After exploring periods of time on social media to tailor content I create and to tailor my behaviour to cater to an algorithm in order to gain enough exposure to serve as a musician - I have come to terms with the reality of the clear boundaries I wish to set with this platform and others like it.
I am willing to only represent myself, the events I manage and the people associated with me in a way that is conducive to the practices I support, endorse and encourage.
This means using these platforms on my terms. I predominantly use this platform for promotion and for letting people know what's going on. This causes my algorithm value to suffer as I am not willing to constantly divulge personal experiences and personal information or actively participate in online generated and isolated community.
It must also be mentioned ad infinitum that it is part of the business model of this platform to on-sell analytics based on this personal information to third parties and government. You are not paying to use this platform - yet it is a multi-national corporation that generates revenue larger than the GDP of some small countries.
I politely reject the authority of this platform to represent me in any way I do not wish to be represented. I do not recognize the authority of this platform to replace real person to person community. I do not recognize the authority of this platform to replace police, government or any other societal service or function.
I reserve the right to community that is offline and will at times spend long periods of time off these platforms.
If it is proven to me that the use of the platforms for promotion of my services is no longer valid. I will refrain from using the platform entirely. Many posts do not gain even a minimal exposure and this is also directly reflective of the way that I use the platform.
A small circle of 'inner friends' selected by facebook see posts regularly only and I am given a small selection of posts according to a social group decided for me by facebook. I do not recognize the authority of facebook to select these moments of exposure or to select my friends - which is effectively what it makes a bid to achieve - control of networks through algorithm adaptation and control. It doesn't have to be seen in an overlord kind of way - this is purely business. Many don't realise exactly what they are in by using such a platform - that pays for teams of psycho-analytical experts to maximise the time you spend on here.
If enough people set clear boundaries and terms on how this platform is used, then the algorithm will be forced to adapt to our behaviour instead of us adapting to it in order to gain exposure which in offering community services is our right to have that exposure.
Good luck navigating this!
I worked one week full-time at the dairy in the last week of December to earn over a thousands dollars in order to pay for what I thought was necessary advertising in order to gain exposure for events.
The representation after setting up ads was not always accurate and in some cases links were changed to faulty ones which lead to the wrong page and useless interpretations of the original ads I set up were then broadcast and yet, the money was still being spent. In an expensive exploration of what I thought was useful I discovered that this platform for all of its seeming benefits is largely focused on two things - money through advertising and personal data. It is no new revelation but needs mentioning again - as people condition themselves through repeated use to rely on it for community and social cohesion the dangers of it being used to manipulate human thought and behaviour grow at an ever increasing exponential rate.
As soon as I stopped paid advertising my posts received minimal reach.
The inordinate algorithm value placed on certain posts also suggests that political motivations are at play regarding what posts by whom receive more exposure. This is also publicly known - as facebook has been manipulating algorithm values various political movements and mis-labelling other things as misinformation with links to privately owned 'fact-checkers' - a dangerous self-affirming loop which allowed enough free reign ends up in a totalitarian governing structure.
This is nothing new but it needs to be said again and again because many still don't quite know how deep the collective is in, in all of this - in relying on these platforms for community.
Let's make daily commitments remain authentic above all and let's be open to discovering who we are in every context - let's set clear boundaries and live them out unconditionally. Let's make mistakes and learn from them - whatever we do, let's do with our entire being so we can truly know once we have taken it to the limit - what we allow ourselves to be and what we put boundaries on.
I encourage you to also consider deeply exactly how you will use each of these public broadcasting utilities which overstep their role and engage in community governance we never consented to consciously. Let's be conscious about these tacit decisions.
Thank you for reading!
Regards,
Monty
It is a balancing act indeed to serve the Al Gore Rythm while still setting boundaries for yourself in order not to sell out to it completely.
Absolutely, it is important not to throw the baby out with the bathwater. By remaining steadfast in principle we set a clear example as to what behaviour is reasonable allowing others to make those boundaries more easily. The most we can do is provide the fertile ground for the opportunity for a choice for self-realisation - I seek to provide that on all mediums regardless of their apparent level of control. We must do it intelligently and with integrity. I am learning and in this - finding what involvement actions serve me and allow me in turn to serve others in a greater and greater capacity! All the best on finding your own balance with it! 🙏❤️