301 lmaoo

CS 301

The author speculates that AIChat is likely to be valuable in several specific areas. List them.

1. Repurposing Codebases: AIChat could help by modifying and adapting existing code for different uses or projects.

2. Database Queries: It can assist in making database query languages more powerful, helping users interact with databases more effectively.

3. Scene Analyzers and Pattern Recognizers: AIChat could enhance tools that analyze images or patterns, making them more capable of understanding scenes or recognizing patterns.

4. Handling Large Databases: It could help in summarizing or extracting key information from vast amounts of data efficiently.

What is the one area in which AIChat is least likely to have much to offer?

?

AIChat is least likely to have much to offer in the area of automated content generation. While AIChat might excel in areas like answering questions, processing information, or helping with tasks like coding, its ability to create high-quality, original content on its own is limited.

What alternative phrase does the author use for automated content generation?

?

The author uses the phrase "bloviation generation" as an alternative for automated content generation.

What two major characteristics define the World Wide Web as we know it?

The World Wide Web is defined by the deployment of the platform-independent communication protocol called HTTP and the integration of HTML, which allowed for hypertext integration in web pages.

The author lists four advantages the World Wide Web offers beyond the capabilities of preceding Internet application-layer protocols. Name three of them.

Three advantages the World Wide Web offers are open architecture, platform and media independence, and native web-compliant browser support for convenient Internet navigation and robust media rendering.

List two elements of hypertext, as invented by Ted Nelson in 1965, that are still absent in the Web version of hypertext.

Two elements of hypertext that are still absent in the Web version are

bidirectional links - reverse link to another page in both directions.

the support for content transclusion - embed parts of a doc into another.

In the 1960s, Ted Nelson said any network-based information-sharing system worthy of the name should have seven characteristics. Which of the seven does the Web partially support?

The Web partially supports the characteristic of hyperlinks to network file resources.

In summary, while the Web implements hyperlinks to network file resources, it only partially fulfills Nelson’s broader vision of hypertext. The Web focuses primarily on forward, unidirectional linking between documents and lacks the rich, dynamic, and bidirectional interconnections that Nelson believed were necessary for a fully realized network-based information-sharing system.

What limitation does the Web place on network links?

The Web limits network links by using unidirectional hyperlinks, as opposed to bidirectional links.

According to Doug Engelbart (inventor of the mouse, joystick, GUI, etc.), the focus of the Web is too limited. What is needed to overcome the limitations of the Web?

creating more advanced technologies that help people understand and use information in a deeper, more meaningful way—such as improving how we learn, collaborate, and innovate.

What is the difference between a URN and a URL? Which is used by the Web?

A URN (Uniform Resource Name) is meant to serve as a persistent, location-independent identifier, whereas a URL (Uniform Resource Locator) provides a means to locate a resource. The Web predominantly uses URLs.

In 2022, Google settled with forty states for $391.5 million. What was the charge against Google?

Google was charged with obfuscating its policy on the collection of personal location data.

The 2022 court settlement was based on a 2018 exposé by the Associated Press. What did the AP document in their exposé?

The AP exposé documented that Google services on Android devices and iPhones store location data even if users have used a privacy setting that claims to prevent Google from doing so.

What explanation did Google offer to justify the behavior documented by the AP? ex. What explanation did Google give for storing location data even when the Location History setting was turned off?

User experience

What specific protections are there for personal privacy in the U.S. Constitution?

There are no specific protections for personal privacy in the U.S. Constitution.

According to Supreme Court Justice William O. Douglas in Griswold v. Connecticut, any implied Constitutional guarantees of personal privacy would have to be found buried in...

A “penumbra” of the constitution

In 2023, the Department of Justice filed a second suit against Google for what crime?

The Department of Justice filed a second suit against Google for anticompetitive practices in its online advertising business, seeking to force the company to divest parts of its business.

In 2022, the U.S. House Judiciary Committee published a report on competition in digital markets, listing several illegal activities by online companies. List two of them.

