Been watching a special on Australian free to air tv called Mirror Mirror, it’s about what the internet has done to us and more importantly what it is doing to us and our kids. Some of the stuff that they’ve discussed has shocked me. I thought I was pretty well up on the internet and what is happening but apparently I know nothing. It’s scary.
It’s also made me question the use of the likes button on this forum. I’m a big like user and I receive a lot as well, I honestly thought that’s how this works. But do we really need them, do we really need that kind of gratification, do we need someone to like something you’ve posted does it really matter.
I’m not what you would call a serial liker but one place I think it is useful is when someone joins and does a first post. A like from established members makes you feel welcome.
I had a complete rethink regarding “Social Media” at the beginning of the year.
I realised that I was spending huge amounts of time on FB just scrolling through crap.
Many of my posts would get somebody’s temper flaring for reasons that I could never fathom and I would be the recipient of their vitriol.
So I entirely withdrew from all “Social Media” on the grounds that it was entirely “Anti-Social”.
Signing up to this forum was an experiment and I am thus far quite content to remain😊
During two years of Covid lock downs etc, my internet and social media usage shot through the roof. To a level I was very uncomfortable with. My New Years resolution this year was to stop most of it. I closed accounts in most cases, but kept FB and this one open. FB to keep in touch with distant friends and this one because it is useful, and most of you folk in here are decent, helpful and sometimes fun. My interaction in FB and this place is very much reduced, although I’m still lurking.
It is comforting to know that Big Brother likes what he is watching and that we are all conforming.
Regarding FB, i too have been struck by the creative rubbish the robots put my way. It really is what you make it. So I made some effort to friend more Painters, Artists, Scientists, Music Artists and Actors. Those who actually post themselves instead of a brand release. FB has been much more interesting to scroll through occasionally since.
Your thoughts echo mine in that I want to engage with people as I would do socially down the pub. It seems a lot of media has become click-bait orientated, including some of the on-line (supposed) quality newspaper 'sites, where vacuous and/or ill-informed articles appear on a daily basis. Either the journalism is poor and/or the 'sites & their content are just trying to enhance ‘engagement’ from postings and clicks, as ‘engagement’ is what supports advertising. The kernel idea for FB is great but it comes at such a cost from the bombardments of messages, vitriol and other stuff. Best ignored IMV.
I must say that I don’t get the point of liking virtually every post you read, which seems to be what a few people do here judging by the number of likes they make. At that point it becomes meaningless.
I might occasionally like a joke if it genuinely makes me laugh rather than being just another faintly amusing cut and paste. I’ll like a post where someone has gone out of their way to help me, or made a particularly useful explanation. To me that seems proportionate.
Occasionally I think it’s better to reply with a thank-you or other positive comment, but I still think the button has its place. Refusing to use it at all seems like a ‘stick in the mud’ attitude.
A like is useful if you particularly agree with a post but have nothing new worth saying by making an additional post yourself. It can cut down on the “me too” chatter and expresses support without overloading the forum.
Facebook is a data collection system that’s why it’s free.
I’m amazed people are so happy to put all sorts of information on there without thinking about it.
How many have put on, “it’s my 25th birthday today” which releases your date of birth often used as a security feature for banking, insurance etc. Then take a photo of the “happy birthday” bunting outside your house and now your address and postcode has been released.
I quite like the button. It’s quicker than writing “I agree” or “great post” or whatever, I’m suspicious of people who don’t/hardly ever leave a “like”…something meanspirited about it. I’d bet they don’t mind recieving a like or two.
I don’t go on FB unless it’s my only option to get in touch with someone - which it hardly ever is. I never understood why people I don’t know would send me a friend request…
Forum: I use likes because many people express things better than I can. And I like a good pet picture and what people are cooking, eating and drinking.
As for FB: I very rarely post or comment, and I only follow friends and subjects that interest me.
Nevertheless, I use social media too much; I should read more books instead or get out into the garden.
I’ve left a couple of likes working down the thread!
I’ve always thought it’s a quick way of nodding in agreement or saying ‘nice one’ without doing either of those things.
I don’t go on FB, though I get inundated with emails from them (I’m only scanning them for naim related content btw) and apart from this forum only occasionally post a comment on YT and once in a blue moon on the unofficial naim forum. Work wise I do go on one of the well known business sites but not regularly - usually if I need to drop an email to an old friend or colleague.
My kids are so much more switched on to this. My daughter is a bit of an addict, my son is all over the cyber security aspects. He also spots bots and fakes, and explained the need to get your posts ‘up voted’ to generate interest and revenue. I don’t think we’re doing that here.
I also think naim has to be monitoring this to understand what we need, like and don’t like and I’m sure will have looked at the comments about the app update….
Naim will monitor and respond on a few threads such as new app releases or product launches.
Even more so when Clare was helping Richard et al with daily support on here.
AFAIK the forum platform is run by Amazon.
I would imagine that the deal with Amazon includes Amazon mashing up info from what users say here with what they do and say on Amazon (and other databases), and sharing some of that analysis with Naim to help them improve the forum and improve sales, marketing, product portfolio, pricing, etc.
Also, there may be other parties included in that sharing of info and analysis if that’s within the relevant Ts and Cs and laws.
(This is obviously speculation on my part, and if I’m incorrect that the platform is leased from Amazon, then the rest does not follow.)
