Tag: Facebook

Opinion: Zuckerberg is going meta

Today Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook Corporation have announced the name-change of the company, which was first known as the “TheFacebook”. Now it has become a tech giant and a vital tool for spreading information and marketing. The social media site is a toxic haven, but also a monopoly of sorts.

Facebook has millions of members and people are showing their lives there. The company owns Instagram and WhatsApp too. So, there are several of entities under his umbrella now. Zuckerberg does this now, because his company is getting tarnished. He needs positivity. So, why not go “meta”?

His company is neither artistic or part of the cultural conversation. Facebook is maybe lacking self-awareness or feeling the room. The founder and owner of the company thinks he can change the narrative by a name-change. However, the problems of Facebook is bigger than that.

He has to address the usage of the social media site. How the page and the platform is being used by certain groups, interests and being controlled for political gains ahead of elections. That the site and its platform is used to spread messages and possible propaganda should be worrying. Alas, he earns fortunes on it and it’s a good business. That’s why he rather “go meta” than take responsibility.

It is not like Zuckerberg is observing things from the outside. No, his just trying to deflect and hope nobody notice it. That this publicity stunt and trying to forget the issues. That Facebook has been used to create social unrest, as well as spread hate and extremism. This is why it suddenly changes name to take away the bad stench.

However, Facebook cannot forget it’s role. That is why companies like Cambridge Analytica and others has used the platform for political gains. Used the platform to spread the campaign misinformation and change elections in their favour. In such a manner of which the tech giant is a useful tool for the hired political operatives.

Just going “meta” isn’t enough. No sorts of metaphysics can save Mark now. He can go all philosophical, but that doesn’t change the fact either. It is a reason why whistleblowers are blowing up the lid and telling their stories. Since, the founder would preferred them to be silent. The backdrops of this is very shady.

He can act like this is no big deal and only a name-change, but it is more to it. As the company wants to be more than just Facebook. They want to be “meta” whatever that means and for whatever purpose that serves. However, right now they have to answer for the usage of the platform and how it has catered to certain parts of the political spectrum. The company and Facebook has to address this as it is concern. That it can be used in this manner and therefore, be a dangerous tool, as well.

No matter how “meta” Zuckerberg goes. This will not change that. The dirt is still on his hands and the cleaning doesn’t start with changing the emblem. The change starts with how the company really operates and runs it’s business. If it cares about the consequences or users. Since this is a definite issue, which will not go away. Peace.

Opinion: Trump will not conquer the Silicon Valley

Today, former President Donald J. Trump have launched his Social Media platform – the “Truth Social”, as a part of the Trump Media and Technology Group (TMTG). This a formed business after a merger with Digital World Acquisition Group (DWAG). The TMTG will have initial growth with the capital from DWAG. So, it is the DWAG who funds the operation and TMTG.

The first launch is the “Truth Social” which is supposed to compete with Facebook and other social medias. That will be a hard battle and not something to easily compete with. Not like other sites haven’t tried and other entrepreneurs has done it’s bidding too. Yes, the hardcore Trump supporters will join in. Just like the few phony Republican’s who bought the “Freedom Phone” too.

That Trump will fight “big tech” isn’t surprising. As Trump needs a new hustle and new scheme to raise funds. Clearly with the evaluation of close to a billion before even launching or having a beta-version out. Heck, there are just pre-pre-signups to it. Therefore, his really betting on another people’s money. While social media haven’t been a cash-cow or an easy way of earning profits. Since, you need research and development. Always need for more updates and reignite to new platforms and versions of smartphones. That is a costly endeavour…

It’s hard to believe that this company will be able to fight the giants now. Since, the owners of other social media are so big, and they have such a “monopoly” over the various fields. In this regard, don’t expect TMTG to be able to compete with Google or Facebook. Heck, they have to battle to even compete with Yahoo. Seriously, they will be a 4Chan and a Reddit level of importance. Some might even say a own stage of IRL Chat or Discord server. Have a hard time believing in the launch or the credibility to beat “big tech”.

I’m old enough to remember Clifford “T.I.” Harris launching the social media site “Streetcred.com” and it never popped off. It was a flair and a try into a new field for the rapper and entrepreneur. However, it wasn’t all that and neither was the features on the sight anything to aspire too. Neither was your friends there or your family. So, it was only a few fans of T.I. and that’s it.

On this site and networks… it will be filled the Trump supporters and the Republicans who feels left out from the rest of the social media sphere. It will be a 4Chan and a Gab. I cannot see this becoming a true a competitor or even can gain so much traction. Since, the established ones have the familiarity and the people on it already. So, it’s a David against Goliath without even a proper tool to sling the stone.

