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Nobody Trusts Facebook, Twitter Is a Hot Mess, What Is Snapchat Doing?

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Re: Nobody Trusts Facebook, Twitter Is a Hot Mess, What Is Snapchat Doing?

#131

Post by InclinedPlane »

Maro wrote: post #64

Based on my brief time at FB (in 2016-2017), FB is not evil. MZ is trying to do the right thing, overall. Using this as a major piece of positioning/propaganda is not going to work for Spiegel. Also, if they ever want to make money, they'll be playing the exact same game as FB. That's going to be tough, as by now Snapchat is just a feature (of FB). Also, I can tell you, FB employees are laser focused on executing and…

"Evil" is a poor concept. Intention is mostly irrelevant, actions and outcomes are more important. If your actions contribute to "bad things" happening, if you are well aware that this is the case, and if you do not adequately make changes to avoid having your actions contribute to bad outcomes then you are complicit. Facebook is complicit in numerous "bad things", ranging from election interference, the spread of conspiracy theories and hatred, and crimes against humanity including genocide. The fact that FB does not take this complicity seriously or to heart is a resounding indictment of the entire organization. Whether it is "evil" or not, it is complicit in an enormous amount of malfeasance.

Re: Nobody Trusts Facebook, Twitter Is a Hot Mess, What Is Snapchat Doing?

#132

Post by reaperducer »

Maro wrote: post #81
samstave wrote: post #73

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The correct phrase, IMO, would be "cumulative shadiness" for FB... Individually, and within groups, the work of the employees and teams at FB is nothing short of amazing (and apple, google, etc)... cumulatively though? The nature of these companies are not in the best interests of individual users, and when looked at the power and impact the company as a whole has over any individual in specific, is pretty obviously…

I have a great time on FB/Messenger. It's a tool, it's up to everybody to use it in a way that is a net positive for them. I have friends/acquintances in 10+ cities, and it's a great way to keep in touch. As you mention, this "way" is very different then if we would meet in person, but that is out of the question, as we are separated by 1,000 - 10,000 km. The alternative, on average, is not to hear anything about the…

The alternative, on average, is not to hear anything about these old friends and never meet them, lose touch, and that's the end of it.

The alternatives are telephone, e-mail, actual mail, text messages, and other means that are not trying to track, tabulate, and sell you and your personal information to the highest bidder.

Amazingly, people managed to stay in touch for thousands of years before Facebook even existed. Even using computers!

Re: Nobody Trusts Facebook, Twitter Is a Hot Mess, What Is Snapchat Doing?

#133

Post by nradov »

gaius wrote: post #60

lavish parties for Halloween and New Year’s Eve, which came with their own code of secrecy: no photos. That speaks volumes in and of itself about the company culture. When a company bans its staff from using their own product what does that tell you?

It tells you they didn't want any evidence for potential sexual harassment lawsuits resulting from drunken antics at company parties.

Re: Nobody Trusts Facebook, Twitter Is a Hot Mess, What Is Snapchat Doing?

#134

Post by usepgp »

Maro wrote: post #80
barrkel wrote: post #76

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You know, capitalist food producers don't need to be evil. All they need do is keep tuning their food, and a blind process of optimization will lead to addictive foods that people eat until they're obese, because that's what maximizes profits for the food industry. It's not much different for Facebook. A blind process of engagement and relevance optimization leads to a more addictive product that steals more and more…

People are in charge of their own diet. People are in charge of their own time, how they spend it, on the Internet or offline. Blaming big corporations and capitalism is a sorry excuse for making bad decisions.

And the people will collectively vote for representatives who hand smack downs to these companies.

Re: Nobody Trusts Facebook, Twitter Is a Hot Mess, What Is Snapchat Doing?

#135

Post by qubax »

Nobody trusts facebook? Is that why half the world is on facebook readily giving them their private info?

Twitter is a hot mess? Is that why the president and most of the journalists are on twitter?

Who cares what snapchat is doing?

I don't get articles like this. What's the point?

Re: Nobody Trusts Facebook, Twitter Is a Hot Mess, What Is Snapchat Doing?

