Ideally, news is objective factual reporting, but editorial bias, conflicts of interest, emotional manipulation, propaganda, selective leaking, anonymous sources, government pressure, basic human nature and numerous other factors prevent this ideal from ever being realized.
As it currently stands, people decide which news sources biases more closely match their own in order to reduce cognitive dissonance. This reinforces their biases, and makes them seek more of the same continuing a downward spiral. Hopefully, you seek sources that disagree with your current opinions in order to balance your perspective, but the vast majority of people don't have the time or energy to do so.
> I have the capacity to completely detach myself from my arguments in a way that leads to a lack of bias. I am morally and intellectually selfless.
The easiest person to fool is yourself.
I've read Brin's Transparent Society as well, and I agree that a functioning society along those lines would be much, much healthier than we have now. However, this article is about the privacy-erasing tools used by the powers that be, whose very existence was secret to those on the outside until now. I'll surrender my privacy just after they do.
Not even close to that age bracket. Those Sierra classics were relased from 24-31 years ago, at least twice as old as WC3.
Leisure Suit Larry in the Land of the Lounge Lizards - 1987
King's Quest: Quest for the Crown - 1984
Space Quest: The Sarien Encounter - 1986
Police Quest: In Pursuit of the Death Angel - 1987
Conquests of the Longbow: The Legend of Robin Hood - 1991
Considering that the New York Times this week published a leak from within the administration admitting responsibility for Stuxnet and Duqu, both of which targeted Iran, do you honestly believe that Iran developing Flame as a false flag operation is equally credible?
As it currently stands, people decide which news sources biases more closely match their own in order to reduce cognitive dissonance. This reinforces their biases, and makes them seek more of the same continuing a downward spiral. Hopefully, you seek sources that disagree with your current opinions in order to balance your perspective, but the vast majority of people don't have the time or energy to do so.
Oh, how I wish the news was as you describe!