Since my areas of interest (and work) have been people and how FB operates, the bubbles weren't really a surprise. It's something we've known since at least 2007. I've always tried to make sure that whatever information I get, I review for its leaning and lenses. To me, it's less about what I think and feel and more about why people who think X, think X. Then I seek out the opposite view. For every Shehla Rashid, I'll follow a Shefali Vaidya. I also try to get sensible people in the middle. That way I've anchored both ends and tries to assess the middle of the curve on that issue.
To me, it's less about me changing my opinion because I give my own stand far less weight. What I think about caste is less important to me than what caste is as a construct. Which again means I need to make sure that I cover all points of view from caste-centric groups with a massive persecution complex all the way to caste-bashers/haters in pro Ambedkar/Periyar/Adivasi groups and also reading first hand accounts by people who grew up in the eye of that storm. I see that spectrum of why it is so as getting richer rather than me coming to a final position. And when I do firmly lean one way - which I do say in the case of abortion - I like to be clear as to why I feel that way but make sure I know precisely why there are those who firmly oppose it. I also rarely ever try to convert anyone's point of view - that's neither relevant nor interesting to me. Unless I'm collecting insights for a brand and getting paid to do it - in which case I'll make sure I know how to change a person's position on something. On social media - I prefer that all the diversity and extremes exist as they do. I just wish people would be a little nicer to each other. Which is my John Lennon self talking. On Tue, Nov 14, 2017 at 5:29 PM, Udhay Shankar N <[email protected]> wrote: > I've been thinking about the whole issue of 'filter bubbles' and their > various effects, including the death of serendipity, the inability to see > things (like e.g Trump) until they hit you in the face and, more > philosophically, cutting oneself off from many potentially interesting > people and ideas. > > How do people here deal with this? As a start point, when was teh last time > you changed your opinion on something non-trivial, and how did that come > about? > > Udhay > > -- > > ((Udhay Shankar N)) ((udhay @ pobox.com)) ((www.digeratus.com)) >
