I just (sadly) realized yet another way the recommendation algorithms were so ruinous and limiting…
On that /r/ place, like here, I had my regular and favorite places to visit, and of course there are far more I’m NOT interested in, or annoy me, or worse. So I don’t visit those and all’s well with the world.
But I don’t live in a box, and once in a while, I see some interesting post and click on it – and here’s where the ruinous dread feeling comes from – realize now, after reading a random post that happens to be good in a place I generally dislike, the fuckers are gonna feed me shit like I foolishly paused in front of a crazy panhandler that’s now gonna trail me down the sidewalk and tell me tinfoil hat stories. AAAWWWWWW FUUUUUUCK.
On the fediverse, you can read a post and… NOTHING HAPPENS! You read a post! Whee! Freedom! No dread! And not automatically sign up for copious amounts of TRULY ANNOYING SHIT GARBAGE.
Sheesh.
That’s all. Thankyougoodnight.
The insidious thing about algorithmically served content is that even if you don’t pay attention to it, it will slowly seep in to your mind, altering you slowly and steadily.
You see it/hear it for a microsecond and divert your attention dutifully, but your mind captured it, and processes it continuously. Because that’s what minds do.
So here you are, just scrolling through things. Minding your own business. And you didn’t even register it consciously.
And now you’re forever infected with a thought, concept you would have never arrived at on your own. A vision you would never have seen. A motive that never would’ve occurred.
And no matter what it was, you’re stuck with it forever because some asshole forced it into your head for a couple pennies.
It’s pure evil.
I don’t think that’s true. Like, yes, priming is a real thing, the mere exposure effect is real, and the advertisement industry exists for a reason, but something you don’t pay attention to is unlikely to stick with you; the danger in algorithms is much more how they influence your emotions and your consumption patterns than how they inject your brain with unwanted thoughts