Decentralized Social Media Is the Only Alternative to the Tech Oligarchy | Hacker News Reader

Decentralized Social Media Is the Only Alternative to the Tech Oligarchy

404media.co

19 pointscdme9 comments

There are two distinct groups that want 'social media'. There is 99% of people who use social media because people who make money are on social media and the corporation behind it uses it's status to allow flows of money between people. To these people the social media is a job and their followers follow them at their job. The money is the point.

Then there are the groups <1 million people who actually want social media for communication who do not need money flows. These people can be happy and thrive without corporate money flows. They form communities like IRC, mastodon, matrix, etc.

But for the vast majority of people these alternative networks do not have the one feature they are there for: ability to make it a job. And that is why decentalized social media has never been, and never will be an alternative for most social media users. No government in the world will allow a decentralized system to have money flows capable of a living wage. Just look at the continuous attacks on actual cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin.

In conclusion: no. Decentralized social media is only an alternative for a tiny part of the population. It doesn't mean this is bad. But setting up decentralized social networks that cater to the masses is useless. The one feature they want will never be there.

99% are there to make money? Really, you think it's that high?

I would say at least 75% are there just to consume. I can count on one hand the amount of people I know IRL that use social media primarily to make money.

I could be misreading your comment though.

When I was sales-adjacent, the retail price for the fanciest highest paying ad, a 10 second pre-roll (video ad before the video) was $40 per 1,000 views. Without a specific campaign, it's like $2 per 1,000 or less. Unless it's different now, one only makes actual $ if they're extremely popular or they're directly selling a product. And that product is usually makeup. And those are usually some MLM scam.

Guessing < 5% of social media goers are making any money worth mentioning.

I mean 99% are there because of people being there for money. And without these people that are there for making money, they won't be either.

https://archive.is/ztU6A

I mean, there's another alternative and it's much simpler: just don't use social media.

Sadly it seems like more and more every year that is just not even considered an option for most people.

I have yet to understand people's appall at Facebook "using your data" aka targeted ads based on shit the person (mostly) knowingly gave them. LOL that "products before people" cry. The outrage was so doused in bitterness toward a product the people were addicted to much more than the worry that its CEO knows they're getting engaged and they're creeping on their high school crush or whatever.

Then again, Trump wanted to ban Tiktok and we all laughed, and now it's banned under his successor, kind of, and now he's saying he'll defy the actual law and unban it? China!

It is impossible to take any opinion about the media seriously when that opinion is blocked after 3 paragraphs with a login wall.

I have to assume this is what 404media means by "decentralized social media": one where you have to sign up to 404media's own website and give them your personal information directly. No thanks.

And accountability

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