I have a feeling this will be dissolved just like “Streetcred.com” did. Unless, he has enough gullible supporters and rich patronage who wants to fund the losing enterprise. Since, this will not be a winning a place or a profitable enterprise. No, this will be an endless money-pit with few to none avenues of finding places to gain revenue. Therefore, TMTG better hope DWAG gets more investors and financial muscles. They have a mountain to climb and need experienced people to pass over the mountain passes.

Trump has so many failed businesses. This would be another one… wouldn’t be shocked if this followed the airplane, vodka or steaks. Heck, this could be another casino venture of epic failure. So, the ones putting stocks into this and investing. The money is already lost and there will be no way of getting returns on the investment. That capital is gone and so in the name of the company as well. Peace.

Opinion: Mark Zuckerburg is having a bad day

Today, Mark Zuckerburg and the whole company of Facebook Inc. is having their worst nightmare. So, does the users of the sites in question. Since the social media networks of Facebook, Instagram and Whatsapp went down. There is a lot of things revealed. It got to be a heartache and some tech-guys working on overtime as we speak.

Silicon Valley and everyone circling it. It got to be tense. Zuckerburg has to explain in detail about what happen. Because, there is a lot of personal data for over 1 billion users on these sites. There are so much information collected and data, which shouldn’t be controlled by one firm alone. Alas, the same can be said about Google for that matter or Amazon. That is what happens when one company and “one empire” get total control.

We as consumers and users of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp should be worried right now. Just like these Social Media sites has been used to target demographics and spread misinformation during elections. The same data and collected information can be used by unknown sources. We don’t know why it went or what occurred.

What we do know is that the power of this knowledge is valuable. That is why the analytics of sites like Facebook is a commodity. Because, the interested parties can pay for services and ensure the groups in question reads their message. Hence, secure their targets get influenced and hopefully participate in a manner, which they prefer. That is a powerful for anyone who would use it like that.

Now that it’s down. We just know something behind the scenes is going down. There will smear campaigns and strikes. The Facebook Inc. will come with their stories. While we the consumer have to reflect, if our information having it on that site is even site. For that matter on any of the other sites that is connected as well.

We have gotten used to it and it’s there we often re-connect with people we know. People far away, which you don’t call anymore or lives abroad. That is just the way life works. Could have done that though emails or letters, but that’s old-school. Better to DM or just send a brief text through the social media’s.

This is why it’s striking. We should be worried. We know what Cambridge Analytica did with it. God knows what another party could do. Best case scenario just breaches, DNS serves collapsing and whatnot. However, we got no idea and the truth will eventually linger out.

There is a time and place for everything. Right now is to await and see. Because it’s hard to know what is going on. The company will keep things to their chest and only spin a narrative that fits them. The reality might be something else. Since, this happened so sudden and there been nothing like this. That’s why something is up, but we don’t know what that is.

It is at least not a crazy status update from one of your old buddies, which you just says “sigh” too and move along. Peace.

Opinion: Ogwang, what behaviour do you mean?

“The government is investigating Ugandans, whom it says have been misusing internet and social media platforms before reconnecting all of them back. Appearing before the Information and Technology Committee of Parliament chaired by Dokolo South Legislator Paul Amoru, the State Minister for ICT Peter Ogwang said the full reinstatement of the internet will be dependent on how Ugandans online behave” (NBS Television, 21.01.2021).

The Media Blackout and Social Media Blackout was direct orders from the state directed through government authorities to block all internet gateways. The state has also blocked all social media apps and sites online. The ones accessing these are using VPNs or Virtual Personal Networks to circumvent the blockade of state.

The Foreign Minister Kutesa said they had blocked Facebook and Twitter for “equalities” sake, as the foreign companies had blocked pages and persons affiliated with the government. Today, the Staet Minister for ICT Ogwang says its depends on “behaviour”. What sort behaviour do the honourable minister mean?

Hon. Ogwang by what law and what statutes are you basing this on?

That is something I wondering about. Since, you are not only indirectly blocking all voices on social media and on the internet. However, you are also putting in conditions, which cannot be verified. These conditions is based on certain parameters, which the public cannot get the gist off. Because, what does it mean?

The Minister should really come out with a proper statement and reasoning behind this. As this was a measure not based on actions made by the citizens, but by the powers of the state. Because, the state wanted to keep things in the black. They wanted the truth to be hidden and not expose the obvious election rigging this month. It wasn’t about language, posts or anything in particular.

