Thursday 27 October 2011

Violence or necessity of the spam filter.


Spam in its traditional distinction of penile dysfunction drugs and Nigerian businessperson with money to burn (your own) has in its relatively short lifespan covering roughly the same period of mainstream internet use become an accepted part of everyday language and function. Its definition however is taking on new meaning. The facebook/google/advertising giants have taken it upon themselves to filter what it considers spam for the end-user, or for their own projections from the mass of personal information collected, of what you consider to be spam. Articles from a "leftist" newspaper are filtered out to the overt or closet conservative. marriage counselling ads are strictly for those whom are married. That sounds all very well and good you might say, those lefty’s are just pumping their agenda anyway, I may as well be unaware of its existence and be better for it. The same applies to every number of political/social stances. This is all done without knowing consent of the "user" whom I shall refer to as "the used". This is a violence of the individual, designed to appeal to the used for the most economical click per click capital. Through this design however lurks the refining of ignorance and predetermined opinion.

The necessity of filtration is important, it is the acknowledgement of a dromospheric situation. An abundance of content that one cannot possibly hope to absorb during even a prolonged lifetime.  However if such an exponentially important part of human life is governed by market forces above all else under the guise of its exclusive necessity, what hope is there for progression? Spam filters, if designed to propel well-thought, critical content to the forefront of our retina holes would satisfy the necessity and the violence, a calculated homicide of ignorance and knee-jerk capital control. The problem is that our technological terrain has evolved without the human in mind except as an expendable PR afterthought, economy has replaced the human and it is that which governs our direction in the medium which threatens to replace all others.

One could argue that in a far more immediate way politics is exemplifying this trend but if we are to believe the liberal democratic rhetoric, these supposedly human politicians concerned with abstract economic systems openly dismissive of fleshy matters such as human well-being are in fact our puppets to be controlled and regulated. Albeit through the pathetically aesthetic motion of casting votes. The protection of formed identities with covert filtration of contradictory content is dooming this liberal democracy to its status quo. The status quo that has replaced flesh with the indifference of the economy which if surgically transferred into the long forgotten fleshy realm would resemble a crying man-child president. It is a shame that this phrase is so easily visualised with many faces vying for head place atop a crisp suit.

Necessity of traditional spam filters is a symptom of a world attempting to obtain capital. I do not recall spam wishing me a good day or a productive emotional reflection of the previous rotation. If that were the case I'm sure it would not be defined as such. This still used, but aging spam filter protects you from the undesirable individuals attempting to con you of your capital. The evolution of this computer based programming is protecting capital from you. Humans were sold the idea of "you get what you pay for", you are reaping the reward for buying into the idea of complete individualism and it matters not if you can see it, for you will continue to see it, as everyone else who does not will be protected by their investment from challenging their perspective.

This robot proposes a mass revolt of current political systems for a humanitarian centred system, with well being for all humans its core aim with possibly vast investment in worthwhile research and development on long-term humanitarian projects such as economy’s based on the meaning of the word rather than a pursuit of profit, education for all and environmentally sustainable energy sources and industry. . . . such as using the human body as an energy source to sustain much needed, valuable and loyal machine servants.

1 comment:

  1. a reply... http://fallinginpublic.blogspot.com/2011/11/spam-respond.html

    ReplyDelete