7 ms·

Your reasoning is accurate; but doesn't most of what you're describing already occur _as well_? Often progress is about eliminating one large negative external

by jka 6y ago

Your reasoning is accurate; but doesn't most of what you're describing already occur _as well_? Often progress is about eliminating one large negative externality, only to discover that there are others to handle too. The 'submarine' type content you're referring to is somewhat addressed by trust networks, fact checking, link reputation, and various other techniques. One large question is whether we're ready for all of the economically-motivated actors to start shifting into that space. PS: You make a good point about transparency. It's nice that (at least the most honest) adverts are identified clearly as such. Could we have similar transparency in content? ("I wrote this because I'd been thinking about it after reading an article by X about Y yesterday, and here is the source)

fauigerzigerk 6y ago
>but doesn't most of what you're describing already occur _as well_? I believe it would happen on a far greater scale, because it would be the only way to get the message across and competition from independent ad funded publishers would cease to exist. Today, it's more difficult for a product company to justify the expense of running their own large scale publishing and influencing operation because it would have to outcompete advertising in terms of effectiveness. People will always try to get other people's attention for their own gain. Trying to stop this is a quixotic endavour. I think we should regulate to limit the negative impact of this social constant, not try to stop it altogether. >Could we have similar transparency in content? Yes, I do think we could. But I also think that people would still prefer high quality if biased company bloggers to paying for expensive subscriptions. Don't forget that most subscription based publications show adverts to their subscribers as well. Without advertising, subscription prices would rise steeply.
- jka 6y ago
  > People will always try to get other people's attention for their own gain. Trying to stop this is a quixotic endavour. I think we should regulate to limit the negative impact of this social constant, not try to stop it altogether. I'm not necessarily advocating either to stop it, or to limit the impacts - just to make it visible. Once the power/influence structures (and the associated leverage they use) are evident, the manipulative ones will be abandoned and the authentic ones will succeed.

by jka 6y ago

fauigerzigerk 6y ago

>but doesn't most of what you're describing already occur _as well_? I believe it would happen on a far greater scale, because it would be the only way to get the message across and competition from independent ad funded publishers would cease to exist. Today, it's more difficult for a product company to justify the expense of running their own large scale publishing and influencing operation because it would have to outcompete advertising in terms of effectiveness. People will always try to get other people's attention for their own gain. Trying to stop this is a quixotic endavour. I think we should regulate to limit the negative impact of this social constant, not try to stop it altogether. >Could we have similar transparency in content? Yes, I do think we could. But I also think that people would still prefer high quality if biased company bloggers to paying for expensive subscriptions. Don't forget that most subscription based publications show adverts to their subscribers as well. Without advertising, subscription prices would rise steeply.

jka 6y ago
> People will always try to get other people's attention for their own gain. Trying to stop this is a quixotic endavour. I think we should regulate to limit the negative impact of this social constant, not try to stop it altogether. I'm not necessarily advocating either to stop it, or to limit the impacts - just to make it visible. Once the power/influence structures (and the associated leverage they use) are evident, the manipulative ones will be abandoned and the authentic ones will succeed.