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> I don't think it's too late to fix this. We can build better search engines, or better yet, tools more suitable tools for discovery. It doesn't have to be big

> I don't think it's too late to fix this. We can build better search engines, or better yet, tools more suitable tools for discovery. It doesn't have to be big to be useful. Over the next few years, things will change. When people don't like the product, it gives us an opportunity to make products people do like. Right now, a lot of the internet is just not very likable.

marginalia_nu 5y ago
I'm not sure. This is a problem that affects not just websites, but physical products as well. It's really hard to find what you actually want. Producers are rewarded more for paying for reviews and search results, for reddit astroturfing, for influencer recommendations; than they are for actually making something worthwhile. It's not that good things aren't being made, it's just that it's incredibly hard to find them among all crap. There doesn't seem to be a good mechanism that lets the actually good products float to the top.
- lanstin 5y ago
  I doubt this is a new phenomenon. I certainly risk buying things just by myself where pre-internet I would find someone that knew about the thing (cars, knitting, lamps, whatever) and tell them my issue and see what they said. now there is some expextation on my part that fifteen minutes of reading will somehow allow me to drop a lot of cash in some specialized area i have no edperience in and not be taken advantage of as a sucker in the market place? If you are spending money, possibly just having the worlds info at your fingertips doesn't make up for a lack of experience.
  - marginalia_nu 5y ago
    Back in the brick and mortar days, you could at least go look at the thing. Not that there weren't lemons, but the sort of extreme low quality alibaba crap that you find everywhere nowdays wouldn't sell at all because it feels so obviously low quality. Even having it on the shelves would stain the reputation of the store.
- svachalek 5y ago
  Simple laissez faire competition leads to many solutions that are more optimal than naively creating a product people want at an attractive price. The game needs to be regulated to force the "right" kind of solutions to the top but that would be a difficult thing to do even if regulators weren't already part of the "wrong" way of competing. We can still "vote" with our wallets but just like in real elections sometimes it's really hard to even get some worthwhile candidates on the ballot.

marginalia_nu 5y ago

I'm not sure. This is a problem that affects not just websites, but physical products as well. It's really hard to find what you actually want. Producers are rewarded more for paying for reviews and search results, for reddit astroturfing, for influencer recommendations; than they are for actually making something worthwhile. It's not that good things aren't being made, it's just that it's incredibly hard to find them among all crap. There doesn't seem to be a good mechanism that lets the actually good products float to the top.

lanstin 5y ago
I doubt this is a new phenomenon. I certainly risk buying things just by myself where pre-internet I would find someone that knew about the thing (cars, knitting, lamps, whatever) and tell them my issue and see what they said. now there is some expextation on my part that fifteen minutes of reading will somehow allow me to drop a lot of cash in some specialized area i have no edperience in and not be taken advantage of as a sucker in the market place? If you are spending money, possibly just having the worlds info at your fingertips doesn't make up for a lack of experience.
- marginalia_nu 5y ago
  Back in the brick and mortar days, you could at least go look at the thing. Not that there weren't lemons, but the sort of extreme low quality alibaba crap that you find everywhere nowdays wouldn't sell at all because it feels so obviously low quality. Even having it on the shelves would stain the reputation of the store.
svachalek 5y ago
Simple laissez faire competition leads to many solutions that are more optimal than naively creating a product people want at an attractive price. The game needs to be regulated to force the "right" kind of solutions to the top but that would be a difficult thing to do even if regulators weren't already part of the "wrong" way of competing. We can still "vote" with our wallets but just like in real elections sometimes it's really hard to even get some worthwhile candidates on the ballot.