3 ms·

This is the problem that often gets overlooked in these "tech is bad" discussions. It's not the tech itself. It's not the concept of social media. The problem

This is the problem that often gets overlooked in these "tech is bad" discussions. It's not the tech itself. It's not the concept of social media. The problem is when every aspect of tech is corrupted to maximize ad impressions (and this goes beyond social media - the vast majority of consumer technology is chasing "engagement"). Regulating away this disgrace of a business model and tech will become much more sane & safe, including for children.

rustcleaner 3y ago
Not just ads, the whole model is rotten! It should cause bankruptcy through fines to run a company which harvests your data and piecemeals features at tiered pricing (and worse: subscription) to maximize yield from you like you're a soybean plant in a crop! This is a game of brinksmanship between companies and [apparent] customers these days! We fix this by mandating all subscription services at least show you the Present Value of a perpetuity at the cashflow of the subscription on checkout (discounted at the highest US bond yield); ideally they must also offer to the customer the option to instead pay that Present Value in lieu of the recurring subscription charge (but also, when the customer quits the company must return the difference of the perpetuity and the annuity representing the whole period in the subscription).
- SV_BubbleTime 3y ago
  My problem with the line of thinking is that you are addressing a today problem, But not thinking long enough about the problem you’re about to create. The market, the amount of money we’re talking about, the amount of influence that is a hand… It’s not going to go away because we passed a regulation or two. I don’t think there is any solution. I certainly don’t think that one solution would come from government. However, a multi approach explaining what these companies are doing, and some regulation and some pressure put on their actual customers, the advertisers, might move the needle.

rustcleaner 3y ago

Not just ads, the whole model is rotten! It should cause bankruptcy through fines to run a company which harvests your data and piecemeals features at tiered pricing (and worse: subscription) to maximize yield from you like you're a soybean plant in a crop! This is a game of brinksmanship between companies and [apparent] customers these days! We fix this by mandating all subscription services at least show you the Present Value of a perpetuity at the cashflow of the subscription on checkout (discounted at the highest US bond yield); ideally they must also offer to the customer the option to instead pay that Present Value in lieu of the recurring subscription charge (but also, when the customer quits the company must return the difference of the perpetuity and the annuity representing the whole period in the subscription).

SV_BubbleTime 3y ago
My problem with the line of thinking is that you are addressing a today problem, But not thinking long enough about the problem you’re about to create. The market, the amount of money we’re talking about, the amount of influence that is a hand… It’s not going to go away because we passed a regulation or two. I don’t think there is any solution. I certainly don’t think that one solution would come from government. However, a multi approach explaining what these companies are doing, and some regulation and some pressure put on their actual customers, the advertisers, might move the needle.