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Hi I came across this, err, rather creative line of reasoning at https://forum.agoraroad.com/index.php?threads/dead-internet-theory-most-of- the-internet-is-fake.3011/ via https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2021/08/dead-internet-theory -wrong-but-feels-true/619937/ Maybe start with the second link, especially if you are easily weirded out. I suppose not everybody has an appetite for this topic, given that wild fringe theories are by definition by and for outsiders... But I don't think it is necessary to believe it - it remains a useful story regardless - something like a fable (you know, like the one involving the fox, the raven and the grapes - the one that gives us the concept "sour grapes"). Here the useful observation is that the internet (or at least the shallow web) has changed, and not only in obvious technological ways, but also in the way people interact with it - that people are now holding back from posting longer, thoughtful ideas, and that what is put on line is more "staged", "click-baity" and "recycled". Famously the top N subreddits are all managed by the same pool of moderators... So it would be neat to hear from people here if you also think the web has (almost) emptied of real conversations with real people and what explanations you might have for it. I can come up with some: - That enthusiasm just wanes as the internet is no longer something new and people just get older... - That saying something controversial (nevermind offensive) online now has real-life consequences and sometimes completely disproportionate ones - That the effort to monetise or content-pad a site means that the same bland tips, jokes or memes are recycled - That SEO has elbowed the small, personal site out of the way, and the spammers have poison the its comments section. - That the internet has turned ever more into TV, and people have turned into passive consumers, the kind that the content industry wants - That the real humans have just disappeared (I want to say raptured :-) into the nooks and crannies of the internet, including mailing lists and... gemini capsules ? - And, just maybe, there is a better internet that we don't know about, because it has a rule that you don't talk about it regards marc
Hello, In my experience the shift between a user led internet and a tech company led internet happened in the early tennies, linked to the rise of smart phones and social media. The small web, done by people who are not trying to monetize or self-promote still exists, it's just harder to find because it does not interest search engine and social media algorithms. The blame doesn't fall entirely on tech companies: the fact that, from early on, people have been unwilling to pay for internet services has played a big role in shaping the internet as we know it now. :-) A. On 7 September 2021 23:41:31 BST, marc <marcx2@welz.org.za> wrote: >Hi > >I came across this, err, rather creative line of >reasoning at > >https://forum.agoraroad.com/index.php?threads/dead-internet-theory-most-of -the-internet-is-fake.3011/ > >via > >https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2021/08/dead-internet-theor y-wrong-but-feels-true/619937/ > >Maybe start with the second link, especially if you are easily >weirded out. > >I suppose not everybody has an appetite for this topic, >given that wild fringe theories are by definition by and >for outsiders... > >But I don't think it is necessary to believe it - it >remains a useful story regardless - something like a >fable (you know, like the one involving the >fox, the raven and the grapes - the one that gives >us the concept "sour grapes"). > >Here the useful observation is that the internet (or >at least the shallow web) has changed, and not >only in obvious technological ways, but also in >the way people interact with it - that people >are now holding back from posting longer, thoughtful >ideas, and that what is put on line is more "staged", >"click-baity" and "recycled". Famously the top N >subreddits are all managed by the same pool of moderators... > >So it would be neat to hear from people here >if you also think the web has (almost) emptied of >real conversations with real people and what >explanations you might have for it. >I can come up with some: > >- That enthusiasm just wanes as the internet is no > longer something new and people just get older... > >- That saying something controversial (nevermind > offensive) online now has real-life consequences > and sometimes completely disproportionate ones > >- That the effort to monetise or content-pad > a site means that the same bland tips, jokes > or memes are recycled > >- That SEO has elbowed the small, personal site out of > the way, and the spammers have poison the its comments > section. > >- That the internet has turned ever more into TV, and > people have turned into passive consumers, the kind > that the content industry wants > >- That the real humans have just disappeared > (I want to say raptured :-) into the nooks and crannies > of the internet, including mailing lists and... gemini > capsules ? > >- And, just maybe, there is a better internet that > we don't know about, because it has a rule that you > don't talk about it > >regards > >marc
Hi Marc, Thanks for the posting. I feel a link mentioned in your Atlantic bookmark feels more measured => https://warzel.substack.com/p/its-not-cancel-culture-its-a-platform We Need To Get Rid Of Twitter Trending Topics I used to love btl comments on certain forums but I found that that the better (irreverent, nuanced and progressive) commentators got pushed out by targetted modding campaigns (perhaps automated) and stressed out by trolling. The growing feel of Web 2.0 behaviour also made conversations more shallow and circular (everybody seemed to be permutating the same concepts rather than adding nuance). Scrolling increasingly felt like work, which could ironically detract from me visiting fringes. I feel a good metric for a cogent commentator is providing a third party uri, with a citation and ones own interpretation. This means that they can identify relevant material, personalise it and provide directions for greater understanding. Getting that as a metric would provide me a glimpse of how valuable my experience would be. FYI, in September as part of Constant ASBL's Bueaucracksy initiaite they shall be publishing some pieces by me concerning social bookmarking in the age of Delicious. It will provide:
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