Facebook changes name to Meta – Why?
A rose by any other name would smell as sweet, says Juliet in the famous Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare. Inspired by this, I have come up with my own version.
It by any other name with stink just as bad. I omitted the first syllable, but you folks are smart – you know what I mean.
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Facebook sprung a surprise, renaming itself as Meta. The explanation given is that the company is now navigating towards Metaverse and that Metaverse is the future of Social Media.[1]
So what is the Metaverse?
The metaverse is a digital reality that combines aspects of social media, online gaming, augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), and cryptocurrencies to allow users to interact virtually. Augmented reality overlays visual elements, sound, and other sensory input onto real-world settings to enhance the user experience. In contrast, virtual reality is entirely virtual and enhances fictional realities.
In the near future, you could be riding the camel in Egypt, looking for King Tut’s tomb, or galloping with Alexander as he tries to conquer Asia. As mouth-watering as it sounds, I am not sure that the technology is there yet for this, especially if you want to experience it with someone connected miles away, via online. Or you could travel in space, create robots that look like you, and slay dragons in a game.
Is this a ploy to draw attention away from Whistleblowers?
One question that comes naturally is if this is a ploy to draw attention away from the various whistle-blowers who have been making telling revelations with proof on how Facebook placed profits ahead of everything[2].
Some of the things Facebook came up with are highly questionable – it would offer to promote your ad to your followers! Wait a minute!!! Aren’t all my followers supposed to get all my posts? If that is true, why should I pay Facebook to reach my own followers? I had sent a detailed email with data to Mark Zuckerburg and Sheryl Sandberg but predictably, they chose to be silent.
Its oversight committee is a joke – it is full of left loonies and is perhaps the worst set of individuals it could have chosen to guide it. Damian Collins, chair of the U.K.’s joint committee on the Draft Online Safety Bill, called the organization “more of a hindsight board than an Oversight Board.” In fact, one whistle-blower claimed that this renaming is a way for Facebook to escape scrutiny from Government agencies – any question they ask can be deflected with the statement that Facebook is re-inventing itself and that it will be incorporating changes in the way it works – ergo it needs time.[3]
One of the reports said Facebook was unprepared to deal with the Jan 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol building, citing internal documents[4]. Another detailed the spread of hate speech and content inciting violence in India on Facebook’s services[5].
In conclusion, Mark Z and Facebook are clever, smooth operators. The first thing that the US Government needs to do is to break it up into smaller individual parts, like Instagram, WhatsApp, etc. Each should operate on its own and not under this giant umbrella. Small is better – and Facebook must be held accountable for its policies of supporting a few and suppressing many.
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References:
[1] Facebook renames itself Meta amid controversy – Oct 28, 2021, CNET
[2] Whistleblower testifies, accuses FACEBOOK of putting profits above everything else says Sree Iyer – Oct 06, 2021, PGurus.com
[3] ‘Facebook is closing the door on us being able to act,’ whistleblower says in UK hearing – Oct 25, 2021, Indian Nation
[4] Facebook Was Not Prepared to Deal With Jan. 6 Insurrection, According to Newly Leaked Documents – Oct 23, 2021, Yahoo
[5] Another detailed the spread of hate speech and content inciting violence in India on Facebook’s services – Oct 24, 2021, Live Mint
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