1. Misappropriating content from third parties.

2. Using its search monopoly to boost its own inferior vertical offerings.

The 2022 House Report identified three common problems attributed to Google, Amazon, Apple, and Facebook. What were they?

1. They serve as gatekeepers over key channels of distribution.

2. They use this position to maintain market power.

3. They abuse their role as intermediaries to dominate markets.

The author lists nine questionable business practices of Google that resulted from recent international litigations. List four of them.

?

1. Misleading customers/breaking contracts.

2. Anticompetitive practices.

3. Blocking competition.

4. Maintaining a monopoly.

What term did pioneers of modern economics, Adam Smith and David Ricardo, use to describe the business practices Google and other online platforms were accused of in recent courts?

The term used is "rent seeking," where businesses manipulate regulations to gain financial advantage without adding new value.

What is the best-selling book that provides a backdrop to this article, Social Media and the Banality of (Online) Crowds?

The Wisdom of Crowds by James Surowiecki.

The article Social Media and the Banality of (Online) Crowds contrasts our experience with two categories of "online crowds." What are they?

Wikipedia crowds and social media crowds.

The author of Social Media and the Banality of (Online) Crowds gives three reasons why he is averse to assigning any inherent value to groups. What are they?

Social Dominance: Groups often result in hierarchical structures where some individuals or subgroups dominate others. This can lead to unequal power dynamics and exploitation within the group.

Intergroup Conflict: Groups tend to foster competition and conflict between themselves and other groups. This can escalate tensions and lead to hostility, as members of one group view other groups as rivals or threats.

Societal Discord: Groups can contribute to larger societal problems by amplifying division, polarization, and discord. When groups become too focused on their own interests, they can create instability and disharmony in society as a whole​.

James Surowiecki holds that there are three necessary conditions for wise crowds. List them.

1. Diversity.

2. Independence.

3. Decentralization.

What does the author say about the three necessary conditions for wise crowds/groups?

The author argues that Surowiecki's conditions are rarely met in online environments, particularly on social media.

What does convergence theory say about crowd behavior over time?

Convergence theory says that as time passes, people in a crowd start acting more alike, with their differences fading away.

List two 20th-century scholars who held that crowds tend to be less rational and intellectual than their smartest members.

1. Gustave Le Bon.

2. Elias Canetti.

The author discusses one common feature of all crowds. What is it?

A singular focus.

The author lists three debilitating features of crowds. What are they?

1. Self-selection.

2. Singularity of focus.

3. Intolerance of diversity.

What feature of crowds seems to explain their willingness to accept disinformation, fake news, unsupported claims, conspiracies, etc.?

Their singular focus and herd mentality.

The author claims that some crowds can exhibit sagacity, but only when... [fill in].

...membership is carefully controlled.

What is the thesis that the author labels "naïve crowd psychology"?

The thesis that crowds naturally decay into herds. The term "herd" implies that the crowd moves in a unified, often thoughtless, direction, much like animals in a herd follow each other without thinking independently.

Jaron Lanier: the use of the term "wisdom" in the context of crowds is analogous to Adam Smith's use of the term _ in the context of markets.

"Invisible hand."

Why doesn’t the success of the Delphi method of forecasting confirm the wisdom of crowds?

Because the Delphi method relies on a structured panel of experts, not random crowds.

What term describes the phenomenon where wiki contributors try to inject self-serving, malicious, defamatory disinformation into a record or narrative?

Sockpuppeting

According to the author, what do wikis excel at?

Presenting uncontroversial, incontestable information like dates, names, and places.

What does our recent experience with social media demonstrate?

The enormous potential of online crowds for banality and their darker, antisocial tendencies.

The article reports ample evidence for three dark, anti-social features of online crowds. List them.

1. They can be untrustworthy.

2. They can be abusive.

3. They are easily manipulated.

The Payeck GPS starter interrupt system is used for what purpose?

It is used for asset management, primarily to locate and disable cars when payments become delinquent.

