Social media

[terra]

I agree with all of you...
AND,
I also see how social media can be viewed like private railroads, or private telephone networks built back in the day, before people realised the impact and influence they would have on the development of world. Then imagine the owners of the telephone exchange etc were catholic and simply disconnected or refused use by anyone who wasnt a Catholic. It would shape the development of the world...
Clumsy example, sorry.

The point is that yes Twitter etc is a private company, and I'm all for free speech but I still don't think we fully grasp the ramifications of this privately owned 'public communications service' and the speed with which it has revolutionised the meaning of global communications and the mass communication of opinion.

The public citizen is the user AND the product. Most of us on IGx are kindred in that we are all cynical mutherfuckers who tend to trust no one. Most of us will drill into a topic and use a little critical thinking before passing a judgement upon it.

Yes we are dumb fucks, but we are still probably well into the upper half of discerning humans (frightening I know)... Even more frightening is that the dumber folks than us still get a vote equal to ours, and rightly so. If we rate somewhere above the dumbest 51% then they can hold the voting majority... And they are all on social media.

Remember, the U.S. Dodged a bullet (or not, depending on your views) by a bees dick voting margin.

[Sangoma]

Don't overestimate anybody's ability, including "mine, the smart guy", ability to sift through information. Marketing, including political, is very crafty, and it went a long way since Bernays. Everyone is tricked on his level.

For example, there is a selling technique called anchoring. In essence, you tend to gravitate towards a number lat mentioned. That's why TV adverts always go through this "how much would you expect to pay for this amazing shit, two thousand dollars? Two hundred dollars? No, it can be yours for $14.99!" etc. One study asked two groups of people how old Mahatma Gandhi is after showing his picture. One group was asked an extra question: "Do you think Gandhi is younger or older than 140 years on this picture?" A stupid question, obviously. However, this group gave an estimate about ten years higher than another group. To make things crazy, there was a study where the participants were given a short lecture on anchoring and then participated in a study. Even though they were aware of the effect their answers were still affected!

That's popular advertising mechanics, and professional PR folk can fuck with my mind in more subtle and serious ways. Every one of us has a button that can be pressed without us noticing. A twenty something single mother with two kids from different fathers can be lured into voting for the promise of extra two hundred bucks a month in child support, whereas others will bite at the promise of some sophisticated economic intervention. I know for a fact that I am not immune to good salesmanship. Some time ago I went to the seminar about investing in realty in USA. During the seminar they were aggressively selling ongoing service by the realty consultancy, quite expensive. Guess what, with all my being smart and seen it all - I bought the most expensive option. Two days later I was wondering, what the fuck...

[Bram]

I thought about what my response would be, and couldn't come up with anything that wasn't rude or self-serving, so decided to take a break from all forms of social media (this site, Facebook, instagram, reddit, and online video games).

After 11 days I have realized that I'm a lot happier overall without much/any of it, and how I was often crafting stories for myself during activities: considering what I would write in my training journal while surfing for example, or being somewhere cool and wanting to photograph it. It was an immense relief to not give a fuck about it - letting each experience be self-contained.

Currently reading one book on the ills of social media ("Team Human") with another on the way ("10 arguments for deleting your social media accounts").

Last week I worked out the most times I have in 16 years, the relief in time is massive.

Not sure of anything beyond a reduction or even elimination is good.

[nafod]

I admit to following Devin Nunes’ Cow on Twitter.

[Mickey O'neil]

I thought about what my response would be, and couldn't come up with anything that wasn't rude or self-serving, so decided to take a break from all forms of social media (this site, Facebook, instagram, reddit, and online video games).

After 11 days I have realized that I'm a lot happier overall without much/any of it, and how I was often crafting stories for myself during activities: considering what I would write in my training journal while surfing for example, or being somewhere cool and wanting to photograph it. It was an immense relief to not give a fuck about it - letting each experience be self-contained.

Currently reading one book on the ills of social media ("Team Human") with another on the way ("10 arguments for deleting your social media accounts").

Last week I worked out the most times I have in 16 years, the relief in time is massive.

Not sure of anything beyond a reduction or even elimination is good.

Very interesting. I know I would feel a kind of relief if I took time off from FB and IG. I know I would get more reading done as well. It would be a lot off the mind too.

I am also very guilty of the bolded sentence.

[syaigh]

Generally speaking, if you do something really cool and want to share, please do! We like that!

We always love pics and updates of your kids and grandkids, unless of course you only post every once in a while to brag and never tell us anything else about your actual self.

If all your posts are brags about yourself and how awesome your life is, we pretty much know you aren't listening to the rest of us no matter how much you like our posts or seem excited about things we are doing. You are an attention whore.

