Heather Cox Richardson

But that being said, what we have done by not regulating the algorithms and the engagement farming that is now not only permissible, but privileged in our public discourse is we have essentially taken that public sphere, we talk about the, you know, the public square where people can put all their ideas.

And rather than simply letting somebody stand on a soapbox, which is how we get that expression to be on a soapbox is you literally stood on a soapbox over a crack.

And rather than simply letting somebody stand on a soapbox, which is how we get that expression to be on a soapbox is you literally stood on a soapbox over a crack.

And rather than simply letting somebody stand on a soapbox, which is how we get that expression to be on a soapbox is you literally stood on a soapbox over a crack.

We have taken one voice in that public sphere or public square and made it sound as if it's 10,000 voices so that the rest of the people in the square sort of cower and say, well, that's what everybody thinks, when in fact it's a recipe for authoritarianism or for the warping of our society by a very minority voice that has managed to amplify itself. And I think that's a huge problem right now.

We have taken one voice in that public sphere or public square and made it sound as if it's 10,000 voices so that the rest of the people in the square sort of cower and say, well, that's what everybody thinks, when in fact it's a recipe for authoritarianism or for the warping of our society by a very minority voice that has managed to amplify itself. And I think that's a huge problem right now.

We have taken one voice in that public sphere or public square and made it sound as if it's 10,000 voices so that the rest of the people in the square sort of cower and say, well, that's what everybody thinks, when in fact it's a recipe for authoritarianism or for the warping of our society by a very minority voice that has managed to amplify itself. And I think that's a huge problem right now.

But I do think there are ways to push back against it. One of the things on my Facebook page where people comment, I have a moderator who throws out the live porn and throws out the ad hominem attacks and throws out the stuff that is just right-wing talking points. Argue all you want. I love argument, but cleaning that up.

But I do think there are ways to push back against it. One of the things on my Facebook page where people comment, I have a moderator who throws out the live porn and throws out the ad hominem attacks and throws out the stuff that is just right-wing talking points. Argue all you want. I love argument, but cleaning that up.

But I do think there are ways to push back against it. One of the things on my Facebook page where people comment, I have a moderator who throws out the live porn and throws out the ad hominem attacks and throws out the stuff that is just right-wing talking points. Argue all you want. I love argument, but cleaning that up.

I think is one of the reasons that has become, you know, it's got more than 2 million followers because you can go there and you can have a conversation and not feel like you're in danger. As I say, the day that I was doing something live and there was live porn going on in the comments was amazing. probably the most distracted I've ever been when I'm trying to talk, but we can do that.

I think is one of the reasons that has become, you know, it's got more than 2 million followers because you can go there and you can have a conversation and not feel like you're in danger. As I say, the day that I was doing something live and there was live porn going on in the comments was amazing. probably the most distracted I've ever been when I'm trying to talk, but we can do that.

I think is one of the reasons that has become, you know, it's got more than 2 million followers because you can go there and you can have a conversation and not feel like you're in danger. As I say, the day that I was doing something live and there was live porn going on in the comments was amazing. probably the most distracted I've ever been when I'm trying to talk, but we can do that.

I mean, we could moderate those things ourselves. It's a nuisance, but we could do that. But I think we can also convince people not to respond to engagement farming. And I think you're seeing that on Blue Sky.

I mean, we could moderate those things ourselves. It's a nuisance, but we could do that. But I think we can also convince people not to respond to engagement farming. And I think you're seeing that on Blue Sky.

I mean, we could moderate those things ourselves. It's a nuisance, but we could do that. But I think we can also convince people not to respond to engagement farming. And I think you're seeing that on Blue Sky.

But I also think that one of the things that we are looking forward to in 2025 and going forward is I think what the election of 2024 taught us was that Donald Trump and the MAGA Republicans very deliberately created their own information sphere while the Democrats continued to try and work with legacy media.

But I also think that one of the things that we are looking forward to in 2025 and going forward is I think what the election of 2024 taught us was that Donald Trump and the MAGA Republicans very deliberately created their own information sphere while the Democrats continued to try and work with legacy media.

But I also think that one of the things that we are looking forward to in 2025 and going forward is I think what the election of 2024 taught us was that Donald Trump and the MAGA Republicans very deliberately created their own information sphere while the Democrats continued to try and work with legacy media.

And that didn't really do a whole heck of a lot of good for winning an election because the people who were following the legacy media, even things like the Wall Street Journal, whose editorial page is quite far toward the right, voted for Kamala Harris.