It is weird and discouraging to see how many people choose #Meta#Threads for its looks and reach.
Forgetting that the sole reason this app exists is for a humongous#advertisement moloch to get at even more of their personal data. All to increase their dominance and power and ability to enrich themselves.
Forgetting that this dominance is already at highly problematic proportions, where Meta and also #Google and other #SurveillanceCapitalism have the power to influence society as a whole.
@smallcircles to us, it's not weird at all. Humans like pretty shiny things, and I bet Meta hired real psychologists to design Threads - and not only its UI/UX, but to help with the foundation of the platform itself (e.g. what's more important, that posts load fast, or that my posts are noticed by others quickly?).
Most people are simply uninformed, and might believe that because in the future Threads will be a part of the fediverse, Meta can't steal their data.
Compare threads' nice UI to Mastodon's absolutely disastrous and claustrophobic alternative. Sure, Megalodon/Moshidon exists. But people don't know that.
@laxla@jenniferplusplus yea, I know how it works. I mentioned "weird" mostly for others' sake.
History has shown time and again that people make the wrong choices, even when the warning signs are all over the place. At this point in time everyday people can be well-informed of the dangers. Yet they choose convenience. "It's above my head" and "I don't care".
People sit in the cinema with popcorn 🍿 watching dystopic sci-fi in fascination, while similar dystopia's are shaping up around them. 🤷
@smallcircles@laxla I just think it's not useful or effective to blame people for this choice. They are swimming in an ocean of manipulation. And also, there aren't better options. It's a completely rational decision to choose threads as a social app. Mastodon isn't a viable alternative for the vast majority of people. I'm not sure it ever could have been, but it's repeatedly fucked up the chances it had to become one.
"It's a completely rational decision to choose threads as a social app. Mastodon isn't a viable alternative for the vast majority of people."
In triplicate.
Even setting aside the manipulation aspects—which we shouldn't but for the sake of argument—it's hard to argue that any of the current options in this space, and especially mastodon, provide a truly better practical alternative.
I don't disagree. My toot was about long-term impact and more abstract externalities.
If one works far from home, buying a car may be a good option. Whether its a Humvee or small car a deliberate choice. The fedi may not have such choices yet, idk.
In terms of long-term externalities I may also compare with recreational drugs. Cocaine, easily available, gives a good rush. Very popular. And people disconnect it from their country turning into a narco state.