I was expecting the state minister would say he was afraid of “tribalism” or “inciting violence”. However, he talked about behaviour like the citizens are kids. This is a paternalistic of the minister, but nothing new from this regime.

This is deliberate by the state to silence and ensure several of voices doesn’t come online. If they were sincere. They would have used other arguments and reasons to do so. However, this is just bonkers and ridiculous. The minister knows it and the citizens should know it too.

We know why they did it and this is just excuses to continue it, instead of reinstating it. Which they should have done yesterday or even the day before that. Peace.

‘Yellow Influencers’ Get a Food-Drive!

Last year in 2019, there was reports of a new Social Media Task Force for the National Resistance Movement (NRM), which had up to that point hired 49 people. The NRM already had their Social Media Activists (SOMA). So, they had two units work in co-ordination with each other. This is all attempts to steer the narrative and control the air-waves. Not new in that regard, but using modern methods to hit the public with information.

Just like all the other entities, which are government friendly press like the New Vision Group. The UBC, Government Citizen Interaction Centre (GCIC) and Uganda Media Centre to name a few.

In these COVID-19 lockdown times. The NRM together with the leader of the pack of the NRM Social Media Task Force, Duncan Abigaba have shown that they are feeding 245 bloggers. This is done through the kindness of Muhoozi Kainerubaga or the friends of him. They call them “Yellow influencers or bloggers” because that paint the picture. Even the blogger of Ashburg Katto is in the mix, so it seems its not far from the prison-cell to eating of the hand of the system.

These people will be instrumental to get the right vision ahead of the General Election of 2021. This is why they are even now doing deliveries and feeding them food. They are getting serviced by the state for a purpose. Because, these influencers can sway public opinion on social media and various of platforms. That is why Promoter Baalam and the Social Media Task Force of Abigaba is involved in this.

This is ensuring loyalty, as the payment of some rice and other foods during the pandemic. Will remind these Yellow Influencers whose their friends. They got to eat in the midst of it all, because hey are useful right now and in the future. Their platforms on the various of social media will be vital.

Its like 120 personalities on Social Media and about 120 bloggers, which is getting this treatment. This means these people are included and selected out, because of their writing and their content. This is because Duncan handpicked them and know what their up too.

That is what is striking is the amount of effort and to show their names on social media. These is our folks and comrades. Just go into Duncan Abigaba page on Facebook and the whole list will appear. It expose the ninjas writing and working directly for the NRM.

The Yellow Influencers if you may. The friends of Muhoozi is allowed to give these foods without any reinforcement of police nor any meetings with authorities. Because, they are working in-directly for the efforts for the state. This is partisan politics at its best. That information is being dropped on the day the UPF disclaim everything about Zaake whose healing after torture. That is the sort of state the Republic is in.

Where Yellow Influencers can get a food-drive by the Son-of-the-President. But opposition doing the same to his constituents are healing in the hospital after meeting the authorities. That is the double standard and the realities on the ground.

That Baalam and Abigaba is above Zaake is now clear as day. That the Yellow Influencers are important is clear too. They will be a tool into the elections and the campaigns, spreading the message of the “Yellow Bastard”. Peace.

Opinion: Took 18 months to deem “a Pair of Buttocks” as an inoffensive communication

Since early 2017, Dr. Stella Nyanzi have gotten into legal trouble because of her public statements. She was charged on the 23rd March 2017 for offensive communication, as she deemed the President as a “Pair of Buttocks” in a Facebook post. Ever since then she has gone in and out of prison. However, the longest stint was 18 months in Luzira Woman’s Prison. Today, the International Criminal Division have ordered to overturn her conviction and sentence from lower courts. The state also lost the appeal on the grounds of offensive communication.

Therefore, today on the 20th February 2020, she has finally been released after struggling on the docket, before taken back to Luzira briefly to sign-out and then released. This has been a to long journey over some “buttocks”.

That the timeline between 23rd March 2017 to 20th February 2020, she has been taken in- and out of prison. She has been carrying the weight and been resilient in her quest for freedom. Since the charge in March 2017, the amount of days carrying this has been the total of 1064 days, or 2 years and 10 months and 28 days. That’s a long time for one Facebook post.

Dr. Nyanzi has gone through a lot, she lost an unborn baby because of it too. There must been an overload of pain and suffering, which we cannot understand. Still, with all that pressure, all the negativity and the destructive pattern of the state towards her. She has stand strong and been able to push through. That is admirable and should be recognized.

Stella Nyanzi has carried a lot of pain, a lot of suffering and continued. That is what we all should admire about her. That she has stood up to injustice, unfair rulings and court judgments, which were biased in favour of the President and explicitly constraining the ability of people to express themselves online.

