• IllNess@infosec.pub
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    2 months ago

    Again, nothing particularly novel. Marketing, news, propaganda.

    Marketing, news, and propaganda of the past never targeted people directly. It’s also not just feeding them content, it’s also taking and storing massive amounts of data from the user that will be used against them.

    • Rivalarrival@lemmy.today
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      2 months ago

      Yes, they have. Direct mailing, cold calling, lead farming, door-to-door, yes, all of it has been done, and most of it predates even the printing press. This isn’t social media; this is marketing, plain and simple. And marketing is the least damaging aspect of social media: they just want to exploit you. The people who aren’t after your money are the real danger.

      • IllNess@infosec.pub
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        2 months ago

        Direct mailing, cold calling, lead farming, door-to-door

        None of those compare to what is happening now. Those are playing wack a mole hoping to get a sale. What’s happening now is recording everything you show a reaction to, whether enjoyable or not, and use it against the user.

        A list of names, address from marketers is nothing compared to the amount of data tech companies are getting from individuals.

        Just saying cold calling and door-to-door is the same as the data gathering tactics now shows your ignorance on the topic.

        • Rivalarrival@lemmy.today
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          2 months ago

          What’s happening now is recording everything you show a reaction to, whether enjoyable or not, and use it against the user.

          “Use it against the user”… For what? You make it sound nefarious, but it is just marketing. You aren’t being blackmailed. People are trying to sell you stuff. They’ve been doing that since forever.

          Again, “marketing” is not the problem with social media. The harmful part of social media is the fucking people. Especially for kids, who are trying to figure out how to get along with everyone, but haven’t yet learned that most people are assholes who should be ignored.

          • IllNess@infosec.pub
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            2 months ago

            Marketing can be really broad. You can market a shirt or you can convince someone to join a cult. And you can find out if someone is more likely to join a cult through the gathered data.

            If you don’t see the dangers of propaganda and misinformation, like I said:

            Just saying cold calling and door-to-door is the same as the data gathering tactics now shows your ignorance on the topic.

            • Rivalarrival@lemmy.today
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              2 months ago

              . And you can find out if someone is more likely to join a cult through the gathered data.

              Yeah. Data like “does this person respect arbitrary restrictions imposed by self-appointed authority figures?”