Meta is getting rid of factchecking. Should you leave Instagram – and what are the alternatives?
www.theguardian.com
Meta’s decision relates to just the US so far, but it may affect users in Australia who follow a lot of US-based sources

“[For] people who live in the country or in remote areas or minority groups or [who have] small businesses, that is a really good way for them to communicate and reach other people,” she says.

“It’s just not possible to set up an alternative at this point in time. So, to put it bluntly, we’re in a bit of deep shit, to be honest.”

No mention of Pixelfed, but I can understand why. Will it only be seen as an alternative once a critical mass of users move there? And can that happen if they don’t see it as an alternative? Chicken and egg. I’m trying out, but it’s a little vapid when everyone I know is on Instagram.

  • @Ep1cFac3pa1mEnglish
    5•1 month ago

    The desire to belong is primal, and strong.

    • @ilinamoratoEnglish
      1•1 month ago

      And it served us well for millennia. In a lot of ways, it made us who we are.

      • sunzu2
        1•1 month ago

        Bootlickers in a need of herd ruled by a strong daddy?

        • @ilinamoratoEnglish
          1•1 month ago

          Civilizations, societies, communities. The Apollo program. The National Park Service. Emancipation. Everything good we’re capable of as a species comes from working together.

          The mass weaponization of it is, of course, a problem.

          • sunzu2
            -1•1 month ago

            We need to be better at removing anti social parasites at the top but instead we got majority accepting these parasites as their lords and saviors.

            Something ain’t right

            • @ilinamoratoEnglish
              1•1 month ago

              Something ain’t right

              Ah, I think what you’re looking at there is called “capitalism.” It’s what enables selfish anti-social/sociopathic behavior without triggering our societal inclination to kick them out.

              • sunzu2
                -2•1 month ago

                You are removing agency from people by blaming capitalism sure that’s the system of property ownership we have

                It doesn’t directly result in bootlicking population ie other countries with similar property rights ain’t as much of bootlickers as we are.

                They expect their ruling class to deliver some base QoL, Americans overall too lapring cultural wars their handlers told them on teevee

                • @ilinamoratoEnglish
                  1•1 month ago

                  Nah, you’ve got cause and effect flipped. Know what we used to do when sociopaths did too much sociopathic stuff? We made the sociopaths leave. Now they have too much money, so we can’t effectively do that anymore.

                  Of course, yes, they did create that system. But they created it so that they could retain the benefits of the society without contributing to it meaningfully.

                  • sunzu2
                    0•1 month ago

                    But they created it so that they could retain the benefits of the society without contributing to it meaningfully.

                    And bootlickers can’t be bothered to be educated about this issue they would rather LARP propaganda as if they are a “stake” holder in the system