▲ | tensor 7 hours ago | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
There is a difference between free flow of information and propaganda. Much like how monopolies can destroy free markets, unchecked propaganda can bury information by swamping it with a data monoculture. I think you could make a reasonable argument that the algorithms that distort social media feeds actually impede the free flow of information. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
▲ | AnthonyMouse 6 hours ago | parent | next [-] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
> Much like how monopolies can destroy free markets, unchecked propaganda can bury information by swamping it with a data monoculture. The fundamental problem here is exactly that. We could have social media that no central entity controls, i.e. it works like the web and RSS instead of like Facebook. There are a billion feeds, every single account is a feed, but you subscribe to thousands of them at most. And then, most importantly, those feeds you subscribe to get sorted on the client. Which means there are no ads, because nobody really wants ads, and so their user agent doesn't show them any. And that's the source of the existing incentive for the monopolist in control of the feed to fill it with rage bait, which means that goes away. The cost is that you either need a P2P system that actually works or people who want to post a normal amount of stuff to social media need to pay $5 for hosting (compare this to what people currently pay for phone service). But maybe that's worth it. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
▲ | nradov 7 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
There is no generally accepted definition of propaganda. One person's propaganda is another person's accurate information. I don't trust politicians or social media employees to make that distinction. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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▲ | vintermann an hour ago | parent | prev | next [-] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Oh, but can you make an argument that the government, pressuring megacorporations with information monopolies to ban things they deem misinformation, is a good thing and makes things better? Because that's the argument you need to be making here. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
▲ | boltzmann-brain 7 hours ago | parent | prev [-] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
indeed, didn't YT ban a bunch of RT employees for undisclosed ties? I bet those will be coming back. |