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Comment by swed420 | Hacker News Reader

> For most of its history, Reddit didn't have an algorithm that promoted stories beyond upvotes and time since posting, that might even still be the case.

Reddit is heavily botted, including by capital interests, and has been for a long time. This includes basic up/down vote activity.

> I think there is a significant percentage of users that do not initiate extreme content but participate in amplifying it.

Yes, it's probably initiated by bots, and then real users are easily persuaded to follow the manufactured herd.

These issues are not exclusive to reddit, either.

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The problem with the bots explanation is that it is unfalsifiable. On top of that, this fits a very recognizable pattern of human behavior. I'm very skeptical that blocking all the bots would even move the needle.

It's unfalsifiable, therefore it isn't happening? Not very convincing for anyone who's engaged with these platforms where reactions happen seconds after your own clicks.

Alternatively, ask yourself, would monied interests be inclined to exploit these platforms? Of course they would. It'd need a solid explanation as to why they wouldn't.

I never said I think it isn't happening, I just don't think it is driving the phenomenon. Platforms like Lemmy do not have enough traffic to justify a bot presence by monied interests and their general discussion communities are just as extreme as Reddit, if not more.

Likely because distributed platforms like lemmy/mastodon suffer from the "fiefdom" problem, plus siloed communities forming due to ideologically defined rules.

https://www.noemamag.com/the-last-days-of-social-media/

>Reddit is heavily botted, including by capital interests.

Is that why /r/all is consistently anti-capitalism and anti-business?

It's manufactured controlled opposition which is designed to look crazier than unchecked capitalism, and it's succeeding wildly at its mission.

See: wsws.org as a longstanding external example

So if reddit is more left than you are, it's "manufactured controlled opposition which is designed to look crazier than unchecked capitalism", and I guess if it's less left than you are, then they're a bunch of DINOs (LINOs?) like Manchin or Sinema?

It's a bunch of siloed group think offered in a variety of flavors. Definitely not a monolith, though basic liberal types (who virtue signal as being more "left" than they really are) might be the most common user.

Siloed groups are the easiest to monetize to advertisers, and they're also not a threat to a faux democracy.

My god, Bluesky is probably actually run as manufactured controlled opposition from all the crazy stuff you see on there. It makes perfect sense. HOW DEEP DOES THIS GO.

Yes, and it provides something for the X/twitter reactionaries to "react" to.

rightward_ratchet++;

Read The society of spectacle by guy debord

Can you give us a summary, so we can discuss what you're alluding to without a several-day waiting period while we read the book?

Not really, or not better than Wikipedia would. Sometimes it's more pertinent to read than to chat about a thing you might read.

You can also not read it, you do you, but it's enlightening.

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