Big internet scams with big soundbites change a mindset. People, who are considered normal, are empowered to change. The power of the internet corrupts on a scale not previously possible. The internet enables facts to be cherrypicked, spun, and disseminated BEFORE anyone can verify that those facts represent the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.

'Who' always matters. In fact 'who' says everything about the credibility of what is presented over the internet. Only relevant are people who must always have honesty and integrity. Otherwise nobody can believe anything they get over the internet.

The problem is the power of the internet. Power corrupts. The internet is evil. Those who claim otherwise are satanic deceivers.

It's easy to sort out, the only "truth" on the net is shit that agrees with my opinion.

Over the internet, all of my opinions are supported by numbers … binary code.

But you know who is really concerned about this... Big Social Media. Because if they can't figure out who is real... if they can't use metrics... it makes it really hard to sell advertising and make any money out of the net.

Marketing people in Big Social Media react to the story by... confirming it. Marketing Land: "Fake, fake, fake: Epic tweetstorm targets marketing’s metrics house of cards"

That all this is coming out now, may be one reason why the Big Social Medias lost a ton of stock price in the days leading up to this story.

I liked this:

They are trying desperately to track you while you are not logged in. They can track you while you are on a wired connection, but not wireless.

To actually track wireless users will require the assistance of the wireless companies. Your carrier knows who you are; your phone's IPMI number is your ID. They can partner with Big Social Media to connect the times and URLs you used.

It would be worth BIIIIG money for the ability to do that.

I bet they are planning to do that.

For the sake of all our future, I currently believe they should NOT BE ALLOWED to do that.

AI generated artificial people pics with identification tips linked in title.

Oh dear, you mean a 7 year old kid won't be able to rake in $22 million a year any more?

Nonsense. Until the 'who' states underlying reasons why with perspective, he has no credibility. Only relevant are facts that must always have reasons why and with numbers. Otherwise that person has and earns no credibility.

The naive believe only what they were ordered to believe by their political biases. Not by concepts we were all taught even in school science. That is why propaganda and 'fake news' works. That is why so many foolishly think Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Bernie Sanders, and Laura Ingle are credible. They forget to learn what is necessary before anyone is credible.

If a statement does not provide perspective in those reasons why, then it is a lie. And the person has no earned credibility. Its always about those facts and numbers - not about a person.

Problem is that most adults do not know (have forgotten) how to do that. Or that it is always necessary. So outright lies from the zero credible are automatically believed.

That reflects gross incompetence. The 'who' can have access to valid information that is independently unverifiable. Information gathering resources and intelligence services around the world use alpha-numeric grading scales for establishing the credibility of sources. It's always about the person as facts with numbers can be made indistinguishable from viable lies.

That's why confirmation bias afflicts those who pursue only facts with numbers. Without the 'who' assessment to put facts and numbers into perspective one sees naïve foolishness in the interpretation of facts with numbers and deliberate misinterpretation by manipulators.

The problem is that people with abnormally limited range of emotion (e.g. developmentally impaired, impaired by a Significant Emotional Event) are incapable of assessing source credibility in the absence of facts and numbers and extrapolate conclusions along the lines of their previously held biases. Such people can't refrain from trying to pretend their handicap makes them superior (they're self delusional) as a compensating mechanism.

It's not just about the truth (i.e. facts with numbers), it's about the whole truth (i.e. all pertinent facts with numbers without lies of omission) and nothing but the truth (i.e. the credibility of those from whom the facts are sourced). Without the 'who', all you get are rantings from people consumed by political correctness, Hillary Clinton, and one-upmanship (i.e. I presented one more fact than you did so I must be right). History has shown, not to mention recently demonstrated, that just brandishing facts with numbers is for losers.