Re:The high modernism of social media companies
by manjushri on Thursday April 12, 2018 @10:48AM
(#16821476)
>power doesn't lie with the people who can press “Like” (etc.), it lies with the people who select and continuously tweak based on observed effect the algorithm by which Likes and similar actions are used to shape the flow of information to and between users.
Interesting. So no matter how much apparent power is gained by people connecting politically on social media, the "(wo)man behind the curtain" who controls the platform and it's algorithm will by default always be more powerful?
Re:The high modernism of social media companies
by dragonwriter on Thursday April 12, 2018 @12:26PM
(#16822477)
Yes, if your power comes from someone else and continues only as long as they choose to maintain it, the person directing power to you has the greater power.
No, it's giving it to a new powerful group, specifically, Facebook. Just as Stalin stated, “I consider it completely unimportant who in the party will vote, or how; but what is extraordinarily important is this — who will count the votes, and how,” so, too, is it true of social media; power doesn't lie with the people who can press “Like” (etc.), it lies with the people who select and continuously tweak based on observed effect the algorithm by which Likes and similar actions are used to shape the flow of information to and between users.