Facebook

We have all marveled at the explosion of social media in the past few years. We have enjoyed the ease at which we can share intimate, important aspects of our lives with the rest of the world, who wait breathlessly to witness our next move. Will we have pizza tonight or will we have McDonalds?
Will we watch American Idol or Dancing with the Stars? Inquiring minds want to know.

The overwhelming popularity of Facebook is nothing short of a phenomenal thing and like tweeting has become an iconic part of society. Everyone wants to feel like they are a part of something important. Even grandma can stay up on all the new trends. However, every cloud does not have a silver lining. In this case there are many dark intentions. Social networking has become the gold mine of information. Information many people find very useful in many ways.

One example of dark intent is shown here.

The article title is interesting as it states the Pentagon "seeks" to manipulate social media for propaganda purposes. Too late! One of the main purposes of setting up social networks is to manipulate the mass opinion. So while your mind focuses on planting crops on Farmville, you are being very subtly convinced of other considerations. No, not literally but you get the idea. The tools available to your average propagandist are nothing short of amazing. The military uses full advantage of these tools, for you see, world war 3 is already well under way, and is not being fought on a battle field but in cyberspace and in your mind space. Most of you have already decided what side of the war you are fighting on. The strongest enemy we all have to battle is the enemy of indifference, and that foe is kicking our ass!

The government's involvement with Facebook is so obvious on so many levels it is ridicules. What about the more subtler applications? Here we see an example of D.A.R.P.A. attempting to "expand" their use of social networks in new and "revolutionary" ways. As it clearly states in the synopsis; Specifically excluded is research that primarily results in evolutionary improvements to the " existing state of practice". You really get a feel for the capabilities of D.A.R.P.A. by doing just a little reading. This branch of the military is one of the most blatant at their use of propaganda, social engineering, and outright mind control of all. They attempt to tinker on levels above and below our consciousness. I think that is fucked up.

By becoming aware of these programs, like the sock puppets program, we lessen the effects of them. The more widespread useful knowledge is applied, the less frightening and controlling these things become. The whole interconnected computer array was originally conceived by the military, for military use. Every key stroke can be monitored. This does not frighten me, it empowers me. By understanding the subtle array of how control mechanisms function we learn to achieve higher autonomous thinking. I think that it is very important to aspire to the maximum level of understanding, therefore I offer this information, not under the guise of provoking fear, but under the premise that knowledge protects us more than it harms us.