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TikTok overtakes Facebook as most downloaded app

asia.nikkei.com

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Re: TikTok overtakes Facebook as most downloaded app

#411

Post by tablespoon »

refenestrator wrote: post #355
tablespoon wrote: post #351

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Eh let's take responsibility for our own culture before blaming on the insidious machinations of the great hidden Other. What now? Who's blaming anything "on the insidious machinations of the great hidden Other"?

"Effective and stealthy manipulation" were your words I believe. Short hop from there for someone else to go further. We just watched people spend 3-4 years claiming that 50 Russian internet trolls were responsible for beating a billion dollar presidential campaign. The "smart people"! At some point you have to add up the mass values and ask if this adds up, or if we're just making excuses for ourselves.

> "Effective and stealthy manipulation" were your words I believe. Short hop from there for someone else to go further.

A hop you took, not me.

> We just watched people spend 3-4 years claiming that 50 Russian internet trolls were responsible for beating a billion dollar presidential campaign.

Fifty Russian internet trolls (likely more), were working to put their finger on the scale, but it's an exaggeration to say definitively that they "were responsible for beating a billion dollar presidential campaign." Maybe they tipped the scale, but maybe they didn't. There's no way anyone will ever answer that question.

It's like hacking. Has a foreign nation hacked the US power grid to cause widespread blackouts? No. Does that mean foreign hacking of US utility companies is not something for Americans to be concerned about? No. Does that mean the US shouldn't harden its power grid against the threat? Also no.

Re: TikTok overtakes Facebook as most downloaded app

#412

Post by romwell »

teawrecks wrote: post #320
romwell wrote: post #294

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yeah, no. TikTok's algorithm has introduced me to my (now) favorite neurodivergent and LGBTQ+ content makers. Some of them have hundreds of thousands of followers, some a few hundred. I've learned more about these subjects (and myself!) than from most other sources. The value of TikTok for me was that it linked up a bunch of neurodivergent/lgbtq+ people into a vibrant, supportive community. Honestly, if they decide t…

The social media functionality is the secondary purpose of the app, the first being surveillance and data collection. Of course Google, Facebook, and a million other companies do the same thing, all completely disregarding user privacy in favor of selling your information for a quick buck, thereby making the internet a more hostile environment for taking advantage of the technologically uninitiated than ever before.…

>The social media functionality is the secondary purpose of the app

That's like saying that providing people with groceries is the secondary purpose of grocery stores, the first being collecting money in exchange for them.

Duh! How horrible! Everyone would be better off if they just grew their own food on their own farm, like in the good old days

Saying TikTok is the "worst" thing is absurd given the article we're discussing. The people clearly see value for them in TikTok that hasn't been provided by other services, and adding that to the Internet is unambiguously great.

So the value to the users TikTok brings is unique and novel, whereas any potential harm to the users doesn't really change (as everyone and their grandma are collecting all the data already).

Yesterday, an average user had, say, 11 data-collecting apps — and today, it's 12. It's not great, but very little changes for the user. Hardly the worst thing IMO.

Re: TikTok overtakes Facebook as most downloaded app

#413

Post by jasondigitized »

reggieband wrote: post #66

I like to think of TikTok as the crack cocaine of addictive social media. I used to think my dopamine receptors were burned out by the constant barrage of memes I received from reddit, Facebook and Twitter but TikTok proves they can refine that product to make it even more potent. When I visit reddit now it feels behind in the same way Facebook used to feel behind. Facebook's video feature (which they shove into my f…

As a genxer with an addictive streak, TikTok is undoubtedly as addictive as crack. Do not pick up the pipe. If you do prepare to lose hours of yiur life.

Re: TikTok overtakes Facebook as most downloaded app

#414

Post by ehsankia »

dTal wrote: post #314
mrtksn wrote: post #25

I'm a huge fan of TikTok because after years of content stagnation and dullness, the internet is fun again. Especially places like Twitter and Instagram are outrage and depression inducers for me, consumed together it feels like the society is collapsing but everyone is living a perfect life at the same time. The China thing is touchy but I want the west to beat them by being better, not by being dismissive and prote…

>the short and fast phased nature of the TikTok content Ahh, so it's Twitter for video... is this good? It's my impression that there's a growing consensus that Twitter's content length restriction optimizes for shallow hot takes and angry mobs.

