Google et al

Google uses algorithms to determine what to present to a user who does a search. That is well known. Now what those algorithms are is the "secret sauce". But one suspects that the algorithms are written to maximize revenue. Thus if I seek a hotel, the listing will often present those which have purchased ad space on Goggle. What else would one expect. If your hotel has not done so your hotel may appear at the bottom of the list if at all. Profit drives the algorithm.

Now politically one would be nuts to seek Google as a presenter of opinions. I use Feedly and I select a few dozen sources from left to right to several languages. Frankly I like Le Monde, the French are very intellectual and compared to the NY Times they are head and shoulders above them. Thus if one seeks to understand world views then one must seek out the primary sources, and don't waste your time on Google.

If it is scientific, I use Semantic Scholar, a fantastic source. But the last thing I would ever use if Facebook or Twitter. One would be better off listening to conversations on the A train. But they no longer occur even there. All the passengers are on smart phones, and most likely sending text messages or commenting on Facebook.

The NY subways are now spotless, no left over newspapers, no one buys them any longer. I have not seen a single person with a news paper, or a book for that matter! Again they are in the echo chamber of their smart phone.

Most likely the worst device ever created is the smart phone. The NY Subway system wants you to use this to pay your fare. Imagine a $1,000 device held by every passenger trying to get through a toll station at rush hour. One might ask what moron thought that one up? Most likely someone who went from 34th Street to Times Square at rush hour. But I digress.

So does the President have a point? Perhaps, but he is a Twitter user.