Voter manipulation techniques

[razz]

There is nothing simple about planned voter manipulation but it needs to be discussed

Voters need to be alert regardless of which country is voting for its leaders. I had heard rumours that such voter manipulation was possible but this is confirmation in terms that I understand better what is meant. Another reason for watching what you post online.

Source: http://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/ca...sers-1.4581847

Quotes:
"A Canadian data analytics expert says he wanted to expose a "problematic" invasion of privacy when he sounded the alarm and alleged a data company he helped found misused personal information from millions of Facebook users while working for Donald Trump's 2016 U.S. presidential campaign.

In an interview with The National's Adrienne Arsenault, Christopher Wylie said he was tasked with "psychological profiling" while working at Cambridge Analytica and was able to pull data from users through apps that required the use of Facebook.

"They would fill out psychological surveys and then that app would then go and pull all of of their Facebook data," said the 28-year-old from B.C.

Day 6
The data mining firm that helped elect Trump has built psychological profiles of nearly every American voter
LISTEN 00:00 09:07 [follow the CBC link above to hear this].

"From that, we were able to make inferences or predictions about people who we haven't yet spoken to," Wylie added.

"It allowed us to profile upwards of 50 million Americans over a span of a couple of months and understand not only their personality traits but how they think... and what exactly we need to do in order to pick at certain mental or emotional vulnerabilities so that those people would behave in a particular way that was conducive to [Trump campaign chief executive] Steve Bannon's objective."

Wylie said he decided to go the press with his story — first reported by The New York Times and The Observer of London — after seeing Trump become president and the rise of the alt-right.

"It really made me reflect on the impact that Cambridge Analytica has had," he said.

"I reflected on it... I said to myself that I need to speak out now because I have seen the impact that this company has had and I think people should know about how it works."


Data mining firm behind Trump election built psychological profiles of nearly every American voter
Wylie also said the company's practices were unethical and needed to be called out.

"I think that the algorithms that they have built... using that private data they acquired without consent, is problematic."

Facebook said a Cambridge University psychology professor had lied to the company and violated its policies by passing data to Cambridge Analytica from an app he had developed. It suspended the firm from Facebook.

'I am accepting my share of the responsibility'

Wylie said that it's "intimidating" to speak out, but believes it was the right thing to do..."

[catherine]

This is called "Big Data" and it's nothing new to me, making my living in market research.

Sounds like Cambridge Analytica earned their pay.

Should data-collectors be held to different standards if they are looking at voters vs consumers who are marketed to with the same type of data mining techniques? If I were running a political campaign, I would expect this level of research.

Now if Russia is paying for it or managing it, that's a different story, but if it's just data collection--why do you think people are flocking to shiplap or Patagonia or H&M? I know you guys don't believe me, but it's all in that cbc report. They profile us and then market to us in a way that hits our "hot buttons." That's Marketing 101.

In fact, I'm doing it right now--writing a report to advise my clients on behavioral and psychological profiles of people more likely to spend a lot of money on therapies with unique delivery systems (I'd be more specific, but it's confidential). But we didn't go to Facebook, so..

Andy Sachs: You know, it's just that both those belts look exactly the same to me. You know, I'm still learning about all this stuff and, uh...
Miranda Priestly: 'This... stuff'? Oh. Okay. I see. You think this has nothing to do with you. You go to your closet and you select... I don't know... that lumpy blue sweater, for instance because you're trying to tell the world that you take yourself too seriously to care about what you put on your back. But what you don't know is that that sweater is not just blue, it's not turquoise. It's not lapis. It's actually cerulean. And you're also blithely unaware of the fact that in 2002, Oscar de la Renta did a collection of cerulean gowns. And then I think it was Yves Saint Laurent... wasn't it who showed cerulean military jackets? I think we need a jacket here. And then cerulean quickly showed up in the collections of eight different designers. And then it, uh, filtered down through the department stores and then trickled on down into some tragic Casual Corner where you, no doubt, fished it out of some clearance bin. However, that blue represents millions of dollars and countless jobs and it's sort of comical how you think that you've made a choice that exempts you from the fashion industry when, in fact, you're wearing the sweater that was selected for you by the people in this room from a pile of stuff.

[ApatheticNoMore]

Should data-collectors be held to different standards if they are looking at voters vs consumers who are marketed to with the same type of data mining techniques?

yea it should probably be banned as should much else (money in campaigns etc), although maybe it should be banned for marketing as well, but I could be convinced either way there (I could certainly be convinced advertising itself should be banned). But definitely for political campaigns.

I think the voter weakness they took full advantage of has to do with the fact that both parties ran REALLY BAD CANDIDATES, so people were voting against as much as for, which tends to be more irrational (oh grrr I really hate that Trump/Hillary!!! I'm going to vote AGAINST him/her!!). Yea this is going to tend to be way more irrational than voting for an actual decent platform. But good luck with the parties admitting they ran bad candidates as they are in on it.

