I feel dirty.
So I finally decided to join Instagram.
After years of fighting it, I had to join. But let me at least make a post as to why, and maybe that will help me sleep at night.
Every time I’m out and about with some of my astronomy gear, taking photos, and talking with folks. I get the inevitable question about whether or not I have a Instagram account. I always tell them no and go on about how much I hate Mark Zuckerberg. Often times I’m conflicted because this is where people are. But at the same time, it’s a platform owned by Mark Zuckerberg. I often look at Instagram as a platform for amateur supermodels, a place for misinformation and other stupid things I really don’t want in my life. I blame Mark Zuckerberg for the demise of our democracy, divisiveness within our communities, and a plague of miss and disinformation that has continued to pigeonhole its user base into echo chambers making it even more difficult for people to have basic conversations.
In short- I hate the whole Metaverse.
So, if I hate it so much, why have it? Well, as I stated before, this is where people are. If I want to promote my astronomy club, I should try to meet people where they are. But I’m going to put up some blocks on my end. I’m going to be very selective on how I use the platform and avoid as many ads as possible. But one thing was pointed out by my wife: “With so much stupid crap out there, maybe you should try to publish something that isn’t.”
And now this is where I am. It’s always wise to talk things thru with the people who know you best.
Now, this doesn’t mean I’m stepping back on my views of cyber privacy. I do believe privacy can still be a thing in this world. Hence why I still will not be using google… and when I use YouTube, I use private browsers with ad-blocking plugins. It’s a cat-and-mouse game that I have decided to play.
Information people have posted about themselves over the years has led to all sorts of things. Look at the 2016 presidential election if you need an example. We the people and users of these platforms need to be aware. We are the product being studied and sold for a better ad, and they are the brokers of this data to sell to ad agencies. So next time you do a like, poke or send that email for free, think a little more about it. I know I will every time I post new photos.
Thanks for listening.