Failing to Bring the World Closer Together A little over two years ago, Facebook updated its mission statement to, "Give people the power to build community and bring the world closer together." Since the update, though, Facebook has pushed the world further apart. The data they've collected on their users have been exploited to the extent they've influenced multiple elections across the globe. Most notably, a data analytics firm called Cambridge Analytica used Facebook's data to create a profile of voters that were susceptible to advertisements. The Cambridge Analytica scandal was covered at length in Netflix's latest hit, The Great Hack. I highly recommend you watch it. F...
Introducing the Bunker Basics Prepper YouTube Channel
The First of Many Videos on the Bunker Basics Prepper YouTube Channel I just posted my first video on the new Bunker Basics Prepper YouTube channel. I'm hoping to increase the number of channels through which I reach people. This video was fun to make and I intend it to be the first of many. If you like this, stay tuned for a series of webinars and podcasts. There's a lot in the works, so now is the time to reach out with any feedback or suggestions. You can leave a comment below or contact me directly. Also, don't hesitate to subscribe to the YouTube channel or join the Bunker Basics mailing list to stay up to date with the latest content. ...
How to Avoid Being Manipulated Online
Online Companies Are Exploiting You These days, nearly everyone knows that Facebook is unethical. Mark Zuckerberg testified before Congress and the FTC recently fined his company $5 billion. While this may be common knowledge, it still bears repeating what practices Facebook and similar companies are engaged in. This is especially true because Facebook remains incredibly profitable. Moreover, it still has 2.41 billion monthly active users. Facebook and other large online companies like Google and Amazon are amassing and monetizing data collected from their users. These data are used to serve users with targeted ads that influence their behaviors. Simply put, online companies are ma...
Regenerative Agriculture Can Reverse Climate Change
Regenerative Agriculture: A Sustainable Form of Farming Industrial farming practices have a devastating impact on the environment. In 2016, agriculture and forestry accounted for nearly 10% of all greenhouse gas emissions. Much of this output stems from the use of nitrogen-based fertilizers and nutrients. At this rate, climate change will continue to cause catastrophic weather events at increasing frequencies. The air we breathe and the food we eat will also continue to decline in quality. Fortunately, the very industry that is poisoning our planet can provide the antidote with regenerative agriculture. The Rodale Institute suggests regenerative agriculture as an alternative t...
Technology Companies Will Become More Transparent Over Time
Poor Prioritization Creates Riches The rapid rise of Silicon Valley technology companies inspired a new capitalist paradigm. Software no longer needed to be mature or devoid of bugs before ending up in the hands of consumers. With venture capital to burn and dreams of exponential returns, founding technology teams raced as fast as they could to grow their customer bases. The “Internet 2.0” business model seemed perfect. Technology teams focus on growth at all costs with the ultimate goal of monetizing their users. Monetization is primarily done through targeted advertising. In exchange for the use of a company’s products and services, users are subjected to advertisem...