The internet is still an incredible tool. It still has the potential to connect us, to inform us, to expand our horizons in ways our ancestors couldn't have dreamed of.
But we need to question the behaviour we’re rewarding vs the behaviour we’re punishing.
Until we start dismantling these perverse incentives - we're going to keep breeding cobras.
Another great article by the brilliant Joan Westenberg @Daojoan
"So what did the tech geniuses do? They designed algorithms to keep you engaged. More time on the platform equals more ad revenue. Sounds reasonable, until you realize what actually keeps people engaged: outrage, conflict, and sensationalism. Suddenly, your news feed isn't filled with your aunt's cat photos anymore. It's a non-stop parade of the most inflammatory, divisive content imaginable."
@mastodonmigration@Daojoan we need to build an entirely new web, this one based on trust, rather the scale
You can see glimmers of it here and there; the original Google Analytics (a humble company called Urchin) was just a reaction to the inaccurate, easily spoofed “hit counters” we put on sites in the late 90s
GA4 is different
We must replace the mad scramble for sheer audience size with something better