[LOGOS] Next Talk, 3/14 2pm, Prof. Jeremy Blackburn

[Emiliano De Cristofaro]

Dear Logorithms,

The next meetup will feature an online talk by Prof. Jeremy Blackburn (SUNY
Binghamton), please see details below

Cheers,
Emiliano


TITLE
Understanding the Prominence of Alternative Social Media Platforms

SPEAKER
Prof. Jeremy Blackburn
Binghamton University

WHEN/WHERE
Fri, March 14, 2pm
In-Person: WCH 203
Zoom: https://ucr.zoom.us/j/98664053204?pwd=quPIPmylgJjHap4VkzPnaaVKk1ndi6.1

ABSTRACT
While social media and the Web have become societally ubiquitous, not all
of their impact has been positive. The geographic and temporal barriers
that social media has removed from our ability to share ideas and
information also enabled fringe ideologies and communities to grow in
unprecedented fashion. In this talk, I will explore how fringe online
communities have evolved from isolated groups on mainstream social media
platforms to quickly building out their own, alternative social media
platforms.

I will demonstrate that even though these new platforms are relatively
small and not as featureful as the mainstream platforms they emulate, they
provide an environment that allows not just the proliferation, but
sustainability of fringe communities. In particular, I will discuss how
approximate technical equivalents to multi-modal mainstream social media
platforms have become enclaves for content creators that have been banned
from the mainstream platforms they were born in, and have clearly
distinguishable differences in terms of content. I will also discuss how
fringe platforms, while enabling free and open discussion, also harbor
dangerous communities that espouse harmful, and sometimes violent, rhetoric.

BIO
Jeremy Blackburn is an Associate Professor in the School of Computing at
Binghamton University and Founding Director of the Binghamton University
Institute for AI and Society. His largest line of work has to do with
understanding jerks on the Internet. His award winning research into
understanding toxic behavior, hate speech, and fringe and extremist Web
communities has been covered in the press by the likes of The Washington
Post, the New York Times, and the Wall Street Journal, among others.
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