Liberating the Self From the Invisible Prison of Plutocrats-Controlled Media and Social Control Media
Can you always see the full picture or does something (someone powerful) obstruct it?
There is a classic trap wherein one trusts the oppressors' media - that is, one is made to believe one's own abuser. There's also a risk that outright rejection of all media would render one powerless, misinformed, and simply unenlightened, beginning a cycle of powerlessness and begetting helplessness. That, in some sense, serves the power structures: a false choice between listening to the gaslighting opponent or listening to nothing, doing nothing, being nothing (passiveness ultimately perpetuates the status quo).
Aloof populations have long suffered. Some fought for their own media (distribution, platform, printing presses etc.) because without direct control someone else exercises some level of control, either tacit or clearly - out in the open! - still within sight. For instance, authors in major newspapers can enjoy large audiences, but they lack independence. "Influencers" in social control media can be rewarded by the masters with "going viral", but that depends on who they are and what they say (there's no neutrality; companies like Facebook or TikTok choose winners or losers based on what suits them and their clients, the advertisers and shareholders).
20 years ago, days after the Microsoft/Novell deal, this site was born in the wake of protest and one might say anger. Bruce Perens became vocal and set up an online petition against Novell. Many - including our community - signed it.
There has since then been not the corrupting influence of money but of loss of money, basically a form of blackmail. For two decades we overcame all blackmail attempts and we think it's fair to say nobody can control what we say.
The EPO's strike of yesterday was a success. We'll soon know some numbers. It's just one of many things that warm our hearts; we're told that almost nobody but us still covers EPO affairs.
The EPO's staff used to have its own gazette for union members. Owing to Techrights, we believe, to many insiders such a gazette is no longer a necessity.
As always, we invite whistleblowers as they're what makes us what we are. █
Image source: Yellow amaryllis (Sternbergia Clusiana Gawl)