What label does the author use to describe the irrational belief in the security of a computing/network system that was not built around a robust security model?

The author calls it "faith-based security."

What vehicle telematics component was exploited by the FBI in Operation G-Sting?

The FBI exploited General Motors' OnStar system.

Why did the Ninth Circuit Court rule that the Operation G-Sting convictions were illegal?

The court ruled them illegal because the FBI tampered with or disabled the vehicle's recovery mode, violating OnStar's terms of service.

What type of computer appliances are "never optimal for security-sensitive applications?"

RF (radio frequency) appliances.

What is the name of the tool developed by Samy Kamkar to run replay attacks against keyless entry systems?

The tool is called OwnStar.

(True/False) The use of rolling code algorithms defeats replay attacks against keyless entry systems.

True.

What is Samy Kamkar's program that offers replay attacks for RF-based keyless entry systems that use rolling codes?

The program is called RollJam.

What information is accessible to Black Box OBD devices in principle?

Accessible information includes historical accelerometer data, speed data, GPS data, and trip timings.

Which is more vulnerable to hacking, a modern mobile phone or a modern automobile's computer system?

A modern automobile's computer system is more vulnerable due to insufficient data protection measures and easier access to sensitive data.

What is disinformatics?

Disinformatics is the study of misinformation and its use at the intersection of technology, propaganda, and miscreants (criminals).

How is disinformation used?

Disinformation is used to promote partisan agendas, including the creation of fake news, alt-facts, and post-truth narratives.

What is unknowledge?

Unknowledge is a term that encompasses fake news, alt-facts, post-truths, and partisan distortions, deliberately used to mislead.

Jeff Colgan lists several warning signs of democratic erosion. List three of them.

1. Media Intimidation: Efforts by political leaders to control, intimidate, or undermine the free press. This includes restricting journalists, censoring news, or labeling media as enemies to suppress criticism and control public information.

2. Attacks on Minorities: When political figures or regimes target minority groups with discriminatory policies, scapegoating, or public attacks, it weakens the democratic principle of equality and fosters division within society.

3. Weakening of Legislatures: This refers to actions that undermine the power and independence of elected legislative bodies, such as bypassing laws, stripping them of authority, or intimidating legislators to reduce checks on executive power.

What constitutes success to a disinformatician? Give three examples.

1. Winning elections: A disinformatician may spread false claims about a candidate's policies or personal life to sway voters and ensure their preferred candidate wins.

2. Delegitimizing adversaries: They might spread conspiracy theories or false accusations about an opponent's integrity to ruin their reputation and make them seem untrustworthy.

3. Distracting the public from real issues: A disinformatician could create sensational but false news stories to divert attention from important political or economic problems, keeping the public focused on irrelevant topics.

According to computer scientist Peter Denning, an academic discipline is defined by four hallmarks. What are they?

1. Lasting need: The field solves important problems that stay relevant over time.

2. Core ideas: It has agreed-upon basic concepts.

3. Common methods: There are standard ways to do work.

4. Rules and ethics: It sets guidelines for skill and responsible behavior.

Why does the addition of disinformation (fake news, alt-facts, etc.) prevent collective knowledge from reaching equilibrium?

Disinformation increases entropy and creates "clumps" of misinformation that disrupt collective knowledge, preventing it from reaching equilibrium.

What is the popular netizen refrain regarding trolling?

"Don't feed the trolls."

How does the article define "online trolling"?

Online trolling is the practice of anonymously interrupting normal information exchange to lure the recipient into reacting, often through misinformation, lies, and distortions.

How is online trolling different from other interference technologies like signal jamming, network blocking, network filtering, etc.?

Online trolling differs in that it relies on anonymity and aims to inflame or engage the recipient, unlike the direct disruption of other interference technologies.

What is one of the main goals of trolling?

One main goal of trolling is to manipulate public opinion.

Trolling is a part of the Internet's _ [fill in the blank] space.

Trolling is part of the Internet’s negative space.

