Everyone seems to agree that getting your news from social networks is a bad idea.
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Most commentators blame it on the democratization of publishing.
Anyone can share news on a social network -- the New York Times and Evan Prodromou's Blog equally.
Since most people are knuckle-dragging morons, according to this argument, they like bad things more than good things. They will read the wrong news, if given a choice.
They will slop like hogs over those amazing posts from EP and ignore the important propaganda that their betters have prepared for their edification at the NYT.
Very few commentators note how abominable the user experience for news is on social networking software.
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Very few commentators note how abominable the user experience for news is on social networking software.
Content is almost *never* shared in full by reliable sources on social networks. You get a headline, some click-baity image, and about 10 words of the lede, cut off mid-sentence.
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Content is almost *never* shared in full by reliable sources on social networks. You get a headline, some click-baity image, and about 10 words of the lede, cut off mid-sentence.
There is a high cost to clicking on the link. You lose the social context that you're in, and pop out to the Web site or app for the specific publication.
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There is a high cost to clicking on the link. You lose the social context that you're in, and pop out to the Web site or app for the specific publication.
Also, paywalls -- you may not be allowed to read the full article. Or stroboscopic ads.
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Also, paywalls -- you may not be allowed to read the full article. Or stroboscopic ads.
Finally, comments are either closed or anonymous -- it's hard to interact with the story, the author, or other readers on the publisher's web site. So, you have to find your way back to the social networking post and give your likes, comments, or shares there. Hopefully you can just back-button away, but sometimes not.
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Finally, comments are either closed or anonymous -- it's hard to interact with the story, the author, or other readers on the publisher's web site. So, you have to find your way back to the social networking post and give your likes, comments, or shares there. Hopefully you can just back-button away, but sometimes not.
Many social network users make the conclusion that it is a bad idea to try to read the whole article (paywall, not interactive, abusive ads, lose your place in the social network interface) and just respond to the headline, clickbait image, and 10 words of the lede instead. Given the UX provided, this is a very rational step.
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Many social network users make the conclusion that it is a bad idea to try to read the whole article (paywall, not interactive, abusive ads, lose your place in the social network interface) and just respond to the headline, clickbait image, and 10 words of the lede instead. Given the UX provided, this is a very rational step.
Maybe, if we actually want to have better-informed citizens, we should make a better news interface. The full story should be included in social networking posts (including images). Interactivity should be integrated with the reading experience -- not fully separate.
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Maybe, if we actually want to have better-informed citizens, we should make a better news interface. The full story should be included in social networking posts (including images). Interactivity should be integrated with the reading experience -- not fully separate.
The economic model of social news -- that social networks include minimal information to generate clicks for ad-supported or paywalled Websites or apps -- is clearly not working. We should consider using more integrated models where the news is *in* the platform, not separate from it.
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The economic model of social news -- that social networks include minimal information to generate clicks for ad-supported or paywalled Websites or apps -- is clearly not working. We should consider using more integrated models where the news is *in* the platform, not separate from it.
I think that public broadcasters can lead the way on this. If they don't rely on ads on their sites, they can include their full content in social networking posts -- not just a link.
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I think that public broadcasters can lead the way on this. If they don't rely on ads on their sites, they can include their full content in social networking posts -- not just a link.
But it's also possible to include a subscription model into social networks. You can't follow Publication X unless you make a payment, either in-band or out-of-band. It's how the newsletter market works, after all.
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But it's also possible to include a subscription model into social networks. You can't follow Publication X unless you make a payment, either in-band or out-of-band. It's how the newsletter market works, after all.
Even advertisements can work to some extent in full-content posts, although you don't easily get the same level of targeting as with the click-through model.
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Even advertisements can work to some extent in full-content posts, although you don't easily get the same level of targeting as with the click-through model.
We have a great opportunity to make the social news experience much better on the Fediverse.
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Even advertisements can work to some extent in full-content posts, although you don't easily get the same level of targeting as with the click-through model.
@evan Only if there's a "More" button between lede and full content, in my opinion. Else it would make scrolling a nightmare, especially on mobile.
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We have a great opportunity to make the social news experience much better on the Fediverse.
I know that I'm a techno-utopian, but I believe that having more voices in the conversation is a net good, not a net evil.
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@evan Only if there's a "More" button between lede and full content, in my opinion. Else it would make scrolling a nightmare, especially on mobile.
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We have a great opportunity to make the social news experience much better on the Fediverse.
@evan Interesting thoughts but the bottom line is that independent journalism is a very costly endeavour (and you know have to fear that the US president will sue you for $10 billion). Giving out articles for free necessitates other streams of income which can be even more problematic (selling user data to the highest bidder, for example). The desirable wider sharing of content only becomes possible when more people are prepared to pay more for journalism’s role.
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@evan Interesting thoughts but the bottom line is that independent journalism is a very costly endeavour (and you know have to fear that the US president will sue you for $10 billion). Giving out articles for free necessitates other streams of income which can be even more problematic (selling user data to the highest bidder, for example). The desirable wider sharing of content only becomes possible when more people are prepared to pay more for journalism’s role.
@christianschwaegerl I didn't ask anyone to do anything for free. You should read it again.
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Very few commentators note how abominable the user experience for news is on social networking software.
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@christianschwaegerl I didn't ask anyone to do anything for free. You should read it again.
@evan But I’m confronted with that expectation a lot here. And while I think integrating micro-payments in social media could be beneficial for creators of all walks, resistance will be massive.
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Gli ultimi otto messaggi ricevuti dalla Federazione
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ps. White House pushes to dismantle leading climate and weather research center
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Golden hour on the ski trail
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sono a Buenos aires
L'aeroporto cittadino (equivalente di Linate) è stato chiuso perché per l'eccesso di calore si è staccato l'asfalto dalla pista e cautelativamente è stato chiuso per diverse ore
i voli siamo stati dirottati sul secondo aeroporto (equivalente di Malpensa) che naturalmente è stato ipercongestionato con tempi di consegna dei bagagli di 3-4 ore e molte coincidenze saltate
i danni delle bufale sul cambiamento climatico ...
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Nothing of interest, move along.
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@mlanger we are regular viewers!
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💥💥💥💥💥 age v1.3.0 💥💥💥💥💥
Post-quantum keys, seeking DecryptReaderAt API, age-inspect CLI tool, built-in recipients compatible with hardware plugins, non-interactive passphrase input, Go framework for implementing plugins, and sooooo many improved errors.
Our best release yet, six years to the day after the first beta, again released from the floor of #39c3!
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Soon it will be the day I've been waiting for... proper Techo first day~
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Loud, shrieking, amateur drinkers have left the pub of their own accord. One of our group held open the door to hasten their exit.
Remember folks - a pub is for life, not just Xmas.
