Alt-tech | Sociamonials Blog

1. ↑ deplatforming. Deplatforming is a contemporary method where certain individuals or entities are barred or eliminated from contributing to a public forum or social media platform, typically as a result of contentious or damaging conduct. This practice, which traces back to the prohibition of specific speakers from U.S. university campuses in the 1940s, has developed with the rise of social media. Presently, platforms like Reddit, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter utilize deplatforming to regulate content and curb the proliferation of extremism. High-profile cases, including the bans of personalities like Alex Jones and Donald Trump, have spotlighted its influence and sparked discussions around free speech, political impartiality, and the authority of tech corporations. Laws addressing deplatforming are being examined in numerous countries, including the United Kingdom and the United States. Nevertheless, the practice is contentious, with detractors voicing concerns about its implications on academic freedom and user rights. Despite these debates, deplatforming remains an important instrument in the digital era for managing content and directing online conversation.

2. ↑ Google ( Google ) Primarily acknowledged for its search engine, Google is a universally esteemed technology corporation. The company, established in 1998 by Sergey Brin and Larry Page, has expanded significantly, branching out into numerous tech-related fields. Google offers a wide array of services and products, encompassing Android, YouTube, Cloud, Maps, and Gmail. It also manufactures hardware like Chromebooks and Pixel smartphones. Since 2015, Google has been a subsidiary of Alphabet Inc. and is celebrated for its inventive spirit and workplace environment that promotes employees' personal projects. Despite confronting several ethical and legal challenges, Google continues to influence the tech sector with its groundbreaking innovations and technological progress, including the creation of Android OS and the purchase of companies specializing in AI.

3. ↑ Facebook ( Facebook ) Meta Platforms, previously known as Facebook, is a prominent internet corporation that originated as a social networking site. The brainchild of Mark Zuckerberg in 2004, Meta Platforms swiftly spread from Harvard to other educational institutions, eventually reaching the wider public and becoming a global sensation. Its appealing user interface and diverse features such as Groups, the Developer Platform, and Meta Platforms Dating are well-known. Despite encountering backlash over matters like privacy violations and the proliferation of misinformation, Meta Platforms continues to hold a strong position in the digital sphere. It has made remarkable progress in the realm of technology, including the creation of its distinctive data storage system, the employment of PHP for its platform, and the introduction of the Hack programming language. In the past few years, the company has pivoted its attention towards the metaverse, a virtual reality domain where users can engage with a digitally-created environment.

4. ↑ discourse. The primary focus of this piece, discourse, is a concept prevalent in social sciences that pertains to formal dialogues or debates centered around a specific subject. It includes the language used, discussions held, and written documents that contribute to our comprehension of societal constructs. Discourse has a profound connection with power dynamics and is instrumental in molding our reality. Numerous theoretical perspectives such as modernism, structuralism, poststructuralism, and Foucault's discourse theory provide insights into discourse. Various forms of discourse analysis like critical, conversation, and Foucauldian discourse analysis aid in deciphering communication trends and societal frameworks. Discourse study is extensively applicable in diverse fields like sociology, environmental policy, and cultural studies, and has deep-seated effects on gendered discourses and societal standards. Esteemed scholars such as James P. Gee, Robert Stalnaker, and Peter Pagin have made significant contributions to the analysis of discourse. Research on discourse is of utmost importance in social sciences as it enhances our knowledge of language, identity, and power hierarchies.