Current Events > I feel like we're on a decline of the internet

(+) Yeah! (+)

At first it was like a budding flower where there was new and fresh content but since it wasn't super duper streamlined and spread out, it was still new. Then there was a peak where there was the max amount of content with a minimum amount of filth. Now I feel like there's too much.

Information is too accessible where now even credible information isn't credible because anyone can find anything that validates their point. Facebook has gone from people actually posting their own little updates to just reposting memes from Reddit or going on rants. Google has now optimized its own search engine to filter based on purchase than actually showing you content from the web (even if it did this before, it's SO apparent now). You can't find links to things anymore because everything is DMCA. Youtube is quick to take down tons of vids and the vids that are around, you need to watch 2 minutes of ads every 5 minutes (we're BACK to having commercials except they're on the internet instead of on TV). Ad companies are hiring pro adblockers to promote ads past blockers. Articles on mobile are separated into 35 pages for a 2 paragraph story to get you to keep clicking. Messenger has ads, Reddit has sponsored ads, Facebook has ads.

Everything is getting optimized to be visible as opposed to existing and you choose what you want to see. I feel like we're starting to get negative returns on the positives of the internet. When the market is to capture your attention over letting your will guide you, it's scummy. It's not completely lopsided yet but I think we're getting there

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Normies unironically are the reason for that.

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walled gardens, dark patterns, and mobile design ruined the internet

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TheMikh posted...

walled gardens, dark patterns

huh

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Vyrulisse posted...

Normies unironically are the reason for that.

To the surprise of absolutely nobody.

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I feel the decline is mostly in communication. I remember when I could actually talk to people over the internet. Now it feels like people think that's weird or something.

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The internet has been declining since 2014 since the entertainment industry dared to be more progressive.

Master Kazuya posted...

huh

Walled gardens are controlled ecosystems. Like Apple using entirely proprietary systems in iOS, whereas an Internet equivalent would be Facebook and how they track and funnel users into certain marketing demographics.

Dark patterns are also about funneling you down certain pathways on a site, most obviously when premium features are constantly flouted and the free options aren't advertised at all.

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Vyrulisse posted...

Normies unironically are the reason for that.

Yeah, 4chan was just a wealth of true and positive information in 2004.

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For example, I just typed in "watch Naruto" in Google.

Before, this would give me links to watch Naruto. I could probably find subs or dubs if I specify, maybe some forum posts on people talking about naruto

Now it has app icons for the services I need to buy to watch it, followed a page to buy Naruto wristwatches, then a How To Watch Naruto on Netflix video from Youtube, then watching guides for episode order.

I understand that Naruto is a show owned by a company and that I should have to pay to see it. However, I am confident that the links shown to me in the order they are shown in is deliberate and not representative of the entire internet.

It's just like, I miss Google searching things instead of advertising things subtly.

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ImAMarvel posted...

4chan has always been a pretty garbage site although I will say that it was less shit before the 2010's.

I mean, "normies" was popularized on 4chan.

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Vyrulisse posted...

Normies unironically are the reason for that.

Wii_Shaker posted...

To the surprise of absolutely nobody.

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I think the internet has gotten a lot smaller...it used to be full of hundreds upon hundreds of smaller, intimate communities, but now everything is condensed into like a dozen or so websites and all the small communities are gone. Reddit, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Discord, and that's about it...

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