List two examples of pedestrian online trolling.

Hit-and-run posting: This is when someone quickly posts a provocative or offensive comment in an online forum or discussion, then leaves without engaging further. The goal is to stir up conflict or provoke an emotional reaction, but the troll doesn’t stick around to argue or respond to replies.

Sh*tposting: This refers to posting low-quality, irrelevant, or intentionally nonsensical content to disrupt conversations, confuse others, or make a discussion unpleasant. Sh*tposting is often done for the troll’s amusement, and the content is meant to annoy or derail a meaningful exchange.

Define kakistocracy.

Rule by the least competent.

Define pathocracy.

Rule by a maladjusted minority, primarily psychopaths and narcissists.

List five different types of trolling defined in the article.

1. Provocation trolling.

2. Partisan trolling.

3. Ad hominem trolling.

4. Snag trolling.

5. Sport trolling.

Why is online trolling so effective at manipulating public opinion?

Online trolling is effective because it easily escapes detection by the uninitiated.

List and explain the four categories of trolling stimulus & response.

1. ~TROLL/~TROLL: ordinary exchange.

2. ~TROLL/TROLL: troll injects into a normal exchange.

3. TROLL/~TROLL: troll manipulates an unsuspecting victim.

4. TROLL/TROLL: troll warfare, still emerging.

In what three ways does the social media communication model move beyond earlier rectified asymmetrical email/text messaging?

1. It is a media-rich, mixed reality environment.

2. It is trivially scalable from individuals to groups.

3. It approximates in-person group dynamics.

How does the article describe how social media transformed communication?

Social media transformed communication into an immersive experience, moving beyond merely extending earlier communication protocols.

Provide three examples of disrupting technologies.

1. The firearm.

2. The printing press.

3. Telephones

The article provides several "downsides" of social media. List three.

1. Cyberbullying.

2. Social media dopamine loops.

3. The rapid acceleration of disinformation.

The article claims that one inherent feature of social media has been both widely appreciated by users and underappreciated by social scientists and scholars. What is this feature?

Its scalability, which supports both broadcasting and narrowcasting.

The article gives three reasons why social media exchanges (as virtual exchanges) tend to encourage anti-social behavior. List two.

1. They relax social and cultural norms.

2. They obscure identity and lack buffering in toxic exchanges.

List two mock reality psychology studies discussed in the article.

1. The Milgram experiment.

2. The Stanford prison experiment.

What did the Milgram experiment attempt to measure?

It attempted to measure the willingness of participants to obey authority figures, even when instructed to harm others.

What did the Stanford prison experiment attempt to measure?

It attempted to measure the psychological effects of perceived power in a simulated prison environment.

What did the Carnahan and McFarland experiment attempt to measure?

It measured self-selection in individuals volunteering for prison life, comparing traits like aggressiveness and authoritarianism.

What was the important observation that Hannah Arendt made about the Nazi Holocaust?

Arendt observed that the Holocaust was carried out by ordinary people, driven by the "banality of evil."

Give three examples that would confirm Jaron Lanier's claim that social media brings out the worst in some people.

1. Cyberbullying.

2. Online harassment.

3. Conspiracy theories.

The author claims that in addition to being a mock psychology testbed, social media is also a global, unsupervised experiment in what?

"naïve crowd psychology

What is the "lock-in" network effect?

It refers to disincentives for stopping or switching services, such as fear of missing out (FOMO).

The author offers an alternative social media model. What is it?

A multitiered behavior modification environment based on economic and psychosocial manipulation.

The author describes five characteristics of an ideal communication platform for use in soliciting memberships in anti-social causes (e.g., insurrections). What are they?

Unique Messaging Capability:

This refers to the ability of the platform to allow targeted, personalized messages that are difficult to trace or replicate. Such messaging can resonate more strongly with individuals, as it can be tailored to exploit their specific fears, frustrations, or motivations. In anti-social or insurrectionist causes, the messaging is often designed to manipulate emotions and create a sense of urgency or personal relevance.

