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Media that covers #Media #Publishing #Journalism #tech #SocialNetworks is often critical of traffic-driving algorithms, distribution of ad revenue, personal data collection/sale. Yet these writers have the ability to get users to force change. /1 notd.io/notes/56844813…
Most of the abuses that this sector of media is critical about come from internet giants, who pay lip service in response, because those abuses are very profitable, & regulation is unlikely in the US & users not motivated enough to change their usage of networks. /2
US regulation that would help stop the criticized practices is unlikely to help, mainly because Congress isn't qualified to design these regulations, so they would leave it to lobbyists working for the industry to be regulated /3
Only a tiny percentage of users are cognizant of the threats and risks of the networks policies and practices, so user revolt isn't going to happen, unless there are useful alternative networks available /4
There are alternatives being started all the time, but people don't know they exist because they receive little or no coverage from the media media, maybe for a few reasons: /5
1) New alternatives are not giants. Well, neither were these networks when they started. People left MySpace and Yahoo when they discovered other options for absorbing the web and “connecting” with others. And aren't the giants what you want to avoid? /6
2) New alternatives are not VC-funded. Of course not, any new challenger to incumbents that wants VC must use the same tactics as incumbents, only more effectively. So writers looking for VC backing as a credential for alternatives will only get more of the same. /7
3) The new alt networks were not started by people from the incumbents. If they were, odds are likely they would also use the same tactics as incumbents, only more effectively. /8
4) Nobody knows them. So do alternative networks only warrant coverage because of who started or funded them? Would networks like Notd or Postd.io be newsworthy if they were run by twitter? Or funded by a valley VC? /9
Many publishers are shrinking in a downward spiral, driven by a positive feedback loop where declining revenue drives reduced content which reduces revenue. We wonder, what are they expecting to happen that will reverse the decline? /10
What does the MediaMedia think will change incumbents' behavior? /11
Y'all really should check out notd.io. You can even debate this there, and use more than 280 characters without threading. /end
Here's an updated link: notd.io/notes/56844813…
