social media

Bilingual

Twitter
2 months ago
- Twitter serves as a high-value information source, particularly within curated subcultures like tech, startups, and AI/ML.
- Key system features include user profiles, following, tweeting (280 chars), liking, replying, retweeting, and blocking.
- Emergent properties include middle-distance connections, user-driven curation through following and blocking, and conversational short-form discourse.
- Quality signals and 'pulling in' effects create a flywheel where interesting content attracts more high-quality users.
- Benefits include job offers, real-life networking, and easy access to influential people via DMs.
- To use Twitter effectively, set up a distinctive profile, curate followers from top accounts, and join conversations with insightful replies.
- Post regular 'exhaust' from real-life activities and observations, aiming for at least once daily, while avoiding negativity and over-retweeting.
- When a post goes viral, mute notifications to protect attention span and sanity from low-quality comments.
- The ultimate goal is to build a network of a few dozen high-quality connections for meaningful interactions.
Why TV Lost
2 months ago
- TV and computers were thought to converge, but computers have replaced TV as the primary medium for watching shows.
- The Internet's open platform, Moore's Law for bandwidth, piracy convenience, and social applications drove computers' victory.
- Social applications, especially for teens, made computers essential for connecting with others, driving mass adoption.
- TV networks reluctantly put content online but resist fully embracing the Internet as the primary medium.
- The Internet dissolves synchronicity and locality in broadcasting, threatening local TV and forcing networks to adapt.
- Networks' attempts to force old models, like live shows, are futile; cheaper live content can thrive with higher volume on the Internet.
- Internet startups are competing with TV networks directly and indirectly, reshaping the balance between producers and networks.
- Shows will evolve, possibly merging with games, and distribution will be decentralized on the Internet.
Making human languages irrelevant
2 months ago
- Large social media platforms like YouTube and Reddit are using automated translations, causing language mixing.
- Google indexes translated Reddit threads via URL parameters, leading to non-English results for users in certain locales.
- YouTube uses AI-powered auto-dubbing to serve videos in different languages without user notice.
- In multiplayer games, players often speak in their native language, possibly expecting technology to translate automatically.
- The trend suggests languages may become less relevant in online spaces, similar to the Babel fish concept.
Scattered thoughts on social geolocation
2 months ago
- The author wants to share location with friends on social media, noting that Twitter and Facebook had features, but ActivityPub and AT Protocol lack them.
- The GeoSocial Task Force is developing Geographical Microsyntax proposals for optional location sharing, but user research is needed to understand what people want to do with geotagged posts.
- Inline text microsyntax is problematic because users format inconsistently and location names are ambiguous; suggests text is for text, not syntax.
- Centralized location services (Google, Foursquare, Wikidata, OSM) have flaws; proposes latitude/longitude as a fully open, unrestricted alternative.
- GeoJSON is recommended for adding geographic information to post metadata, allowing flexible precision and additional properties like name or Wikidata ID.
- Future steps include user research, privacy advocacy, developer collaboration, and client implementation of GeoJSON metadata.
"Loneliness influencers" are all the rage, but everyone is wrong about them
2 months ago
- Loneliness influencers are individuals with few or no friends who film their mundane, solitary lives for an online audience.
- Contrary to popular analysis, these influencers are not seeking support but rather appear to enjoy or accept their solitude, despite indirectly engaging with viewers.
- Mainstream essays often miss the point by overanalyzing the phenomenon, where loneliness content is seen as a symptom of social isolation, not its cause.
- The appeal of such content may stem from its meditative quality for viewers with busy lives, but it also raises questions about the authenticity of broadcasting solitude.
- The author ultimately argues that loneliness influencers are just like any other influencers—seeking attention through low-effort content—and plans to unfollow them.
Tech titans' playbook to defy Aussie social media ban
2 months ago
- Minister Anika Wells accuses big tech firms of not taking the under-16 social media ban seriously, calling their efforts 'taking the mickey'.
- Only 300,000 accounts have been removed since an initial cull, bringing the total removed accounts to 5 million.
- The world-first age restrictions have been criticized for failing to effectively remove children from platforms, but Wells blames the digital platforms.
- Wells claims some companies are deliberately trying to make the legislation fail.
Trump Media to sell instant access to 'market-moving' social posts
2 months ago
- Trump Media & Technology Group, owner of Truth Social, is launching a paid service called Truth API to provide Wall Street firms with high-speed access to market-moving posts from influential accounts.
- The service, starting 1 August, aims to create a steady revenue stream for the loss-making company by charging institutional clients for instant, 24/7 updates, potentially including posts from Donald Trump, the platform's most-followed user.
- Financial traders are the target audience, as delays in accessing Trump's posts, which often cause market swings, can be costly; the move may force firms currently copying data without permission to purchase the official feed.
- The initiative highlights the overlap between Trump's private business and public role, with experts noting it's unprecedented if presidential posts are included, but legally permissible under securities laws.
Truth Social to sell Wall Street firms the 'fastest' access to Trump's posts
2 months ago
- Trump Media & Technology Group launched Truth API, a paid data feed for fast access to influential Truth Social posts.
- The service targets algorithmic trading firms and others sensitive to information delays, offering posts from top accounts like Trump's.