#136

Post by sandworm101 »

"Inside it, employees were connecting with each other, at times emotionally, about their childhoods, hopes, and fears. Council etiquette prohibits me from telling you what ­others shared, but during one of my turns with the geode, I told the group an embarrassing childhood story about getting sick during a family beach vacation. "

Scientology much?

Really. This is exactly the technique used to indoctrinate people into a cult. It is all about getting emotional hooks into the new member of the group. Secrecy, and the corresponding threat it implies, that creates loyalty. Knowing the secrets of others fosters group identity.

Snap probably doesn't realize it, but this will not end well. It does not scale. Eventually "counsel" will become a secret room for the "in" people of the leadership team. Knowledge of secrets will divide groups. Eventually something will happen and things will implode.

Re: Nobody Trusts Facebook, Twitter Is a Hot Mess, What Is Snapchat Doing?

#137

Post by utkarshsinha »

buboard wrote: post #114
scrumbledober wrote: post #108

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't really care what oath the doctor took (especially considering the actual wording of the hippocratic oath) but I definitely take comfort in the medical board's ability to revoke their license.

The point is that the comparison with doctors doesn't make much sense (and neither is medical ethics a recent thing). Doctors are judged by their continuous practice, but developers/entrepreneurs would not be ethically "judged" because of their programming style, but because of the things they create, which transcend them and remain in their absence, much like anything in engineering. (let alone that revokign a licen…

Would having a "license" for companies instead of individual devs make more sense? Imagine Google losing its license to use personal data to target advertisements - this would make them much more sensitive to protecting their users from malicious entities.

Re: Nobody Trusts Facebook, Twitter Is a Hot Mess, What Is Snapchat Doing?

#138

Post by pythonslayer »

bduerst wrote: post #86
samstave wrote: post #73

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The correct phrase, IMO, would be "cumulative shadiness" for FB... Individually, and within groups, the work of the employees and teams at FB is nothing short of amazing (and apple, google, etc)... cumulatively though? The nature of these companies are not in the best interests of individual users, and when looked at the power and impact the company as a whole has over any individual in specific, is pretty obviously…

Interesting. Almost like a tragedy of the commons - each individual is so "laser focused" on their own impact that it eventually leads to them plundering the cumulative value for users.

A phrase I’ve heard in media theory circles is “lost in implementation”.

Re: Nobody Trusts Facebook, Twitter Is a Hot Mess, What Is Snapchat Doing?

#139

Post by komali2 »

reaperducer wrote: post #132
Maro wrote: post #81

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I have a great time on FB/Messenger. It's a tool, it's up to everybody to use it in a way that is a net positive for them. I have friends/acquintances in 10+ cities, and it's a great way to keep in touch. As you mention, this "way" is very different then if we would meet in person, but that is out of the question, as we are separated by 1,000 - 10,000 km. The alternative, on average, is not to hear anything about the…

The alternative, on average, is not to hear anything about these old friends and never meet them, lose touch, and that's the end of it. The alternatives are telephone, e-mail, actual mail, text messages, and other means that are not trying to track, tabulate, and sell you and your personal information to the highest bidder. Amazingly, people managed to stay in touch for thousands of years before Facebook even existed…

Are my emails and text messages not being tracked? My postcards? My telephone calls are definitely being listened to, we know that thanks to Snowden, particularly anybody that talks a lot about stuff the Government doesn't want us talking about.

Whether it's the gov or FB or Google, I assume someone is listening in. When it's time for secure communication, I reach for something like Signal. Otherwise, I'll go for whatever is the most convenient (probably FB messenger, or text, rarely email/instagram messenger).

Re: Nobody Trusts Facebook, Twitter Is a Hot Mess, What Is Snapchat Doing?

#140

Post by sonofaplum »

toomuchtodo wrote: post #123
derefr wrote: post #101

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's the discovery mechanism that's unique to Facebook. Other messaging services: tell someone your username on it (when you ever happen to run into them again, I guess.) Facebook Messenger: search for their name on Facebook, find the one with the right profile picture, hit "send message." Facebook is the modern-day White Pages, except for the entire planet. And that's the part that makes it so hard to "quit Facebook…

Heh, you've given me a great idea for a weekend project (a free directory where you can put your info in, and you'll show up in Google search results). Think Gravatar, but for all of your contact info.

don't forget to add a picture and allow you to tag some interests as well
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