"I was troubled because, as much as I love the mind-broadening writers I read here and elsewhere - or the commentators I watch on YouTube and listen to on podcasts - none of this is really bringing people together.
It's how an atomised society comforts itself, by consuming atomised media."
I echo these sentiments. Once the beast of commerce can optimize for a larger number of smaller groups, it can more reliably make money by doing so. Ultimately, the Internet and various follow-on technologies, as implemented over the past 20 years, provide the powerful with ever greater ability to address a greater number of targets with further optimized messages. Rationalization.
Thanks Andrew, it's an example of how what can make a thing good is also what can make it bad. This dichotomy always seems present when you 'optimise' for anything.
"I was troubled because, as much as I love the mind-broadening writers I read here and elsewhere - or the commentators I watch on YouTube and listen to on podcasts - none of this is really bringing people together.
It's how an atomised society comforts itself, by consuming atomised media."
I echo these sentiments. Once the beast of commerce can optimize for a larger number of smaller groups, it can more reliably make money by doing so. Ultimately, the Internet and various follow-on technologies, as implemented over the past 20 years, provide the powerful with ever greater ability to address a greater number of targets with further optimized messages. Rationalization.
Thanks Andrew, it's an example of how what can make a thing good is also what can make it bad. This dichotomy always seems present when you 'optimise' for anything.