Geographical Transparency:

This means that the platform allows users to communicate without revealing their physical location. For individuals involved in secretive or illicit activities, maintaining anonymity regarding their whereabouts is critical for avoiding detection by authorities. Platforms offering geographical transparency enable coordination without the risk of physical exposure.

Multimedia Capability:

This refers to the platform's ability to share images, videos, audio, and other rich media, which can be more persuasive and emotionally impactful than text alone. In recruiting for anti-social causes, multimedia content like propaganda videos, emotive music, or visual memes can powerfully influence people's beliefs and actions.

Support for "Thought Swarms":

This characteristic describes the platform’s ability to facilitate large-scale, fast-moving discussions or actions by coordinating the efforts of many people simultaneously. In the context of anti-social movements, thought swarms allow for collective brainstorming, rapid mobilization, and the spread of ideas without centralized leadership, making the movement more adaptive and harder to suppress.

Continuous Availability:

The platform must be accessible 24/7, with no downtime, so that participants can communicate or mobilize at any time. Anti-social movements, such as insurrections, require constant coordination and may need to respond quickly to unfolding events. Any interruption in communication could cause critical delays or failures in their plans.

What are the "five Ds" of sociopathy?

Disinformation, deception, dishonesty, delusion, and duplicity.

According to the Oxford English Dictionary, what does "post-truth" mean?

"Post-truth" refers to circumstances where objective facts are less influential in shaping public opinion than appeals to emotion and personal belief.

List three categories of "fake news" (excluding satire).

1. Disclosed fake news.

2. Anonymous fake news.

3. Bogus fake news.

What news services can help expose fake news?

1. FactCheck.org.

2. PoliFact Truth-o-Meter.

3. The Washington Post fact-checker.

What was the unanimous agreement relating to Generative AI mentioned in the article

There was unanimous agreement that the government needs to intervene to avert the potential pitfalls of the evolving technology.

What did H.L. Menken mean by "bloviation"?

Bloviation refers to long-winded, pompous, or empty discourse.

According to the author, what is deceptive about generative AI?

Generative AI presents itself as intelligent but is deceptive because it lacks true understanding or consciousness.

According to the author, if society is to deal with generative AI’s automated bloviation, it must deal with a fundamental question. What is that question?

What do we want the future of our information ecosystem to be?

What would be an appropriate internet comparison to the author's hypothetical online all-inclusive digital media library?

The Internet Archive would be an appropriate comparison to the hypothetical online all-inclusive digital media library.

What are the three situations that arise when one extracts information from the internet (aka the hypothetical online all-inclusive digital media library)?

useful, accurate information; harmful misinformation; and noise or irrelevant information.

According to the author, "history has shown that spontaneously generated nonsense and disinformation have a definite, measured, and predictable influence" on people with what characteristics?

On people who are already predisposed to certain beliefs or who have a lower threshold for skepticism.

According to the author, what is the political effect of "disinformedia"?

Disinformedia polarizes society, erodes trust in institutions, and promotes partisan agendas.

Which represents the higher-order problem: "semantic entropy" or "communication entropy"?

Semantic entropy represents the higher-order problem.

Why does semantic entropy represent a higher-order problem than communication entropy?

Semantic entropy undermines the coherence of information and distorts meaning, making communication increasingly difficult.

Where may society look for the best hope of cultivating skills to recognize disinformation resulting from generative AI?

The best hope lies in educational programs that emphasize critical thinking, media literacy, and cognitive awareness.

List three characteristics or topics that will be required in any educational environment to effectively deal with disinformation.

Critical thinking,

media literacy,

and the study of cognitive biases.

Is STEM education the best hope for cultivating skills to recognize disinformation resulting from generative AI?

STEM education alone is not sufficient; it must be complemented by humanities and social sciences.

What does Bill Bishop mean by the "big sort"?

The big sort refers to the process by which people segregate themselves into like-minded communities, both online and offline.