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ekruzel's review against another edition
4.0
The reality of Facebook is even more horrifying than you imagine. The external commoditization of our time and our identities has unleashed these vile business models and practices under a cynical guise of free speech, capitalism or both.
Read this book, and vote accordingly.
Read this book, and vote accordingly.
widald's review against another edition
informative
reflective
medium-paced
4.25
“So we connect more people,” it says. “That can be bad if they make it negative. Maybe it costs someone a life by exposing someone to bullies. Maybe someone dies in a terrorist attack coordinated on our tools. And still we connect people. The ugly truth is that we believe in connecting people so deeply that anything that allows us to connect more people more often is de facto good.”
Andrew "Boz" Boswell, FB executive and Zuck confidante in an internal memo
- It’s easy to feel outraged reading a book like this and then do nothing. Turn Zuck or Meta into a bogeyman while shaking your fist in anger at the way the world is. I think real praxis is needed.
- There’s a sense of tech optimism that algorithms and technology will allow us to transcend human foibles. That we can build a rational system allows us to go beyond what we know now, while also insulating us from making case-by-case decisions. It feels very Enlightenment to me (emphasis on what can be seen, measured, and “rationalism”). But again, it runs into the same issue big data and algorithms do - what are you measuring, how are you designing the system, etc. All of that is fraught with unintended consequences that aren’t nearly so logical or moral as you might think. It’s easy to bake systemic injustice into our algorithms because the data we have is inherently biased. It’s easy to ignore the systemic effects of a technology when you’re insulated from the worst of it.
- Facebook’s pivot into the news space is when a lot of the troubles begin coming to a head. The old model of shareholder capitalism where (on the surface/explicitly) staying politically neutral (while ignoring the systemic effects of your business) doesn’t work as a media company unwilling to take a moderating stand. That model works when people post about neighborhood events, sports, food pics, etc. However, moderation is needed when reporting (the search for truth and what happened) is invited onto the platform. We see a history of adverse outcomes pursued by motivated targets (Russian campaign, lying political ads, New Zealand shooter). It’s hard work to moderate that and take a stand. I think there’s a reason most traditional media companies that dealt with news and politics throughout history have had editors and pretty evident political bias. But that doesn’t work when your goal is to connect the next 1 billion people, grow grow grow, and be palatable to all.
aninnocuousbunny's review against another edition
5.0
4.5/5 - I knew most of what was covered in this book, but I'm guessing that's second-hand from podcasters who have read this book.
erickabdz's review against another edition
3.0
The first time Mark Zuckerberg saw a website called "the Facebook", it had been conceived, coded, and named by someone else. It was a goodwill project meant to help friends connect with one another. It was free. And Zuckerberg's first instinct was to break it.
I'm unsure if this book brought anything new to the conversation -but it sure made a good recollection of events ever since Facebook's creation. The timeline was a little confusing for me, but overall it was an interesting read, especially for people that haven't followed the news as closely as I did.
As a resume: yes, Facebook is not good, and I admire the authors for their thoughtful and courageous reporting on one of the biggest powers in tech.
aaaneja's review against another edition
4.0
This book very clearly stands out in the vast sea of Facebook/Zuckerberg biographies, by focusing on all the missteps the company has made in the last few years, though before 2015 which was a pleasant surprise. It is also very quick read and keeps the reader wanting for more.
The thing I really liked about the book though was how it successfully showcased the influence an author can have on its subject matter. This book paints a much more realistic picture of the effects Facebook has had on user's privacy and democracies throughout the world.
The thing I really liked about the book though was how it successfully showcased the influence an author can have on its subject matter. This book paints a much more realistic picture of the effects Facebook has had on user's privacy and democracies throughout the world.
jslive's review against another edition
3.0
"An ugly truth" by nyt journos Frenkel and Kang doesn't live up to its subtitle ("Inside Facebook's battle for domination") because it is really only about one aspect of that battle: the growth-above-all philosophy that created something evil. A interesting read.
irwine's review against another edition
4.0
Phenomenal reporting turned into cohesive narrative of all of that’s gone down at FB. Not a lot of new or revealing information but builds a strong case of how it is what it is now. Bonus points that I finished this on my flight to SF.