The writer says years of internet monetization and the recent spread of large language model-generated material have made online spaces less enjoyable and harder to use for meaningful learning and connection. They describe a childhood and career shaped by message boards, blogs, social networks, chatrooms, and online communities, where they made friends, found jobs, and encountered ideas that influenced their beliefs. They compare the growth of AI-generated content to the “pale” in Disco Elysium, a destructive nothingness that degrades information and gradually expands between the game’s regions. The writer says valuable communities and thoughtful sources still exist, including some people found on Bluesky, but are increasingly difficult to locate amid low-quality material. They criticize short-form posts and videos across platforms including Instagram, TikTok, X, Mastodon, and Bluesky as poor vehicles for serious engagement with knowledge, arguing that such formats encourage tribalism, groupthink, and intellectual laziness. The writer has stopped reading Hacker News because they believe too many front-page submissions are obviously LLM-written and may contain filler rather than worthwhile ideas. They support agentic software engineering but object to coworkers passing LLM-generated writing off as their own, saying it makes it harder to understand colleagues’ beliefs and reasoning and weakens collaboration.

The Fediverse is criticized as not being a viable alternative to existing social media platforms. The author expresses a preference for limited engagement with Big Tech while acknowledging a desire for a more social web-browsing experience.

Social media has evolved from its original intent into a platform that often lacks genuine human interaction, becoming automated and weaponized. A newsletter with over 200,000 subscribers is currently being managed to address these changes in the social web landscape.

Social media is promoting fear and anxiety around AI usage, suggesting that not adopting new technologies will lead to falling behind. The rhetoric surrounding the necessity of running numerous AI agents is criticized as exaggerated and unhelpful.

Social media platforms are overwhelmed by a surge of Generative AI content, leading to a homogenized information landscape. As a result, there is a growing interest in RSS as a means to regain control over content consumption and foster authentic connections.

Enterprise social networks mimic social media platforms like Facebook, shifting personal and professional communication into shared feeds of posts and replies. This design aims to integrate and streamline communication within organizations, reflecting the aesthetics and functionality of popular social media.

LinkedIn identity verification requires users to scan their passport and take a selfie to obtain a blue checkmark indicating authenticity. Users often overlook the privacy policy and terms of service associated with this verification process.

Facebook has seen a significant decline in user engagement, particularly among those under 50. A recent exploration of the platform revealed a feed dominated by unrelated content rather than posts from friends or followed pages.

Americans can leverage market influence as a powerful tool to resist the Trump administration's actions. The president is primarily responsive to market dynamics rather than public outrage, judicial rulings, or media criticism.

The fall of Twitter has led to a rise in LinkedIn's popularity as a social media platform. Simon Wardley, Adam Jacob, and Bruce Perens have shared insights on building systems without fully understanding their workings, with Louis Bucciarelli contributing to the discussion.