General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsIs there a viable alternative to Facebook? Should we start one?
This secret meeting is the last straw. Zuckerberg is an oligarch.
abqtommy
(14,118 posts)establishing/controlling it but so far I haven't seen any good coming out of any part of it.
there is maybe some benefit from DU
abqtommy
(14,118 posts)Qutzupalotl
(14,305 posts)Not an app, but serves similar purposes.
IMO, DU fosters better discussion than is possible in 280 characters on Twitter.
NCLefty
(3,678 posts)Qutzupalotl
(14,305 posts)Coffee hasnt kicked in yet, so bear with me ... did you mean on DU or Twitter? or Facebook?
The 'social' part: refers to interacting with other people by sharing information with them and receiving information from them.
The 'media' part: refers to an instrument of communication, like the internet (while TV, radio, and newspapers are examples of more traditional forms of media).
From these two separate terms, we can pull a basic definition together:
Social media are web-based communication tools that enable people to interact with each other by both sharing and consuming information.
WePurrsevere
(24,259 posts)Facebook and Twitter where people gather online to share info and/or just chit chat.
It may not have been called 'social media' back in the 'wild west' days of early chat rooms and forums in places like Prodigy, Delphi, GEnie, CompuServe and AOL but it was 'social' and using 'media'.
Facebook 'can' serve as a positive and helpful tool if Zuck chose to stop playing partisan bs and insisted on FB being neutral. If he doesn't do so soon his actions will deeply wound, if not kill, FB. IME people like Zuck tend to ignore lessons of the past because they think they're smarter so it won't happen to them but ignoring lessons of the past and thinking you're 'too big to fail' almost guarantees that you will eventually fail.
RichardRay
(2,611 posts)I think claiming DU isnt part of the social media spectrum is a case of us GOOD, them BAD.
cwydro
(51,308 posts)I remember back in the day when people even shared pics in the Lounge.
DU is social media.
woodsprite
(11,912 posts)DeepBlue?
dewsgirl
(14,961 posts)at140
(6,110 posts)I can not believe computer software to link people is worth 100's of Billion dollars.
It tells me that people world over are more lonely and more isolated than ever.
And when I on rare occasions click on to Facebook, mostly it is people bragging about what a great time they are having.
Only reason I get on Facebook is to get news about my kids when they are traveling abroad.
LeftInTX
(25,279 posts)My freaking calendar is on Facebook! LOL
If you click that you're interesting in an event, it goes into your calendar. Mine is full of mostly political events.
Tomorrow:
Appreciation breakfast for precinct chairs
Women's luncheon with county commissioner
There's much more, but I live one day at a time!!!
NRaleighLiberal
(60,014 posts)I've done the arc through social networking and am happily departing.
milestogo
(16,829 posts)bdamomma
(63,840 posts)people do before "social media" they fucking communicated with each other. I have FB but I don't spend time on it as a source of news.
MidwestBluez
(2 posts)New here but figured this is a great time to reply to a post. Wikipedias founder just launched a social media platform that is not about making any type of profit but rather a place for people to communicate(with fact based checking).
Here is a story on it:[https://bigthink.com/technology-innovation/wt-social|
Here is link to sign up: [https://wt.social/|
justhanginon
(3,290 posts)herding cats
(19,564 posts)I'll check it out. I hadn't heard of it until just now.
Welcome to DU!
TheBlackAdder
(28,186 posts)WePurrsevere
(24,259 posts)IMO a better solution would be to screen all ads and filter out political/religious ads, fake news, scams, etc.
Those who have the funds could subscribe to a totally ads free environment if they chose to.
edhopper
(33,575 posts)it says it is free and will survive on donations, like Wikipedia.
WePurrsevere
(24,259 posts)that I'm more familiar with.
https://www.zdnet.com/article/wikipedias-jimmy-wales-has-quietly-launched-a-facebook-rival-social-network/
The site goes against the ad-funded models normalized by Google, Facebook, and Twitter, instead asking users to pay a subscription fee to access information and communicate on the site.
It costs $12.99 a month or $100 a year in the US, or 12 a month or 90 a year in Europe. It's £10 and £80 in the UK. In other words, about the same as a Netflix or Spotify subscription. However, questions remain over what content WT:Social can provide that users would be willing to part with money for.
edhopper
(33,575 posts)the site itself only says donations and not a monthly fee.
From the site:
We will never sell your data. Our platform survives on the generosity of individual donors to ensure privacy is protected and your social space is ad-free.
WePurrsevere
(24,259 posts)The question is, where did they get that info from? Are they wrong or could they have info Wiki isn't sharing yet?
Sorry but having been burned a time or two over the decades of being online, I tend to be cautious and cynical of cost and/or ad 'free forever'.
Perhaps you know more about the agenda of the Wiki owner from Alabama off hand? If I knew more about him, his politics, etc I might trust him a bit more.
edhopper
(33,575 posts)is a public, nonprofit resource. Wiki is one of the good guys.
Why don't you just read his wikipedia page.
Duppers
(28,120 posts)And "joining" process until it came to the "how do you want to pay" page. They most certainly did ask. Go thru the process and you'll see.
MidwestBluez
(2 posts)That $13 a month is to simply skip the waitlist I believe. Just another fyi, this launched on November 6th but has over 200k people wanting to join already. Facebook wasnt on that pace when they initially started in 2004 as they reached their millionth registered user by their tenth month after creation.
WePurrsevere
(24,259 posts)(other than what Wiki is using as bait to get sign ups) that contradicts what they say I suggest you contact them with it. 'Having' to pay to play makes it it a 'no go' for me and probably many others as well.
