truthfulness and falsehood

If you wanted to build a machine that would distribute propaganda to millions of people, distract them from important issues, energize hatred and bigotry, erode social trust, undermine respectable journalism, foster doubts about science, and engage in massive surveillance all at once, youwould make something a lot like Facebook. Of course, none of that was part of the plan. In this fully updated paperback edition of Antisocial Media, Siva Vaidhyanathan explains how Facebook devolved from an innocent social site hacked together by Harvard students into a force that, while it may makepersonal life just a little more pleasurable, makes democracy a lot more challenging. It's an account of the hubris of good intentions, a missionary spirit, and an ideology that sees computer code as the universal solvent for all human problems. And it's an indictment of how "social media" hasfostered the deterioration of democratic culture around the world, from facilitating Russian meddling in support of Trump's election to the exploitation of the platform by murderous authoritarians in Burma and the Philippines. Both authoritative and trenchant, Antisocial Media shows how Facebook'smission went so wrong.

"Liars are causing devastating problems. They are endangering public health. They are threatening self-government. They are destroying the reputation of good people - and inflating the reputation of people who are not so good. Nonetheless, falsehoods ought not to be censored or regulated, even if they are lies. Free societies allow them. Public officials should not be allowed to act as the truth police. A key reason is that we cannot trust officials to separate truth from falsehood; their own judgments are unreliable, and their own biases get in the way. If officials are licensed to punish falsehoods, they will end up punishing dissent. The best response to falsehoods is usually to correct them, rather than to punish or censor them. At the same time, governments should have the power to regulate the most harmful lies and falsehoods. In brief: False statements are not constitutionally protected if the government can show that they threaten to cause serious harm. Public officials should be able to restrict and punish lies and falsehoods that pose serious threats to public health and safety. To protect the democratic process, public officials should be able to restrict certain lies and falsehoods. They should be able to safeguard people's reputations. Private institutions, including television networks, magazines, and newspapers, and social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter, should be doing much more to slow or stop the spread of lies and falsehoods"--Provided by publisher.

Viveca North is determined to be the valedictorian at her prep school, but when the new boy Jamison Sharpe, whom she is convinced is a fraud, threatens her goal, she sets out to uncover the truth behind his deceit.

"Follow the three little pigs as they learn a valuable lesson in telling the truth when they prepare for Chinese New Year, the most important traditional holiday in Chinese culture"--Back cover.

"Getting kidnapped over spring break was definitely memorable. But now that the surviving hostages are home, they want life to feel normal again: high school, dating, million-dollar galas. But there's no escaping the spotlight--or the truth about the ways they betrayed each other in the jungle. And this time, the real threat isn't kidnappers--it's what the 'friends' might do to each other"--Provided by publisher.

"Meri Buckley has lost everything. She lost her mother to a fight much bigger than herself. Her father to grief, fear, and denial. And the truth--to an overbearing government that insists that censorship and secrecy is the only path to peace. But though Meri and her band of truth-seeking Stewards did lose the first battle in their quest to enlighten the public, they have not yet lost the war. Meri can start the revolution she seeks, if the powerful figures who profit from the status quo don't find her--and kill her first"--Provided by publisher.

"When a fake relationship between scientists meets the irresistible force of attraction, it throws one woman's carefully calculated theories on love into chaos."--.

"A . . . novel . . . which chronicles the misadventures of a lovelorn Victorian lexicographer and the young woman put on his trail a century later to root out his misdeeds while confronting questions of her own sexuality and place in the world"--Provided by publisher.

High school junior Page and her two best friends start out by telling the little lies that are part of everyday life: white lies to avoid insulting friends and fibs to avoid unwanted judgment from classmates. As they lie more and more, the lies escalate into half-truths about parties told to their parents and become more dangerous.

Having a pet dragon is very fun. But what if your dragon is constantly lying? What do you do? You teach him to tell the truth.