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Apr. 30th, 2026 11:19 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
lonelyisletThere's a concept I've been aware of dimly but not given a name to, but it's basically profound-wisdom-as-a-service (for ads)
Here's what I mean. Go on some social media site, Facebook or Youtube (you cannot tell me Facebook has ever been a serious social site. Sorry. 15 ads per post? no. Monopoly, break them up, or whatever). See some video of "Family cries when lost puppy is returned". And that's not even what I mean but I hope you get the general thrust. Or like "Man tells wisdom of life on his deathbed"
First of all I think everyone is entitled to discovering their own truth. Not truth in that wishy washy everything-is-subjectively-true, but I mean your own path. Not everything has to be profound, not everything a blaise statement that might appear on sites like Upworthy or Buzzfeed. You don't have to be told this, you don't have to be told what you *ought* to be appreciating
But the reason you see these things shoved into your feed is because god damnit, tech platforms (if not everything) have to have valuation. They need space for ads. They can't just have you come in and take what's useful and then fucking leave. Everything has to be basically a sob story
And the problem with this is that it's inauthentic. As I said, truth is an internal thing, and it's often discovered, not presented on a platter (Also, is death bed wisdom - or anything - really profound if everyone agrees on it? Shares it on social media to get clicks? On my death bed I hope one of the things I DON'T regret is click seeking...). It also has a tendency to make platforms worse. I do (vaguely) remember early Youtube. It by and large was set up as a way for YOU to explore in your OWN way. Remember that Simpsons thing with Ralph? "You can pinpoint the exact second his heart snaps in half"? I can see that moment in Youtube's history, when they (while decidedly ignoring user feedback) decided to start chasing cheap metrics. It's horribly sad
And the other thing to add is it disguises(?) how mendacious these companies are. I'm so glad we have irrelevant videos for recommendations while Youtube engages in censorship about covid or removes videos like the flame coming out of the tank at Waco in 1993 (and no don't ask me what happened at Waco, I don't know the history, but as far as I know they did censor that video) or demonetizes a bunch of channels. Or insert similar thing here for Facebook, I'm so happy we get to see 10 Rules To Live A Happy Life while the platform obstinately refuses to show any posts from friends in the feed. No. Really. People have died and others haven't known about it because it took weeks or longer to surface. While you get banned in a heartbeat but the Nazi page you report does "not violate community guidelines"
You know what? Fuck all of you. The internet is no longer fun and it's because of you assholes and your VC enablers
Here's what I mean. Go on some social media site, Facebook or Youtube (you cannot tell me Facebook has ever been a serious social site. Sorry. 15 ads per post? no. Monopoly, break them up, or whatever). See some video of "Family cries when lost puppy is returned". And that's not even what I mean but I hope you get the general thrust. Or like "Man tells wisdom of life on his deathbed"
First of all I think everyone is entitled to discovering their own truth. Not truth in that wishy washy everything-is-subjectively-true, but I mean your own path. Not everything has to be profound, not everything a blaise statement that might appear on sites like Upworthy or Buzzfeed. You don't have to be told this, you don't have to be told what you *ought* to be appreciating
But the reason you see these things shoved into your feed is because god damnit, tech platforms (if not everything) have to have valuation. They need space for ads. They can't just have you come in and take what's useful and then fucking leave. Everything has to be basically a sob story
And the problem with this is that it's inauthentic. As I said, truth is an internal thing, and it's often discovered, not presented on a platter (Also, is death bed wisdom - or anything - really profound if everyone agrees on it? Shares it on social media to get clicks? On my death bed I hope one of the things I DON'T regret is click seeking...). It also has a tendency to make platforms worse. I do (vaguely) remember early Youtube. It by and large was set up as a way for YOU to explore in your OWN way. Remember that Simpsons thing with Ralph? "You can pinpoint the exact second his heart snaps in half"? I can see that moment in Youtube's history, when they (while decidedly ignoring user feedback) decided to start chasing cheap metrics. It's horribly sad
And the other thing to add is it disguises(?) how mendacious these companies are. I'm so glad we have irrelevant videos for recommendations while Youtube engages in censorship about covid or removes videos like the flame coming out of the tank at Waco in 1993 (and no don't ask me what happened at Waco, I don't know the history, but as far as I know they did censor that video) or demonetizes a bunch of channels. Or insert similar thing here for Facebook, I'm so happy we get to see 10 Rules To Live A Happy Life while the platform obstinately refuses to show any posts from friends in the feed. No. Really. People have died and others haven't known about it because it took weeks or longer to surface. While you get banned in a heartbeat but the Nazi page you report does "not violate community guidelines"
You know what? Fuck all of you. The internet is no longer fun and it's because of you assholes and your VC enablers