If we had decent candidates with decent platforms to vote for and ways to enforce that candidates would do what they say then the whole thing would work better and be less subject to manipulation to begin with. And yes a parliamentary system might also work better.

Now if Russia is paying for it or managing it, that's a different story, but if it's just data collection--why do you think people are flocking to shiplap or Patagonia or H&M?

well this is the first I've even heard of the existence of something called shitlap, I've never bought from Patagonia or S&M (yea they all sound pornish). I guess Patagonia is supposed to be green or at last greenwashed and that is the selling point? I guess I might buy from them if I was convinced it really was greener and more socially responsible or something.

The ONLY thing that matters about the color of the sweater is how it works with one's complexion. Some colors work with one's complexion and some don't, it's not always a perfect process unfortunately, it might look better at the store than home - I guess that's what returns are for, but one can have some idea what works to begin with and so know what clothes to even bother trying on and which not to, and then try it on.

[razz]

The difference here is that our democracy is based on people making informed choices.

Catherine, you are not a political lobbyist visiting peoples' homes with info aimed at their individual hot buttons issues, knowledge obtained without their consent. The lobbyist then reports back to the lobbying central. The results would trigger further marketing efforts to promote a Brexit vote or a candidate for Prime Minister or legislation that impacts a nation. It can destroy a Europe or an Oriental peace agreement.

Bannon knows all about this.

I knew that TV advertisers do this all the time. It hires neuroscientists who research how to trigger certain attention from the viewers and then how to appeal to them. That is not visiting their homes in person armed to address one's hot buttons obtained by devious means without their consent.

[iris lilies]

Damn that Trump for “scooping up all kinds of juicy facts” on online posters with his Facebook app. Just pure manipulative evil!

oh, wait. This cnn article seems to be praising that activity. And look who it is praising:

https://www.cnn.com/2011/10/09/tech/innovation/obama-data-crunching-election/index.html

tl;dr cnn gives hgh fives to the Obama campaign for the same thing.

[Alan]

Damn that Trump for “scooping up all kinds of juicy facts” on online posters with his Facebook app. Just pure manipulative evil.

oh, wait. This article seems to be praising that activity. And look who it is praising:

https://www.cnn.com/2011/10/09/tech/innovation/obama-data-crunching-election/index.html

[catherine]

The difference here is that our democracy is based on people making informed choices.

Catherine, you are not a political lobbyist visiting peoples' homes with info aimed at their individual hot buttons issues, knowledge obtained without their consent. The lobbyist then reports back to the lobbying central. The results would trigger further marketing efforts to promote a Brexit vote or a candidate for Prime Minister or legislation that impacts a nation. It can destroy a Europe or an Oriental peace agreement.

Bannon knows all about this.

I knew that TV advertisers do this all the time. It hires neuroscientists who research how to trigger certain attention from the viewers and then how to appeal to them. That is not visiting their homes in person armed to address one's hot buttons obtained by devious means without their consent.

Honestly, I know political vs consumer marketing seems like a devious misapplication of research techniques, but marketing a politician is really no different than buying that cerulean sweater. Every time a politician kisses a baby, that's hitting a hot button. It's just a lot more sophisticated now. People can track Facebook likes, and eavesdrop on social media. I'm not sure at which point it becomes excessive manipulation over and above the manipulation that takes place in our culture every second.

And ANM, I know that we here on this forum feel more disconnected from this kind of manipulation and it's one of the reasons I'm here. I know a lot of us aren't aware that shiplap is a product of HGTV (bless you!), and, yes, Patagonia is an example of getting people to spend money because they feel good that they are supporting a "green" company. My point is, we are all under the spell, and it's hard to break away. I think we should all adopt a 12-step philosophy: We admit that we are powerless over advertising." That's better than, "Not me. I'm not influenced by the culture" because if you believe that, you are in denial.

[catherine]

The ONLY thing that matters about the color of the sweater is how it works with one's complexion.

I beg to differ. https://qz.com/532322/pantone-universe-pop-culture/

Even my DD's boyfriend, a designer at Reebok, has the inside scoop on the color that YOU may be buying in 2019.

[iris lilies]

I beg to differ. https://qz.com/532322/pantone-universe-pop-culture/

Even my DIL's boyfriend, a designer at Reebok, has the inside scoop on the color that YOU may be buying in 2019.

Your daughter in laws boyfriend? Wouldnt that be your son?

Ok, help me out, today I cannot decipher “DIL.” Fog brain i guess.

[catherine]

Your daughter in laws boyfriend? Wouldnt that be your son?

Ok, help me out, today I cannot decipher “DIL.” Fog brain i guess.

I claim the brain fog.

I meant my daughter's boyfriend! I edited my post.

I bet you did great on your SAT's, IL!