this post was submitted on 27 Oct 2023
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Technology
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This reads so fucking stupid to anyone who hung around on the internet in the 90s and earlier. Social media and the monetization of social interactions is built on top of the ways we interacted before, not the other way around. Wanting to communicate and interact is why we used the internet in the first place. Social media is relatively new, and the internet hasn't always been this frustrating to use.
It's frustrating because everyone is here now, including the frustrating people.
Back when you needed to have a ton of computer knowledge to even get online, everyone who was online was at least into computers and had mostly-overlapping traits and interests. It further self-selected because you'd mostly be in hyper specific forums and chat rooms. It's the same reason why you have a better time hanging out with people at your hobby, but taken to the extreme. You're unlike to really hate someone who shares you interest in computers AND your obscure sci-fi movie interest. And if an assholes does wander in, they're quickly removed.
Now, everyone is on the internet, including people you don't want to interact with because they're frustrating assholes. Not only is everyone online now, the current platforms insist on pushing engagement, the engagement is much broader.
No longer do you mostly hang in the sci-fi-movie forums, you're also engaging in world news, local groups and more. And you share those spaces with everyone, including assholes. So obviously you're going to have a worse time.
And that's far before people started profiting off of you.
You're not incorrect, but I think the thing that differentiates this era of social media from the "before times" (I was there too) is that it's significantly easier for non-techies to join. The internet nowadays has significantly more diversity of perspectives than back then. Those differences are exploited and exaggerated by social media companies to generate engagement. It seems to m that the fediverse model allows for diversity and sanity (or at least not algorithmically-encouraged _in_sanity).
Thanks for reading and the comment!
More perspectives isn’t necessarily better.
The internet used to be a place full of educated people, because otherwise how are you going to get on here? The perspectives we’ve added are, for the most part, not valuable.
It’s true that we have added cultural/ethnic diversity, and women, and that’s grand. Pats on the back all round. But couldn’t we have only added the educated and curious folk? Technically minded and adventurous?
Lowering the barrier to entry for the internet was not done out of high-minded aspiration for a free market of ideals, it was done to sell ads to the lowest common denominator, who spends money like an idiot. It’s why every item on Amazon has a “finance” option now.
The internet was better when it was elitist, and I know that’s a bad thing to say. But I think everyone who was around in the 90s and early 2000s knows it’s true.
Sorry for the harsh words if it's your article :D you make good points.