What is fake and what is not? You tell me...

If I said or wrote that I have inconvertible proof that Mr Keir Starmer is actually a Martian would anyone believe it? Apparently, the answer is yes. Notwithstanding I’m a Martian as well so I know what I’m talking about! Obviously, I am referring to the world of the almighty Web. The place where you can postulate stupidity like being a Martian and quite a few gullible persona’s will believe it. Hence we have autocratic regimes, nations even who have taken this on and flood the world of web with incredible falsehoods, fake news . All to subvert the free thinking, democratic world. I am not saying that the free democratic world is actually entirely free. In all societies there have to be rules. That is not to say we can do it right. Even in democratic societies we do not seem to be afraid to throw around a few porkies! Take the British fondness for inventing black holes. The present Labour top people whilst discussing their need for more money and swigging a pint of best ale suddenly found a missing £22billion. By all accounts this was cash spent for building a third aircraft carrier that would be able to submerge in order to get right under the noses of the Russkies. Poor Rachel since having found the money black hole and not finding out where it actually went to, is tearing her hair out.

All fun aside, it is of course a real problem. Even the Iranians are now at it. Of course, it pays dividends. Viewing the Trump sagas in the US and the Russian interference in democratic processes. A good question to ask is, can we do anything at all to thwart this flood of misinformation? First and foremost one would have to know exactly how the technology works. Mr Tim Berners-Lee, the WWW inventor or developer probably never envisaged the way people have taken to the Web, least of all how quickly people have learned how to misuse it! Photoshopping has become an art in itself, the reason probably being that a picture speaks a thousand words. The number of fake photos are rising at an alarming rate, because software programs like GIMP has made it available to the general public. So, what is actually happening is that whilst Sir Berners-Lee made an absolute wonder for the betterment of humanity, it now is used to destabilise our political systems. This behaviour as such is not new of course, people since we started agriculture have been trying to subvert the existing system. Either for the good but mostly for the bad.

So, are there ways of fighting the avalanche of fake images, fake news, interventions into democratic processes? I think as a free person I might have to give up some of that freedom of expression. I am producing this on Blogger but Google who owns it might have to consider a more detailed vetting process. This might be costly and most likely is the reason why precious little has been done. Meta also should be held responsible for their failure to police their platforms. Images made carry something called embedded information which should be made permanent and unchangeable. The world of ‘cookies’ need looking at. As well as AI and what it ought to be used for. To make it available to every Tom, Dick and Harry is probably not a wise move.

All in, we will have to consider how the Web of Mr Lee is best used. At the moment it is a bit like the old Wild West. And the powerful use it to enrich themselves. Politicians use it to further their ambitions. And me? I am just a very interested observer, smiling benignly at all these silly people who think they are making a difference. In the eternity we are existing at this moment, it does not even make a minute dent in the march of its existence.

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