tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901123.post6474419731032818514..comments2024-03-15T03:20:38.106-05:00Comments on Brains and Eggs: Was your vote in November of 2016 influenced by Russian meddling?PDiddiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05851660342241127485noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901123.post-72764978064827251372018-02-18T11:53:29.608-06:002018-02-18T11:53:29.608-06:00I really don't know the answer. I too agree th...I really don't know the answer. I too agree that it's unclear how much impact the Russian trolls had on the election (probably marginal). <br /><br />Better election/campaign laws might help -- it might produce better record-keeping, although all records can be fabricated/circumvented. <br /><br />But the ads were selectively deployed and often there is no archive -- so it's hard to know how often these ads were shown. <br /><br />Some blame goes to FB, for not allowing unlike/dislike feedback, so magnifying certain populist messages. <br /><br />But really, advertising, trolling and robotweets are everywhere. You have to be pretty naive not to be able to distinguish between this spam and legitimate news and advocacy. <br /><br />Ironically social norms make it easier to enable this FB spam. I have several obnoxious conservative "friends" on Facebook which I would almost never want to do anything with. On the other hand, I knew them from high school or other places, so I am reluctant to unfriend them completely. As a result most of my political posts on FB receive half-informed pro-Trump responses. Most of my real friends have learned not to take their opinions seriously, but who knows -- it could be feeding pro Trump sentiment among friends who are politically undecided. <br /><br />I am ambivalent about FB, but it performs several functions very well. I'm not about to leave it anytime soon. Robert Naglehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09244278749337954786noreply@blogger.com