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> But this is what we wanted? [...] Why do we pretend this is not intentional? I don't think in 2005 anyone expected a global, free communications network, vid

> But this is what we wanted? [...] Why do we pretend this is not intentional? I don't think in 2005 anyone expected a global, free communications network, video calling and a camera in every pocket to lead to an "epidemic of loneliness" - quite the opposite in fact. Facebook: "Facebook's mission is to give people the power to build community and bring the world closer together." [1] Youtube: "Our mission is to give everyone a voice and show them the world. We believe that everyone deserves to have a voice, and that the world is a better place when we listen, share and build community through our stories." [2] Reddit: "focused on our north star of bringing community and belonging to everyone in the world" [3] Tiktok: "Our mission is to inspire creativity and bring joy." [4] Apple: "We believe that business, at its best, serves the public good, empowers people around the world, and binds us together as never before." [5] Instagram: "Where everyday moments bring friends together" [6] Snapchat: "empowers people to express themselves, live in the moment, learn about the world, and have fun together. It's the easiest and fastest way to communicate the full range of human emotions with your friends" [7] Discord: "Discord is about giving people the power to create space to find belonging in their lives. We want to make it easier for you to talk regularly with the people you care about. We want you to build genuine relationships with your friends and communities close to home or around the world." [8] [1] https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1655178611435493.1073741828.1633466236940064 https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1655178611435493.1... [2] https://about.youtube/ https://about.youtube/ [3] https://redditinc.com/blog/sharing-our-company-values https://redditinc.com/blog/sharing-our-company-values [4] https://www.tiktok.com/about?lang=en https://www.tiktok.com/about?lang=en [5] https://investor.apple.com/our_values/default.aspx https://investor.apple.com/our_values/default.aspx [6] https://about.instagram.com/about-us https://about.instagram.com/about-us [7] https://investor.snap.com/about-snap/default.aspx https://investor.snap.com/about-snap/default.aspx [8] https://discord.com/company https://discord.com/company

watwut 2y ago
Is there any reason to see corporate statements as a true expressions of what their actual goals are? And even when they are aspirational goals, that they will actually work toward that?
- michaelt 2y ago
  They kinda do achieve the goals, at a certain level. Making video calls to loved ones? Sharing photos with family, without hitting some 2MB size limit on e-mails? There are lots of options these days. If I like quilting and I want to connect with other quilters around the world? Facebook and Reddit have me covered. Meeting up with friends I already know? Whatsapp will do a solid job. A modern version of IRC, for ephemeral informal chat, organised around subject areas? Discord has just the thing. These clearly are attempts at connecting people. Just we've got an "Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation" in spite of them, or as a side-effect of them, for whatever reason.

watwut 2y ago

Is there any reason to see corporate statements as a true expressions of what their actual goals are? And even when they are aspirational goals, that they will actually work toward that?

michaelt 2y ago
They kinda do achieve the goals, at a certain level. Making video calls to loved ones? Sharing photos with family, without hitting some 2MB size limit on e-mails? There are lots of options these days. If I like quilting and I want to connect with other quilters around the world? Facebook and Reddit have me covered. Meeting up with friends I already know? Whatsapp will do a solid job. A modern version of IRC, for ephemeral informal chat, organised around subject areas? Discord has just the thing. These clearly are attempts at connecting people. Just we've got an "Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation" in spite of them, or as a side-effect of them, for whatever reason.