Facebook, Twitter, and Google – From Democracy to Totalitarianism |
Posted: April 27, 2014 |
When Facebook emerged it was similar to a virtual bulletin board, a digital version of the ones that can be found as you enter a supermarket. Anyone could post an announcement, an event, something for sale, or a service they wanted to offer. Each posting had a similar shot at being read. Now many of these supermarket bulletin boards have been replaced by glass covered bulletin boards where the supermarket (not the people) determines what gets displayed and what doesn’t. Facebook has put a virtual glass cover over its worldwide bulletin board and while anyone is free to post just about anything, Facebook now determines what gets displayed and who gets to see it. The “boost post” tag is ubiquitous and Facebook’s revenues and earnings have soared as promoters pay for the right to display their postings on Facebook’s virtual bulletin board. Facebook ‘s “algorithm” for displaying content is proprietary and constantly being tweaked but it is no longer the “free” and “open” platform it once was. Now, if people want to demonstrate and get the word out, they’ll have to opt for one of Facebook’s paid options and their “boost” will be commensurate with their expenditure. Google, in a similar fashion determines what shows up and what doesn’t in search results. While there continue to be “organic” search results, the paid results dominate the page. Even “organic” search results are often the result of paid consultants, public relations firms, and search engine optimization experts. Now that Twitter has gone public, Twitter is also trying to grow its revenue and “monetize” its site. This equates to manipulating the posting stream in such a way that Twitter, similar to Facebook and Google, can control the viewer’s experience (what they see and don’t see) and charge for exposure. Anyone can post on Facebook and Twitter for free. Google promises every website a fair shot to show up in search results. But unfortunately, as these three dominant companies have grown, in order to get “seen,” the ability to do so is directly tied to payment. Why is this important? The transformation of Facebook and Twitter into paid distribution channels is important because the promise they held to transform and connect the World has been eroded. Not too long ago, social media was cited as a major factor in several revolutions around the World. The “people” were able to communicate, express themselves, plan demonstrations, and did, in fact, change the World. Well, guess what, if the new algorithms were in place back then, the “people” would have needed some “rich” people. In other words, the very essence of what we admired about social media- the openness, the freedom of expression, and the ability for one person to spark a change -has been undermined and is under attack. It’s not just about the freedom to express oneself that is important – after all as I type this, I am expressing myself. What is essential is the ability to get another human being to listen – to hear me. When Facebook and Twitter began, they opened up and enabled communication around the World with limited filtering. They empowered ordinary people in all countries – rich and poor to express themselves and promised everyone that they could be heard. This open network is now under attack and is arguably a thing of the past. Social networks and search engines are enormous drivers in the World economy. The lack of competition and the virtual monopoly on these important facets of our economy has resulted in a deterioration of what we really admired about them. People want to express themselves and have an equal shot of getting heard. Businesses want a fair chance at getting their name out there without having to spend a lot of money. As Facebook, Twitter, and Google have grown, they have moved away from a democratic forum toward a totalitarian one where you have to pay to get heard. The good news is that it is only a matter of time that new communication channels and search engines emerge that will return the “bulletin board” back to the people. There will eventually be a new social network that gives everyone an equal opportunity to get exposure - where viewers determine what they want and don’t want to see. There will be a new search engine that allows all businesses – big and small an equal shot at showing up in search results and to compete on an even playing field with one another. This new search engine will allow consumers to see all the search results and to exercise greater control of their search results with the use of filters. By opening up social networks and improving search engines, communication and commerce can be improved. People can find products and services from a wider array of suppliers. Increased competition drives prices down and spurs innovation. Open communication improves society by exposing corruption, the exchange of ideas, and helping citizens around the World connect with one another. David S. Waller is the Founder and CEO of Storeboard.com.
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