Please for the love of god, stop telling us your political and religious bullshit. Its never been polite conversation and isn't now. You can make your own private audiences for that kind of thing, please use it or knock it off. Some of us like you but think your politics are retarded.

[Bram]

I dunno, I'm originally just here to workout and maybe share or checkout cool shit. But I feel that all the forms of social media kinda run together: clicking like a lab animal for the next hit, while on the major platforms they also study you as you click.

"The Dawn Wall" was a good film, "Lost City of the Monkey God' is a good read from the library, longform.org has lots of good writing updated regularly. If you need to get ahold of me [email protected]

[terra]

https://www.crossfit.com/battles/crossf ... -instagram

"CrossFit, Inc., as a voluntary user of and contributor to this marketplace, can and must remove itself from this particular manifestation of the public square when it becomes clear that such responsibilities are betrayed or reneged upon to the detriment of our community. Common decency demands that we do so, as do our convictions regarding fitness, health, and nutrition, which sit at the heart of CrossFit’s identity and prescription. To this end, all activity on CrossFit, Inc.’s Facebook and Instagram accounts was suspended as of May 22, 2019, as CrossFit investigates the circumstances pertaining to Facebook’s deletion of the Banting7DayMealPlan and other well-known public complaints about the social-media company that may adversely impact the security and privacy of our global CrossFit community."

[Gav]

I thought only Italians were able to turn anything into a left/right argument but I see you’re pretty good at it in America too.

[Fat Cat]

I thought only Italians were able to turn anything into a left/right argument but I see you’re pretty good at it in America too.

Salvini gonna send you home, brah.

[Wild Bill]

I am now live alone and will be so maybe about 2 years :( hard life situation.
So social media good source for psycological rest. I rarely post, mostly read, some time smile, its good :)

[Fat Cat]

What happened Billy?

[Wild Bill]

Well... long story.
All shit started when we got news that son has asthma :(
We lived on Far East, very tough climate for him, so we were enforced to change place of living.
I decide to go to Kaliningrad (baltic sea).
So far it seems was good decision, son feeling much better, but i lost a shit lot of money on that move, and was need to start from begining at age of 45 :(
So, i left family in Kaliningrad, because it is better for son, but myself went to Moscow to earn enough money to by appartments.

I already three months live alone in Moscow, and by my calcullations it will take 1.5 -2 years to earn enough, because i also send part to family.

So... situation is completely shit, but it is better for son there.

[Wild Bill]

Funny part, i rememer when Josh Dunn planned something similar (leave family to earn some) i adviced that better stay with family :)

I was stupid.

[Fat Cat]

Well... long story.
All shit started when we got news that son has asthma :(
We lived on Far East, very tough climate for him, so we were enforced to change place of living.
I decide to go to Kaliningrad (baltic sea).
So far it seems was good decision, son feeling much better, but i lost a shit lot of money on that move, and was need to start from begining at age of 45 :(
So, i left family in Kaliningrad, because it is better for son, but myself went to Moscow to earn enough money to by appartments.

I already three months live alone in Moscow, and by my calcullations it will take 1.5 -2 years to earn enough, because i also send part to family.

So... situation is completely shit, but it is better for son there.

Wow, that's a tough situation. I'm glad your son has improved. How old is he?

So you will live and work in Moscow while your family stays in Kaliningrad? Is it hard to travel between the two? I've heard great things about Kaliningrad though, do you like it when you're there? Hang in there, brah.

[Wild Bill]

Son is 10, doughter 8.

Kaliningrad is very good, almost perfect place for living, but bad for finding decent job (
In any case i want live there, even comparing with Moscow. Sea most of time cold for swiming, but still, sitting on the beach... looking to the horizont... Dreams are fulfilled.
I lived 1.5 year Kaliningrad before understood that i will not find good job there.
As for distance, 1.5 days on train, and i am afraid of flys, so traveling ony on trains. And because of that Sat + Sun is not enough.
Next time i go home maybe in new year holidays (10 days of oficial rest).

And here when social media comes into play :)

PS
I allways was wondering how those tajiks came to Russia, live in hard conditions but sendig money to families. Even in Kaliningrad, where salaries not high, it was enough for them to work and send some home. Even in Kosomolsk-on-Amur, shittiest town of Russia.
Now i am one of them :))

I rent the lower tier of a bunk bed, and upper tier renting guy from Ukraine :)

[Fat Cat]

That's a tough age to be away from your kids; our sons are just a year apart. Well, I'm sure they understand that you are doing it for them and good luck living the life of a migrant worker for a while. I can certainly understand why you would be using social media to stay in touch.

Also nice to hear that Kaliningrad is a good city, I would like to visit one day and see the old town. So much history.

[Gav]

Good luck Bill, you’re doing the right thing.

[Wild Bill]

Thanks, guys.