5 ms·
Could we instead disallow algorithmic skinner-box addiction machines for everyone?
by actionfromafar 4mo ago
Could we instead disallow algorithmic skinner-box addiction machines for everyone?
- gampleman 4mo agoI think this is really the only serious alternative.
- jonathanstrange 4mo agoHow about taking some personal responsibility for your life? This shouldn't even be a consideration concerning adults.
- macintux 4mo agoIt's clear by now that the societal impact is significant. I can banish all the social networks from my life and they'll still be corrupting the political process, promoting divisive content, etc.
- actionfromafar 4mo agoI assume you are also for heroin vending machines at every school corner if you watch a 30 second ad slot. You don't have to use them, you know.
- jMyles 4mo agoYour extreme example of a policy regarding distribution of heroin is far from perfect, but also far better than prohibition, which has visited upon the world more death, disease, crime, and cartel enrichment than perhaps any other policy in history. But surely we can do better than either of these extremes.
- jonathanstrange 4mo agoNo, but I'm not against selling alcohol and fast sports cars to adults, for example. I'm not very fond of a nanny state that prohibits almost everything to adults "for their sake" and because the government knows so much better.
- rootusrootus 4mo agoIt is somewhat more challenging for the vendor selling alcohol or sports cars to manipulate your thinking, so the analogy is strained.
- jonathanstrange 4mo ago[citation needed]
- rootusrootus 4mo ago> This shouldn't even be a consideration concerning adults. Ban the boxes for kids
- jonathanstrange 4mo agoI was replying specifically to someone who insinuated that all social media (or, at least, all supposedly addictive social media) should be banned for everyone, including adults. To me, it's a matter of personal freedom that they shouldn't be banned for adults.
- anmalkov 4mo agoExactly. Fix the addiction machine, not just who gets checked at the door.
- inigyou 4mo agoHow can you tell what one is? Reddit in 2010? Facebook in 2005? IRC in 1999?
- actionfromafar 4mo agoI think I would be fine with a positive enumeration. Some ideas for serving content: - purely random - sponsored but without user tracking (like old school TV ads) - sponsored for user selected geographical area feed - sponsored for user current location geographical area feed - follow "friends" or influencers - purely timeline - discussion boards - timeline (IRC like) - threaded - user votes (not magic platform votes) - follow keywords
- inigyou 4mo agoSo Hacker News wouldn't be allowed?
- actionfromafar 4mo agoI think it should be, maybe I'm missing some aspect, I just cooked up a simple list of rules on the spot, sheesh :-D Edit: huh, I'm probably stupid, but can you explain more?
- inigyou 4mo agoHN uses magical platform votes.
- rootusrootus 4mo agoAnd it should be transparent about it. When Dan uses a magic lever, it should be visible.
- inigyou 4mo agoWould Facebook be okay if all the Nazi propaganda posts were tagged "Facebook boosted this post"?