- It provides 24/7 coverage and an archive from 2022, aiming to generate new revenue and curb unauthorized data scraping by firms.
- The product is set to launch on August 1, with customers already signed up, as posts from Trump have previously impacted global markets.
EU will seek to limit children's access to social media
2 months ago
- The European Commission plans to propose limits on children's access to social media after the summer.
- There is a call for 'age-appropriate restrictions' on digital platforms, with consideration for phased access based on age ranges.
- Several EU countries like France, Austria, and Slovenia are introducing or preparing age-based restriction laws.
- The UK announced a ban on social media for children under 16 starting early next year.
- The Irish Government supports social media restrictions but prefers EU-level implementation.
- Australia implemented the world's first social media ban for under-16s, but its impact has been limited according to recent studies.
Meta pulls new AI image feature after days of backlash
3 months ago
- Meta removed a new AI image feature from Instagram after privacy backlash.
- The feature allowed users to create AI-generated content using public Instagram accounts without consent.
- Meta admitted it 'missed the mark' and disabled the feature in response to criticism.
- The backlash highlighted concerns about AI companies exploiting user data without permission.
- Meta stated the intent was creative control but acknowledged user feedback in pulling the feature.
The government wants to scare Americans out of sharing the news
3 months ago
- Federal officials are investigating Americans for sharing news reports on social media, claiming it threatens immigration officers and constitutes doxxing.
- A New York woman was confronted by ICE agents over an Instagram post that repeated information from a news article identifying an officer involved in a shooting.
- The Department of Homeland Security has accused individuals of posting officers' addresses, but evidence is disputed and not publicly available.
- Freedom of the Press Foundation is seeking records to determine if investigations target people for reposting journalistic content.
- Government actions may suppress news by intimidating individuals who share reports, circumventing direct censorship of news outlets.
- Officials have also pressured tech platforms to remove content related to ICE, using claims of inciting violence, without public transparency.
- These tactics undermine press freedom by limiting public discussion and sharing of journalism, even if they don't directly involve newsrooms.
Mastodon, the Only Good Choice
3 months ago
- The essay argues that now is a good time to leave declining social media platforms, recommending Mastodon as a better alternative.
- Mastodon is decentralized, akin to email, with no single owner, no ads, and allows migration between servers without losing followers.
- Users report more meaningful interaction and conversation on Mastodon compared to other platforms, despite potentially smaller follower counts.
- The platform supports diverse content, including sex-positive and NSFW material, with content warnings to manage visibility.
- Moderation is server-based, with tools like defederation to combat abuse, encouraging a healthier community environment.
- Mastodon features link previews, good search functionality, and a variety of open-source client apps, enhancing usability.
- Its algorithm prioritizes chronological posts from followed accounts, avoiding engagement-driven feeds, with potential for future improvements.
- Funded by nonprofits and community support, Mastodon lacks profit motives, making it resilient and sustainable compared to venture-backed platforms.
- Bluesky is criticized for centralization and reliance on venture capital, which may lead to enshittification through ads or business pressures.
- The essay concludes that Mastodon is the only viable decentralized, non-owned social media option offering a fun and interactive experience.
Majority of Americans Support Banning Social Media for Kids Under 16
3 months ago
- 56% of U.S. adults support banning social media for those under 16, with 21% opposed and 23% unsure.
- Support for a ban is widespread across demographic and partisan groups, being highest among adults aged 30-49 and parents of children under 18.
- Beyond a total ban, large majorities support parental consent (85%), age verification (78%), and time limits (78%) for minors on social media, with increased support since 2023.
- Support for these policies is lower among adults under 30 but remains high across all other age groups, parents, and political affiliations.
- Countries like Australia, Canada, the UK, and California lawmakers are considering or have set a minimum age of 16 for social media use.
The Internet Is Drowning in Secret Ads
3 months ago
- Social media users are encountering viral content that appears organic but are often undisclosed paid sponsorships by companies or political campaigns.
- Regulatory enforcement for transparent influencer endorsements may weaken under a Trump administration, exacerbating the lack of accountability.
- Examples include undisclosed payments to influencers for promoting prediction markets, political messages, and products, with studies showing high rates of non-disclosure.
- Consumers are increasingly filing class-action lawsuits against brands and influencers for undisclosed partnerships, though legal challenges remain due to hidden funding and ambiguous posts.
- Loopholes allow influencers to avoid disclosure by promoting brands or messages rather than tangible products, making social media effectively a pervasive ad network.

social media

Twitter

Why TV Lost

Making human languages irrelevant

Scattered thoughts on social geolocation

"Loneliness influencers" are all the rage, but everyone is wrong about them

Tech titans' playbook to defy Aussie social media ban

Trump Media to sell instant access to 'market-moving' social posts

Truth Social to sell Wall Street firms the 'fastest' access to Trump's posts

EU will seek to limit children's access to social media

Meta pulls new AI image feature after days of backlash

The government wants to scare Americans out of sharing the news

Mastodon, the Only Good Choice

Majority of Americans Support Banning Social Media for Kids Under 16

The Internet Is Drowning in Secret Ads