Re:The internet's “town square” is dead
by jakelazaroff on Monday July 10, 2023 @12:01AM
(#36661915)
I guess I don't understand how newspapers running ads against opinion pieces is any different from social networks running ads against posts. Also, that hasn't gone away? The Internet has changed how news publications work, but they definitely still exist!
But also, insofar as "town square" means that everyone can contribute, it's a better analogy for the Internet than it ever was for newspapers. There are no gatekeepers! Social media companies may have big megaphones, but they absolutely do not set the terms of acceptable discourse.
Like, what is it about the Internet that doesn't fit your description?
It does. Perhaps my wry attempt to illustrate that very similarity was lost on you?
That's how we used to fund public debate. Now we fund it by watching advertisements scroll past tweets by journalists and politicians, debating and sharing memes. Meta and Twitter reap those profits now.
"Freedom of the press is guaranteed only to those who own one." –A.J. Liebling
I just think it would be cool if the public had some kind of ownership over the debate, rather than someone else who gets to determine the terms under which it occurs. The internet was supposed to be our public square.
Even better if the public can profit from all the money that gets generated from selling our attention. We can use that for public services, like you mention.
You did a great job, though. Thanks.