XKCD on the dishonesty implicit in the sharing options in social media

[AndreStmaur]

@anon15258403

@AndreStmaur

The most attractive point of social media is the number of users, simply because they are a communication system.

Perhaps that is the most attractive point for business, spy agencies or fame whores (thanks for that one @gracchus) , but I wouldn’t agree that it’s fundamentally true that most or even many people wish to use the net as a means to reach as many people as possible. Many of us simply would like to be in contact with our personal sphere(s), and have a normal measure of control of how those presentations are managed.

What I meant is simply that the network with more reach is statistically more likely to have more of the 300 people new users want to communicate with, not that people want to communicate with all the people in the larger network.

@anon15258403

We have pre-existing communication systems that aren’t fundamentally vulnerable to malicious algorithmic manipulation. The telephone network, amateur radio, bulletin board systems etc.

I don’t agree. It seems to me that the telephone system is plagued by automated advertising calls, which I see as malicious manipulation. BBS, at least the large ones, are also plagued by shill users, just look for firms advertising covert advertisement on BBS to find out. Amateur radio is heavily regulated to be non commercial and only open to users with a license, so is actually an example on how regulation can be used against abuse.