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Evolution of the Internet...

Discussion in 'General Yachting Discussion' started by YachtForums, Mar 14, 2017.

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  1. YachtForums

    YachtForums Administrator

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    Evolution of the Internet

    The Internet's greatest value is the ability to learn from others. It was developed to share research among scientists and universities. What the internet has become is an all-out barrage of advertising, questionable content, misdirection and a complete disregard for privacy. Topping this list is Facebook whose business model is based on giving users their own webpage in exchange for the information they gather about you. Do you really think ads for Viagra and Russian brides are enough to support a $500 billion company???

    Sadly, businesses jumped on the popularity contest bandwagon asking their customers to "like" them. In fact, if a company or business truly cared about their customers, they would avoid Facebook, putting their customers privacy & security first. Equally, many websites have become placeholders for ads that are unrelated to the topic of the site. Ad Networks such as Taboola (and Google) need to examine the long term effects of the sensationalistic leaders they use to drive traffic to websites forcing you to click through dozens of ad-filled pages, then begin tracking you around the internet delivering reminders of a product you may or may not have an interest in. I'm sure there are studies connecting purchase habits with repeatedly putting a product in front of a viewer. It's not unlike the subliminal advertising that was banned from television commercials (and movies!) many decades ago.

    For decades, manufacturers advertised in magazines because it was a targeted audience driven by the knowledge of a few writers. The internet has shown us that thousands of people have real world experience and some of them can really write! Why would you read the ramblings of one writer when you can tap into the knowledge of thousands of your peers? This is why internet forums flourished before pop-social medias arrived on the scene. It's not just the collective knowledge that passionate people have for a specific topic, forums allow engagement without sacrificing privacy and ultimately, security.
  2. Fishtigua

    Fishtigua Senior Member

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    Yes, 'Fake News' and other B/S has been pumped out for years and years. Look at those supermarket tabloids; 'Aliens Ate My Gerbil'!!! All rubbish. We all knew.

    Now other sources are being thrust into the new ether via social media, we should always check and re-check sources of "fact".

    Sorry, but ranting from old crazy uncles who have 'been informed on the Internet' of facts are hardly the base one should be working from. Listen to others with experience and a few miles under their belt, generally a good platform to work from.

    Yes, it's a very good thing we have the likes of YF around, a good filter of knowledge from a bunch of trustworthy guys and gals.
  3. olderboater

    olderboater Senior Member

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    Before much of the fake news was ignorance. Now it's started with purpose and spread out of ignorance. That's a huge difference.

    Before you could do a little Snopes and quickly dismiss false posts. Now they multiply so quickly.

    Carl, you left out the number one culprit in all this, Twitter. It's not just the things that hit the news. It's used by students to spread rumors about teachers or other students or to bully.

    People have criticized you at times over removing posts you considered inappropriate, didn't want any rules. Well, you see the world without rules in Twitter and Facebook. Facebook now has acknowledged it's a problem but can they address it and keep up with it?

    You've had builders and brokers in the past try to infiltrate to promote their product or to criticize another. It happens. Competing restaurants have people give their competitors bad reviews. Rumors spread about boats that just aren't true and they are damaging.

    I don't mind any of the advertising. Annoying, but other than that if it pays the way, I'm fine, even if it's totally irrelevant. I wouldn't stop coming to YF if suddenly you had an add for condoms in place of one of the boat ads.

    The internet is an incredible source of information. However, what was not planned for is the internet is also a weapon. It can be used to bully one person. It can be used to spread rumors. It can be used to influence elections even with false information. Things posted on it take on a life of their own. Social media put people in touch. Unfortunately, it's become a tool for many to do disruptive and damaging things. It's sad. It's the world without rules, without laws. In my opinion, everyone who owns a site has a responsibility, of not a legal one, a moral one. That responsibility is to not allow their site to be used as a weapon. There are limits on free speech. Always have been. Always have been needed. You can't yell "Fire" in a crowded theater. Now, it's much worse. There's no internet police, but site owners must self police. It may seem like it's impossible but I'd say to them, "You built this mess, now you straighten it out."
  4. Pascal

    Pascal Senior Member

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    This is nothing new, the printed press has been doing it for years and years.

    I don't even accept the free subscriptions to boating and yachting rags anymore because they are useless. Disguised advertising with a good dose of self inflating ego boosting personal opinion... and they miss the most riticso things... writers who call themselves experienced captain merely describe pictures with very litttle real information. PAthetic

    So it's not surprise To see see so much mis information on line.

    A little while ago, I saw a "sponsored post" from yachting magazine on Facebook gloating over how wonderful the azimut line was...

    On the plus side, intelligent people will quickly separate the BS from the real information. And you can use the web and social media in many diffent ways. I primarily use FB to follow hobie related stuff (classic cars) or things I want to follow like the Vendée globe, America cup... as well as keep in touch with a handful of people. For too many users it's not just a picture popularity contest but a "how many friends can I accumulate" contest...

    The internet has partially become like those tabloids... you ont have to pick them up, or click on those "sponsored stories"
  5. Knight

    Knight Member

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    I second that, Facebook is going to control a large part of it also as in withholding the truth. There's one word for this (globalist). Corps who profit from population growth within there interest in the free world. Without illegals and immigrants the US pop growth would go backwards. My news sources fox news and most importantly infowars.
  6. Kevin

    Kevin YF Moderator

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    The words I most despise in social media: "brand ambassador".

