Is Clubhouse just playing telephone with the internet?

• For subway commuters, some recommend continuing to wear a mask even after the pandemic. Meanwhile, the city is working on new air filtration systems that can kill 99.9998% of viruses and other germs and purify the air. 
• For commuting drivers, the study recommends opening your window while driving — but only when it’s safe to do so as some areas have increased air pollution from wildfires. 

• There’s no track record. Unless someone is screen-recording the talk, there is no written evidence to hold an oral speaker accountable for sharing falsehoods. 
• Being real-time means there’s less time to process and reflect on the information as it’s being spoken. 
• The more controversial conversations turn into a “spectacle,” where more people join to share their perspective. And the more people speaking, the more notifications that get sent to all the followers of those speakers to tune in and listen. 
• And unlike Facebook, Twitter or Youtube, where the companies have tried to impose rules on objectionable content, Clubhouse conversations are left solely up to the moderator’s discretion — i.e. moderators control who gets to speak in each conversation room. 

• Most states provide the basics such as biographical information or where the candidate graduated law school.
• Some local Bar Associations provide unofficial ratings based on professional qualifications, but explicitly exclude judgement on philosophy, political affiliation, and ideology.
• And even when a candidate’s judicial record is available, the document is so dense it can be an exhausting exercise to even attempt to decode it.

• Watch your state legislature for bills that support the commission model for provision of public reports. Keep in mind, though, that this doesn’t solve for first-time candidates who lack bench experience to build recommendations off of (versus incumbents).
• Learn more about existing judges, their education, and judging history on Ballotpedia. 
• Donate to nonprofits like Injustice Watch that are conducting extensive research into judicial candidates, including first-timers. Their findings are provided in a digital report and continued social media posts.

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