I don't think that's a rule, I think Twitter's length restriction has lead to quite a few good things too. Restrictions in general are a great way to motivate creativity. Of course there are limits to this. There are times where a 40m video or a proper 10 page blog post are more appropriate.

Re: TikTok overtakes Facebook as most downloaded app

#415

Post by ehsankia »

mrtksn wrote: post #25

I'm a huge fan of TikTok because after years of content stagnation and dullness, the internet is fun again. Especially places like Twitter and Instagram are outrage and depression inducers for me, consumed together it feels like the society is collapsing but everyone is living a perfect life at the same time. The China thing is touchy but I want the west to beat them by being better, not by being dismissive and prote…

Funnily enough, the most fun content on Twitter, reddit and instagram these days are repost of TikToks. One very bold and interesting move by TikTok which I believe is a huge reason for their success is allowing videos to be downloaded as mp4 by default and shared on any platform. Youtube et al would never allow that, which is why Reels and Shorts will never succeed.

Every time I browse through TikTok, I share dozens with my friends through all sorts of channels. Every time I try Shorts, I get a shitty youtube video link and I honestly don't want to spam people with Youtube links...

Re: TikTok overtakes Facebook as most downloaded app

#416

Post by rvz »

teawrecks wrote: post #320
romwell wrote: post #294

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yeah, no. TikTok's algorithm has introduced me to my (now) favorite neurodivergent and LGBTQ+ content makers. Some of them have hundreds of thousands of followers, some a few hundred. I've learned more about these subjects (and myself!) than from most other sources. The value of TikTok for me was that it linked up a bunch of neurodivergent/lgbtq+ people into a vibrant, supportive community. Honestly, if they decide t…

The social media functionality is the secondary purpose of the app, the first being surveillance and data collection. Of course Google, Facebook, and a million other companies do the same thing, all completely disregarding user privacy in favor of selling your information for a quick buck, thereby making the internet a more hostile environment for taking advantage of the technologically uninitiated than ever before.…

Precisely. The first purpose is pure invasive data collection of everything on the platform; otherwise how else is that so-called 'legendary recommendation algorithm' supposed to work? That and your data is the key asset that is being sold over and used by other companies as well, which is a violation of user privacy.

The news here is reassuring to investors and the users like the parent comment are once again the prime product addicted under a para-social relationship with other addicted influencers working for the 'legendary recommendation algorithm'.

They will continue to deny how social networks like TikTok keep screwing over their users repeatedly, even when they pretend that they are 'supporting the users' when in fact the investors are waiting for their giant exit for ByteDance's IPO. After that, we will see who ByteDance (TikTok) really listens to.

To the GP comment:

> Anyway, we are talking about specific things we like about TikTok as a platform that make it unique (so far), and you are talking in abstract.

It is not 'abstract' and the comment [0] (and this related comment [1]) you replied to, has evidence of their claims and is factual. It is your 'anecdotes' which are in denial of these facts.

[0] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=28134880

[1] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=28133855

Re: TikTok overtakes Facebook as most downloaded app

#418

Post by closeparen »

reggieband wrote: post #236
Waterluvian wrote: post #183

I’m a 34 year old who just got into Instagram and TikTok. I love it and hate it. I love all the creative and ridiculously funny content I find. But I viscerally cannot stand and get angry over so much attention seeking garbage there is out there too. Just smug unqualified nobodies telling people to “stop it” with a smug meme song regarding health habits or fashion or whatnot. Or “oh no no no no” or “thank you Diane”…

I want to spoil a magnificent movie, the Russian classic Stalker [1]. If you haven't watched the film and want to one day, please stop reading this comment. It is a deep film with many themes but one main theme involves a curious plot device. From the Wikipedia article: "The Zone contains a place called the "Room", said to grant the wishes of anyone who steps inside." The theme of that plot device is that once a grou…

“If you’re watching it, it’s for you.”

Re: TikTok overtakes Facebook as most downloaded app

#419

Post by tjpnz »

hellbannedguy wrote: post #391
mensetmanusman wrote: post #301

Earlier quoted context omitted.

China was supposed to start overtaking the US, but the one child policy knee-capped that route. Now their workforce is getting much smaller and the burden of care for the elderly is growing fast.

Didn't they just lift that?

They did but the results won't have any immediate impact. Some have argued that it was done too late.
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