While I use Wikipedia, and have occasionally donated a few dollars, I don't trust them to be 100% neutral or accurate so why should I trust it to be that way on a social media format? Id love to see FB taken out and this looks like it has a lot of potential but after decades of being on various websites, apps, etc I'm much too cynical now to dive in head first.
Kurt V.
(5,624 posts)Bev54
(10,048 posts)XRubicon
(2,212 posts)In reality, they all really don't match up right now. But... if people did shift they could become viable. I remember when MySpace was big and then everyone left and it crashed and burned- so it can happen.
https://eluxemagazine.com/magazine/alternative-social-media-sites/
Polybius
(15,390 posts)I'm serious too. If we all logged into our old accounts and posted, it would be back on top.
XRubicon
(2,212 posts)Look at Netflix, Disney and Apple are challenging yet no one is trying to challenge facebook.
With all the money facebook makes, you would think a big player would take a shot at it. I don't see a start up taking them out but Apple or Google could if they did it right.
bdamomma
(63,840 posts)is one competitor. I read the Zuckerberg had dinner with tRump, WTF, everyone can be bribed and paid off.
GusBob
(7,286 posts)I remember Skinner commenting upon it back when he cared about this place
Then the election hack killed DU
It used to be a fountain of information and interesting discussions
Now its a backwater of low tide link to tweets and posts shorter than a fortune cookie
Another social media platform would make this place a desert
And the handful of people who camp out here would hate it too
nini
(16,672 posts)It's still there .. LOL
LeftInTX
(25,279 posts)https://www.facebook.com/berniesanders/
https://www.facebook.com/joebiden/
https://www.facebook.com/KamalaHarris/
https://www.facebook.com/amyklobuchar/
https://www.facebook.com/corybooker/
https://www.facebook.com/pelosiforcongress/
https://www.facebook.com/AdamSchiffCA/
https://www.facebook.com/OcasioCortez/
https://www.facebook.com/barackobama/
I use it mostly for connecting with local politicians. That is where it is actually personal and fun!
dewsgirl
(14,961 posts)get online, to use it. Almost all of them are Democrats.
I haven't used FB in 3 years and don't intend to start.
blueinredohio
(6,797 posts)Johnny2X2X
(19,060 posts)Its subtle sometimes, but if you use Facebook you are agreeing to be the subject of mind control experiments. Every single one of us who uses it believes falsehoods because of it.
Jirel
(2,018 posts)Its no different than reading any other site on the web or in print. If you read only one source, youll be in a bubble of a particular world view, or even in a happy echo chamber. Some people are in an echo chamber on Facebook, particularly the far right that is catered to by domestic and foreign trolls to keep them happy and riled. Thats not every Facebook user, and its not Facebook itself dong that. They just want your money, and its easy enough to refuse that.
Goodheart
(5,321 posts)I've never been mind-controlled by any site. My principal objection to Facebook is that participation is helping to boost the profits and propaganda of somebody who doesn't have the same vision of democracy and society that I do.
LakeArenal
(28,817 posts)Whats App is way more useful to us.
OneGrassRoot
(22,920 posts)Some of you may remember me and my site, Wishadoo, which helped a lot of DUers. The site had the same functionality (for the most part) as FB but, other than helping members, I couldn't get enough people to migrate over to use it as a community, with groups and everything. I actually wanted to set it up as a community-owned platform...a co-op.
I had to shut it down a few years ago because I couldn't keep up with the needs and do it all myself. Health crises also interfered.
I don't have any notions of replacing FB. What I envision is a platform of purpose, with similar functionality as FB.
A platform that is a No-Othering Zone. Being anti-racist, anti-bigoted and CARING takes precedence over all the free speech. Privacy, however, is paramount. People who agree with this vision gather to create change and discuss things without fear of overlords like FB.
If anyone is interested, message me. I'm going through the final stages of chemo but with all the latest FB BS coming out, I want to get back to this after the first of the year. I especially want to offer orgs whose values are the antithesis of FB a space for groups, an alternative to FB groups. I don't trust FB at all as far as spying.
LeftInTX
(25,279 posts)Which provides the platform without all the maintenance of your own site.
It isn't really an alternative to Facebook. It seems to be a private gathering space. One of my friends was experimenting with it as an alternative, but WeMe is too private to get all the traction that Facebook has.
WeMe is probably great for work collaboration, family and real life friends. Probably not the best for getting the "word out" to oodles of people.
You have to sign up even to see the platform and various groups. And that is the downside. I believe Wishadoo was public which allowed you to "get the word out".
Most groups on MeWe require applying. (I just joined WeMe last night, so I don't know much about it) I don't know if I was able to find my friend because she has a common name.
Someone compared MeWe to Slack. (I haven't joined Slack, so I don't know)
https://mewe.com
OneGrassRoot
(22,920 posts)and a couple of other similar sites. I think MeWe may be the one where all the Nazis went to when they were kicked off of other platforms. The (understandable) focus on free speech makes hate hard to ban on such platforms. I'm also concerned about privacy with such platforms, at least the ones out there now. Most start off saying the right things about privacy and then $$$ lures lead them down the FB path.
You're right about Wishadoo; it had privacy/closed/secret options but the platform itself was public so people could see what's available.
librechik
(30,674 posts)HAB911
(8,890 posts)but follow the founder on linkedin
https://civ.works/
sazemisery
(2,608 posts)Edited for link mistake.
I belong to this Mastodon group. It is full of like-minded people and is run by a hacktivist named @th3j35t3r (Twitter handle). You can read about him here: You can read about him on Wikipedia.
He prohibits people whose IP addresses originate in countries known to harbor bot mills and his laptop is in the National Spy Museum.
It is free unless you want to donate via Patreon or become a CounterSocial Pro for $4.99/month. There are perks to the monthly fee.
Try it out!
https://counter.social