#171 Molly Dwyer on the Other Side of the Internet
The Cognitive Crucible
Analyzing Signals and Making Inferences
A discussion about how signals from cell phones can be used to gather information and make inferences, including monitoring operational security and gathering knowledge about local populations.
The Cognitive Crucible is a forum that presents different perspectives and emerging thought leadership related to the information environment. The opinions expressed by guests are their own, and do not necessarily reflect the views of or endorsement by the Information Professionals Association.
During this episode, Molly Dwyer, Vice President of Analysis at Predata, discusses how she and her colleagues unlock the other side of the Internet. Predata is the only web-based platform that quantifies shifts in online attention–how audiences research and consume information–to provide a more complete picture of the geopolitical landscape. The Predata platform enables government and commercial organizations to incorporate insights from an often overlooked dataset into their strategy and operations.
Research Question: Molly suggests an interested student investigate ways to identify early signals or breadcrumbs on the Internet which indicate a shift in messaging before it happens?
Resources:
- Cognitive Crucible Podcast Episodes Mentioned
- The 90-9-1 Rule for Participation Inequality in Social Media and Online Communities by Jakob Nielsen
- PreData
- FiscalNote
- Twilight of Democracy: The Seductive Lure of Authoritarianism by Anne Applebaum
Link to full show notes and resources
Guest Bio: Molly is Vice President of Analysis at Predata, part of FiscalNote, an open-source intelligence company based in Washington D.C. Predata's unique web-based analytics platform quantifies how online audiences consume and research information. The Predata platform enables users to analyze the "other side of the internet" beyond social media—understanding how web traffic patterns and online research behaviors help reveal the true reach of messaging, identifying the impact of disinformation, and uncovering early indicators of offline activity. In her seven-year career at Predata, Molly has played a key role in shaping the company's data research, product development, intelligence analysis, and relationships with customers from the public and private sectors. As a Russia/Eurasia subject matter expert, she has spent several years living and traveling across the region—including a Department of State posting at the U.S. Consulate in Yekaterinburg, Russia and a year of immersive language study as a National Security Language Initiative for Youth (NSLI-Y) scholarship recipient. She is a graduate of Princeton University.
About: The Information Professionals Association (IPA) is a non-profit organization dedicated to exploring the role of information activities, such as influence and cognitive security, within the national security sector and helping to bridge the divide between operations and research. Its goal is to increase interdisciplinary collaboration between scholars and practitioners and policymakers with an interest in this domain.
For more information, please contact us at communications@information-professionals.org.
Or, connect directly with The Cognitive Crucible podcast host, John Bicknell, on LinkedIn.
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