Nyanzi isn’t perfect, she isn’t aiming for it either, but what she does has a point. That the President is a pair of buttocks. That he acts like that and talks like that. This is why he could address himself as the Leopards Anus, but she couldn’t call him buttocks. Which is double standard and hypocrisy at its best.

She has paid for this. Stella has been through a journey, which many wouldn’t wish on anyone. Still, she’s there and able to fight for her causes. Justifiably so. No one can deny Stella that. The ones that does is ignorant of the message and the courage of standing up to the military might and powers to be with only a computer and a free mind. That is what she has done.

So the verdict on the President. His not a saint, neither is he grand, when he let one of his subjects be in prison for over 18 months and charged falsely with offensive communication for over 1064 days. He is a “pair of buttocks”, Mr. President you just have to live with it. Peace.

Mobile Money Tax shortfall: People change behaviour after levying an unfair tax

“Levy on mobile money contributed a deficit of UGX 30.48 billion which can be explained by the fact that high value clients withdraw their funds from agency banking e.g MTN has had a drop of 36 percent in MM transaction values since the introduction of the levy on mobile money” (Uganda Revenue Authority, 06.02.2020).

There is also reported that it has been a 36% drop in Mobile Money Transactions since the enaction of the Exercise Duty in 2018. That means, the added tax on the MM transactions are backfiring. The State isn’t adding revenue, but ensuring that people are finding other ways of moving their money.

This is not shocking, that people change behaviour, when the state makes it more expensive. As the people used these services to send each other money by convenience. Now, one third of the transactions are gone. Meaning, the ones that can change their ways has done that.

The losers are not only the Telecoms, but also the state. As the shortfall of taxes got to be covered elsewhere. As the state had put this into the budgets to cover other state works. This means the targets for domestic revenue wasn’t considering the implications of doing it. As, there wouldn’t be an natural reaction to the consequences to the new taxes.

Instead of increasing the tax base, they are making it smaller and not able to find measures that makes sense. The state has clearly done this without due diligence, neither also configured the stats and the possible behaviour of the public. As their ways gotten more taxed and not considering that they would stop, if they found it to expensive or unreasonable.

The MM tax and the OTT taxes was measures made to tax the digital market-space in the Republic. However, they have both been flawed and also not met their targets, because the public found other ways of doing things.

The ironies about the MM saga is that before the tax, the business of MM was growing. A natural growth and having more transactions every year. Now, that they levied the tax its has a big fall. That is a result of the MM Tax and the public is not having it. Peace.

Opinion: OTT Tax on Data Bundles is like a dual-VAT

“URA Commissioner General Doris Akol told the Finance Committee of Parliament chaired by Henry Musasizi that the controversial OTT Tax will be charged directly on data instead of mobile money to curb the evasion” (NBS Television, 14.01.2020).

I wonder if Doris Akol has thought this through or is winging it? As she see the losses and lack of results, revenue or tax base with the 200 shillings of doom. The whole OTT Tax is to expensive for the public daily. Now, she wants to move it and indirectly tax it instead.

Surely, they will get revenue, but this will make it more expensive to buy data-bundles for the customers and make the packages more viable. VPN and similar networks to circumvent the usage and payments of the daily OTT Tax have beaten the Uganda Revenue Authority (URA). That is why URA does this now.

It is a sign of defiance and civil disobedience. They are trying to patch the hurt. But will this succeed? Will more try to only load data through Wi-Fi networks and wireless networks in general. Not load so much data on the go. Because, people are smart and tries to undercut extra taxes. Especially, when on the data is already paid VAT and the Mobile Company pay their taxes on the profits too.

Therefore, URA and Akol seems fishing. They will raise revenue, but also make the data bundles more expensive and with that stop plenty of people from buying bigger data bundles for surfing online on your smart-phone.

That is just the mere reality. It is a sign, yet again that the OTT is a failed project, who didn’t hit the targets and wasn’t measured right. If it was, the aim and the bargain wouldn’t be like this. That is not happening.

This method is a clever way of adding the costs of data, while charging for service not necessarily used. The OTT Services, which is the reason for why these are charged. Because, the data could be used for other things and therefore, is violating its attempt to make it costly for certain usage on online.

This is again, pushing one story, pushing one tax and trying to tax the public by any means. When the hook doesn’t work, they use the crook. Instead of doing directly, they want to do it indirectly and initially in some way adding a separate VAT on data-bundles masked as OTT Tax. That is really it.

We all know this, URA verify it today. That the only things certain in life is death and taxes. Thanks Akol for reminding us. Peace.

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