    If I see that in a profile I might as well be reading "shill", "brown noser", or "I'll say anything to get free ****".
  7. YachtForums

    YachtForums Administrator

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  8. YachtForums

    YachtForums Administrator

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    I'm not sure any of us fully realize the ramifications of the Internet privacy repeal that allows ISP's to sell your personal information, browsing interests, etc., but it's a subject that is very troubling to many. Think about this... one day your browsing interests could be used to deny healthcare, employment or acceptance into communities, schools or colleges. It's difficult to speculate how your information will be used against you... or to target you, but I feel like we've just moved one step closer to a totalitarian state...

    http://www.nbcnews.com/id/3078835/t/online-privacy-fears-are-real/#.WOUQpvkrJhE

    https://torrentfreak.com/www-inventor-prefers-public-protest-over-vpn-uptake-170405/
  9. d_meister

    d_meister Senior Member

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    I'm with you, Carl.
  10. Fishtigua

    Fishtigua Senior Member

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    So who, as a consumer, ticked the little box to agree to this?

    Err..No, that agreement was with the content supplier, not every skank willing to scam you. Needs looking into.

    I also saw that certain hospitals and clinics can now sell your DNA samples to health insurance companies so that they can calculate the level of coverage you can get over your lifetime. When did we sign-up for that too?
  11. Pascal

    Pascal Senior Member

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    This is why those DNA ancestry services are scary... sure it may sound cool to know that you have 0.01% Native American DNA so can cheat your way into a Harvard professor chair like Elizabeth warren but who knows how your DNA sample will be used down the line.
  12. Fishtigua

    Fishtigua Senior Member

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    Just watched 60 Minutes where IT companies have you by the short and curlies.

    They now plan your addicition by giving you 'like' pings at your lowest ebb. You'known, like crack dealers do.
  13. YachtForums

    YachtForums Administrator

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    I caught that segment too. Developers have always tried to create an engaging experience. I'm guilty of the same. The design of YF; graphics, colors & tone were carefully constructed to create an immersive, memorable experience. The reason for this is simple... you have only a few seconds to capture a readers attention, so the look and feel of the site must be memorable and the content has to be outstanding. You guys ensured the latter!
  14. YachtForums

    YachtForums Administrator

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    What if we all found out that one company was responsible for...
    • Mining, selling and distributing your personal information.
    • Micro-targeting you based on your likes or interest to subliminally sway your opinion or electoral vote.
    • Request you to send naked pictures of yourself under the guise of protecting you.
    • Help another nation to influence the democratic process.
    • Cause kids to commit suicide from what was originally a college popularity contest!
    I find it concerning that businesses support Facebook. I know the majority of our members don't use the platform, but 3 years ago I launched a FB page as a placeholder for YF. Soon after, we had a rise in traffic but it was mostly kids, troublemakers and people who just wanted to make smart @$$, ad-lib remarks.

    Most websites can't quantify the traffic they get from Facebook, but as a forum admin I see their email address, IP address, a brief bio and in many cases, the nonsense they attempt to post. Gotta tell ya... Facebook is NOT quality traffic!

    There are many great ways to communicate these days; email, text or talk! I urge everyone to choose other platforms to connect.
  15. Kevin

    Kevin YF Moderator

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    People don't believe me when I point out these things about FB. A few are a tad skeptical of it, but don't really think it's anything worse than targeted ads for their online shopping... but the vast majority are completely oblivious, and choose to remain so.
  16. AMG

    AMG YF Moderator

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    These big dragons are trying to take over everything, Facebook is more or less impossible to visit any longer without registering, which I never will. Apple is not much better, all updates of the OS or IOS are trying to catch all your information to their "clouds". My iPhone was forced to upload it's content when I installed the latest IOS, and I had to delete it manually later, or at least I hope so... The result is I never use my iPhone for anything other than voice calls, never mail or surf. I keep my old Mac's with old programs as work stations and the newer just for the internet. "1984" was just a breeze compared to what we have today...
  17. brian eiland

    brian eiland Senior Member

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    I agree with most of the opinions posted in this discussion. I'm really disappointed in the direction we seem to be going with all this 'social media' bull___. Even Google and Youtube are ever increasing their advertising content. Facebook and Twitter, forget in my opinion.

    And so much of our software seems to be ever changing in order to conform to cell phones,...where many participates voice there opinions to internet sites without ever giving proper thought to what they post.

    My father had a very good saying he would voice over and over to me and my brother,....'put your brain in gear before you open your mouth' ....(50's and 60's)
  18. T.T.

    T.T. Senior Member

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    Brian,
    I remember this one from my father's machine shop:
    "Be sure brain is engaged before putting mouth in gear"
    Thanks for the memory!
  19. SeaLion

    SeaLion Senior Member

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    This is a MUST SEE video!

    This video, ironically on youtube, provides some insight into the "social media" problem. 23 minutes long but worth a watch.



    If the link is a problem, search youtube for "We're building a dystopia just to make people click on ads"
  20. AMG

    AMG YF Moderator

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    I read that Apple will launch a feature so much of this multilevel information will be stopped, no more ads following you between your media platforms. Probably not a popular feature at Google or Facebook, but welcomed by us who don´t want to be chased by ads of topics long overdue. I remember when my parents died and I had to read ads on funerals for a year..!