"The Filter Bubble" by Eli Perizer

I am very fortunate! I have a roof over my head, food to eat, a mind to think with, and I can READ! Today I feel Fortunate to have the time to do two of the things I love best, bead work and Reading, (listening to a book).

This book is not a light read, but it is Fascinating. I never knew, for instance, that two internet users, using Any search engine, (especially Google) who looked up the Same data, using the Same search term, will Probably get completely differing search results, based on what Google knows about them. So sharing these posts With Google Buz is Telling Google How to Filter what I find as Search Results, For Me.

There is much more information about similar things, and how the ideas and technologies Behind them work in "The Filter Bubble" by Eli Perizer. I'm only a little way into this book and Know it will teach me Much which I didn't know before.

Both Google and Facebook are constantly collecting information about their users, as is Amazon.com and many Other large commercial internet intities.

Essentially, we can each end up in a ME-verse of just what we want, or computer giants Think we want to hear, instead of a Universe full of differing peoples, stars, and space.

Hey Google, I Like learning about what's happening in the Broader World, do I need to access shortwave stations via the Net for you to learn this, or does my interest in how the human figure is portrayed in many races and kinds of dolls Tell you this?

Today, Before beginning to read this book I asked a younger friend Why people sometimes said such horrid things about others, whom they Knew would be reading their Facebook pages. She explained to me that people don't Like confrontation, so letting someone know something which hurt your feelings, or which you didn't Like about them via Facebook was an easier way to handle it. But then she told me about having to never comment about one relative's page, because a different relative thought she had made a hurtful comment about Them, and this wasn't so.

I hate confrontation too, but have found it to be an unavoidable part of life. I have learned to try and Think about a problem first, when I have one with someone. Am I contributing to the problem How might I be contributing? Can I change what seems to be my contribution without feeling that I am giving away something important that I need, (emotionally, religiously, monetarily etc.?) If not, or if I don't know for sure what is causing friction between me and another we need to Talk, and Not in a way which invites: 1. Others who have no business in the disagreement making it harder to resolve by adding their two cents or taking sides. and 2. Facebook finding out what kinds of issues set me and/or my friend at odds, so they can serve similar situations up to me (hooking my attention for advertisers) as News.

It feels to me like social media and texting have replaced talking, especially to anyone different from ourselves.

With all of the nearly Constant Frustration I have, trying to use the internet, this book makes me think it might be a bizarre kind of Advantage Not to be able to use much of it. Being a dinosaur in the age of high tech. gives me the opportunity to look at technology more easily, I think. I watch movies, but Not Telivision. I use personal E-mails but delete those from unknown sources. I am Not a member of Any social media group. And yet I must admit that having a place to write my thoughts where a Few people can read them, if they Choose to Is a beneficial form of therapy for me, in some very small way partially filling the need to communicate, which Was filled by Ann's inteligence and humor.

I recommend Mr. Perizer's book as an eye opening read.