I’m trying to validate something, so I would appreciate anything of your thoughts here. But the options I have is:
1. Privacy— Take too much data.
2. Well-being—- None of them care.
3. Creators—- They all work for the algorithms.
4. Something else— Comment<p>Thanks YC community
1.
Privacy is my first concern. I only want to partake anonymously (Don't try to argue it isn't really anonymous, that isn't the point.)<p>I use it to spread my interests actually, so I don't need social media to keep up with friends or family. I like to have slower channels of communication here.<p>Anonymous users don't eradicate self presentation completely, but it is on a whole other level compared to most common social media users. I prefer harsh and honest to fake and nice for any impersonal exchange on the net.<p>4.
Moderators. They take themselves too seriously and are often far too engaged and enforce arbitrary rules. That wouldn't be that bad if many didn't try to form a club of moderators to feel superior to their users (Yes, I am thinking of reddit). On most platforms moderation is decent, but I heavily prefer the hands off approach.<p>4.1 Algorithms themselves. I know Tiktok is successful and popular with many. But for me it is basically TV. Instead of such a model, I would prefer a simple search function. Otherwise the most benign content will always be way ahead. Such type of algorithms will always prefer trash to real content, which is a runaway effect if the algorithm promotes it to more and more people.
I am working on my alternative, the 4M card which is a double-sided inkjet printed 4x6 card that (almost always) has a QR code linking to a web site which either I run (type 2) or is somebody else’s site (type 1).<p>The type 1 card could point to Wikipedia (here is a picture of a cultural treasure and where I got it from) or YouTube (this card plays a song, see the movie trailer which is the punch line of the joke.). the type 1 gives up some privacy but it somehow floats free of the idea of intellectual property.<p>The type 2 cards are better from a privacy viewpoint but are even more interactive, and might point to a ‘photo shell’ or a blog post or instructions on how to reproduce more cards.<p>A current goal is developing ‘tools’ that seduce people into interacting with the cards, otherwise they don’t see all three sides and the card failed. They cost about 8 cents so if you ‘steal’ one it is like mowing the grass and it helps me keep up the production rate and go up the learning curve faster and give you better cards.<p>The production rate is low compared to conventional social media (I make a run of 1-5 cards almost every day) but high considering I am manufacturing something.<p>It might not change the world but it changes me and the people around me and if the goal is ‘reach out and touch someone’ I know it works.
Needness to obey the American law as a must, even if you are living in Mars. Sometimes local law is also trying to get some local people obeyed, but de facto it means that you must to change your ip to anything else's locality. Only American law is a must for everybody.
I want to reserve the option of thinking well of people in general. That goes for friends, acquaintances, and strangers. Much of what they post deprives me of that option.
Focus on engagement and curation by black-box algorithms. Weren't it for this, radical assholes wouldn't have colonized this space so thoroughly.
I think it is completely safe to say that almost everything on social media is manufactured, faked and illusionary.<p>The 'recommendation algorithms' make it even worse which is why <i>'3. Creators—- They all work for the algorithms'</i> is another scam to drive the most followers and eyeballs.