I'm not arguing that it's a good thing, I'm observing that all successful platforms engage in these practices. That implies that there might be a causal or evo

I'm not arguing that it's a good thing, I'm observing that all successful platforms engage in these practices. That implies that there might be a causal or evolutionary link between the two. Again, I'm not arguing that it's a good thing, but there is evidence (not proof!) that if you don't engage in these practices then you won't be successful. Consider two mailing lists with content equally well suited to their audiences. One engages in these practices, the other doesn't. The one who engages in these practices has more information, and therefore has more opportunity to tailor their content more precisely. Under evolutionary pressure, the one engaging in these practices is more likely to survive. I'm not arguing that it's a good thing, but I'm saying that there are reasons why it's turned out like this.