-maker and budget spender over government and social institutions mean the bubble will have metamorphosed into an entire virtual universe before anyone gets around to worrying about it, much less noticing.
Still, it’s good to know. I applaud Alex Epstein for sharing a few options to insulate oneself from the prying eyes of the Net.
Me, I’m done training wives and search engines. I don’t want to start again. I don’t have any boundaries. I’m thrilled Google is listening to me and creating my own bubble. I’m fine with my dalliance with leather crotchless chaps and hairless goats a few days years ago following me around. I just want to know when I get to name my bubble and start selling virtual real estate there in my new world. I’ve long said that I live in Marcland. Come over and join me any time.
Are you cut out to be an entrepreneur?
Published August 30, 2011 Bootstrapping , Commentary , Entrepreneurs/Startups , Funding , Q&A Leave a CommentVince writes:
Vince,
Entrepreneurs can be any age. Don’t believe the myth that young people make the best founders. Adeo Ressi combats ageism in Is There A Peak Age for Entrepreneurship? I know a few Dallas entrepreneurs who are in their 60s. So don’t be discouraged because …
Investors are lemmings. Some do follow what’s hot and want the hip 20 something. Really, as a founder, why would you chase such shallow money? Many investors, like BAE, evaluate companies irrespective of age. Founder and team experience are a big plus. We see past the hype of concept ventures that are hot air. But if you’re concerned about this …
Accept God. Our God. You must accept the Church of Infinite Rejection as your true savior. You WILL be turned down and receive grief for thousands of reasons on a daily basis from everyone in your life – loved ones, investors, partners, staff, volunteers, service providers. But frankly this is jumping the gun because at this point …
You are not an entrepreneur. Everyone has ideas. It’s the execution that counts. You have barely started. Being an entrepreneur is a long, hard, painful path. If you truly believe in your mission, you do it because you’re driven. It’s in your DNA. You invest the time. You find solutions. You adapt.
Now there are incubators that will provide seed funding on concept. But enrollment is very competitive. Assuming it’s not a fit or you can’t get in …
You survive. You don’t pay yourself or your partners or team members. If you have hard costs, seed capital comes from your savings, credit cards, other personal assets and debts, family, friends, and crowdsourcing.
If you’re just at the idea stage, you have far to go to be ready for an accelerator like BAE, angels, or VCs. You’ve got to refine your business model, find customer pain, acquire partners, demonstrate market need and demand, create value, start a prototype, build your business plan, and show your sweat investment. Try my BlueEntrepreneurs.com Resource Guide for helpful links.
Now young kids often are more successful at getting to this point because they have no obligations. It’s easier for them to make the sacrifice and survive while they build the business. They don’t have to have a full-time job, support others, or make house, car, or insurance payments. They can live at home with mom and dad or with other starving entrepreneurs.
Vince, if you truly believe, just do it. Anyone can at any age.
Good luck!
Marc
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