TedTalk - How and Why Russia Hacked the U.S. Election
I recently had the fortune of stumbling upon a TedTalk called "How (and Why) Russia Hacked the U.S. Election" by Laura Galante. It was surprisingly an unbiased piece about the effects of hacking in an age of information. Considering how volatile politics are lately, it's nice to see a well thought piece that isn't a partisan battlefield.
I can say for certain my interest in politics have shot through the ceiling over the last two years. In those two years, I have read article after article blaming one side or the other. The hostility in politics these days make me carefully consider every word I say or write, tiptoeing through topics trying not to upset an avid supporter or defender. I discovered the hard way when I pressed a topic to my brother (who shared opposing views) and he got impatient and smacked the ever living shit out of me.
On the other hand, every day there seems to be some new scandal with the current administration. After reading so many articles, people seem to get a bit desensitized when learning something new. The presentation I watched on TedTalk covered these points avidly. She went into detail on how the Russians are thinking ahead of the game when it comes to the Cyberattacks in the Information Age.
While America is currently looking at ways to strengthen our technological infrastructure and firewalls, Russia is leaking information with a specific narrative in mind. Evidence of hacked emails, being released on websites like Wikileaks prior to the election, in order to sway votes or cast shade and scandals on politicians. The amount of success Russia is having in that regard is astounding. Even though I personally have been around for only about three decades, this is by far the most divided I have ever seen America.
She covers the idea that Russia would not be going through all this effort without some kind of reward. Whether that reward is to sway American politics and legislation that benefits them, or cause division among the American population, that is up to the individual to decide. She had a quote earlier that stuck with me. She said , "It's called Reflexive Control. The ability to use information on someone else so they make a decision on their own accord that is favorable to you." This is proving to be very effective.
She then says what the American people need most, and I completely agree with, is to use critical thinking. People need to seek knowledge and become informed. But above all to use their brain. I have made mistakes before. I adamantly believed in some crazy conspiracy theory, but after finally doing the research I realized I was wrong. I felt like a damn fool and my face got extremely red, remembering all the people I defended that theory to. Yes it was embarrassing, but I learned a valuable lesson that day. I would not blindly spout nonsense to anyone that listened, until I atleast did some proper research.
Overall, I believed her presentation to be extremely well written with a valuable message. Her main point of seeking truth above all else is exactly what is required in this modern age of information.
I can say for certain my interest in politics have shot through the ceiling over the last two years. In those two years, I have read article after article blaming one side or the other. The hostility in politics these days make me carefully consider every word I say or write, tiptoeing through topics trying not to upset an avid supporter or defender. I discovered the hard way when I pressed a topic to my brother (who shared opposing views) and he got impatient and smacked the ever living shit out of me.
On the other hand, every day there seems to be some new scandal with the current administration. After reading so many articles, people seem to get a bit desensitized when learning something new. The presentation I watched on TedTalk covered these points avidly. She went into detail on how the Russians are thinking ahead of the game when it comes to the Cyberattacks in the Information Age.
While America is currently looking at ways to strengthen our technological infrastructure and firewalls, Russia is leaking information with a specific narrative in mind. Evidence of hacked emails, being released on websites like Wikileaks prior to the election, in order to sway votes or cast shade and scandals on politicians. The amount of success Russia is having in that regard is astounding. Even though I personally have been around for only about three decades, this is by far the most divided I have ever seen America.
She covers the idea that Russia would not be going through all this effort without some kind of reward. Whether that reward is to sway American politics and legislation that benefits them, or cause division among the American population, that is up to the individual to decide. She had a quote earlier that stuck with me. She said , "It's called Reflexive Control. The ability to use information on someone else so they make a decision on their own accord that is favorable to you." This is proving to be very effective.
She then says what the American people need most, and I completely agree with, is to use critical thinking. People need to seek knowledge and become informed. But above all to use their brain. I have made mistakes before. I adamantly believed in some crazy conspiracy theory, but after finally doing the research I realized I was wrong. I felt like a damn fool and my face got extremely red, remembering all the people I defended that theory to. Yes it was embarrassing, but I learned a valuable lesson that day. I would not blindly spout nonsense to anyone that listened, until I atleast did some proper research.
Overall, I believed her presentation to be extremely well written with a valuable message. Her main point of seeking truth above all else is exactly what is required in this modern age of information.
Good post! Very informative
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