How to Fix Facebook Before It Fixes Us • Hacker News Board

Re: How to Fix Facebook Before It Fixes Us

#31

Post by monaghanboy » Sun, Jan 07, 2018, 9:22 PM UTC

harryf wrote: post #21

DFHippie wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The question isn't whether Facebook is relevant to you. It's whether it's relevant to 300 million other people. If a problem as 300 million causes, you still have a problem if you cut that down to 299,999,999.

Society has always been manipulated. Facebook has nothing on religions for example. The real question is whether an individual checking out from Facebook harms themselves in some way e.g. less able to find work? We just need to make sure Facebook never gets endorsement as some kind of identity / passport.

So far it hasn't harmed me, and I haven't had an active account in 8+ years. I believe this actually helps me, though I can't really quantify or prove it.

Re: How to Fix Facebook Before It Fixes Us

#32

Post by misterbowfinger » Sun, Jan 07, 2018, 9:23 PM UTC

> All software platforms should be required to offer a legitimate opt-out, one that enables users to stick with the prior version if they do not like the new EULA. “Forking” platforms between old and new versions would have several benefits: increased consumer choice, greater transparency on the EULA, and more care in the rollout of new functionality, among others

Interesting. Although if this applied to all software platforms, I suspect startups are going to be hit a lot harder than the big co's. Maintaining this level of "forking" seems like a nontrivial engineering task.

> Eighth, and finally, we should consider that the time has come to revive the country’s traditional approach to monopoly

Feels unclear how this would help. It feels difficult to craft anti-trust laws that big co's can't reason their way out of. But IANAL, so please correct me if I'm wrong here.

Re: How to Fix Facebook Before It Fixes Us

#33

Post by kennywinker » Sun, Jan 07, 2018, 9:25 PM UTC

mlinksva wrote: post #9

Search for 'tax' finds one instance: > This allowed the platforms to centralize the internet, inserting themselves between users and content, effectively imposing a tax on both sides. Sadly this does not contain the obvious fix: tax ads.

By some accounts the Russian fb spend was under $100k (https://techcrunch.com/2017/11/01/russian-facebook-ad-spend/)

Assuming election meddling is the thing you want to avoid, even a 50% tax wouldn't take this out of the price range of even the thriftiest of governments.

Re: How to Fix Facebook Before It Fixes Us

#34

Post by JoshMnem » Sun, Jan 07, 2018, 9:30 PM UTC

jdavis703 wrote: post #27

amelius wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Another option is to "unfollow" everybody except for a selected few.

I actually did this a few months ago. Today I realized I had gone 7 days without logging into Facebook or even thinking about it. The good thing about unfollowing everyone is that I can still participate in Facebook Events and Groups, both of which many of us still need to coordinate meatspace activity.

I think that most people don't really need Facebook Events and Groups. If people tell you to join an event of group, tell them you don't use Facebook (for ethical and personal reasons) and that they should provide another method for people to participate so that it doesn't lock out non-Facebook users.

I block all of their sites in my hosts file so can't even view a Facebook event page or group. It has only provided benefits, and I haven't missed out on anything. Productivity is up. Social life is better.

Re: How to Fix Facebook Before It Fixes Us

#35

Post by amelius » Sun, Jan 07, 2018, 9:33 PM UTC

JoshMnem wrote: post #34

jdavis703 wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I actually did this a few months ago. Today I realized I had gone 7 days without logging into Facebook or even thinking about it. The good thing about unfollowing everyone is that I can still participate in Facebook Events and Groups, both of which many of us still need to coordinate meatspace activity.

I think that most people don't really need Facebook Events and Groups. If people tell you to join an event of group, tell them you don't use Facebook (for ethical and personal reasons) and that they should provide another method for people to participate so that it doesn't lock out non-Facebook users. I block all of their sites in my hosts file so can't even view a Facebook event page or group. It has only provided b…

Sadly, as I'm not that popular, that would make me miss all the events except for the regularly recurring ones.

Re: How to Fix Facebook Before It Fixes Us

#36

Post by ThomPete » Sun, Jan 07, 2018, 9:38 PM UTC

noncoml wrote: post #30

Give me one good reason on why we need Facebook.

Gossip, life, entertainment, procrastination. Nothing wrong with that at all.

Re: How to Fix Facebook Before It Fixes Us

#37

Post by JoshMnem » Sun, Jan 07, 2018, 9:39 PM UTC

DFHippie wrote: post #16

grinsekatze wrote: post #7

“Fixing yourself” automatically fixes the “Facebook problem”. Because then, Facebook will be completely irrelevant to you.

The question isn't whether Facebook is relevant to you. It's whether it's relevant to 300 million other people. If a problem as 300 million causes, you still have a problem if you cut that down to 299,999,999.

Behavior is contagious. If you behave in the way that people should behave, then others will follow.

Re: How to Fix Facebook Before It Fixes Us

#38

Post by mlinksva » Sun, Jan 07, 2018, 9:42 PM UTC

chrislloyd wrote: post #12

mlinksva wrote: post #9

Search for 'tax' finds one instance: > This allowed the platforms to centralize the internet, inserting themselves between users and content, effectively imposing a tax on both sides. Sadly this does not contain the obvious fix: tax ads.

I'd love you to go into more detail with this proposal. How would taxing ads be different than just taxing corporations?

Two basic approaches, not mutually exclusive: 1) make advertising expenditure non-deductible or weaker version treat as investment, make deduction multi-year reducing NPV 2) directly tax ad revenue, strength depends on rate.

My motivation is treating ads as mental pollution and force for centralization and monopoly, not preventing election manipulation. Complaints abut the latter are nothing but extreme hypocrisy coming from the US.

Re: How to Fix Facebook Before It Fixes Us

#39

Post by tzakrajs » Sun, Jan 07, 2018, 9:43 PM UTC

Quit using it. Let's go back to the way the internet used to be, y'know with instant messaging and a multitude of cultures that have their own ecosystems. Let's stop consolidating all of this information and wealth in the hands of people who don't give a shit about what makes us different (unless it sells an ad).

Re: How to Fix Facebook Before It Fixes Us

#40

Post by tzahola » Sun, Jan 07, 2018, 9:44 PM UTC

maxxxxx wrote: post #20

chrislloyd wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'd love you to go into more detail with this proposal. How would taxing ads be different than just taxing corporations?

I like the idea. Ads could be treated as pollution.

Ads are pollution. Information pollution.