Links to Social Media

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Removed User 21 Nov 2018

I occasionally read posts on here and elsewhere that contain a link to something which I think might take my interest.

However  I find it quite infuriating that the links take you to Facebook or similar.

I do not use Facebook of Twitter, believing them to be intrusive, addictive and obsessive.

Why do some people insist on using Facebook/Twitter links and effe tively block people who would otherwise like to know what the link is about?

Post edited at 09:35
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 Sir Chasm 21 Nov 2018
In reply to Removed Usermypyrex:

They read the story on facebook or twitter, so that's the link they post. Do you expect them to seek a different source because specifically mypyrex is a bit of a luddite?

4
 girlymonkey 21 Nov 2018
In reply to Removed UserBoingBoing:

Because they are platforms that are used by most people.

I don't use Twitter, but seem to have no problem following links to tweets, so I'm not getting the problem. I followed one this morning and was able to read it no problem without registering.

Why do you find it problematic?

 richprideaux 21 Nov 2018
In reply to Removed UserBoingBoing:

UKC is a social media site. Your post is the equivalent of somebody complaining on Facebook if I link out to a UKC/UKH gallery image.

There is an exchange of information in return for goods or services here. YouTube, Facebook, Twitter etc all allow people to host and share content online in return only for harvesting their metadata. 

UKC/UKH allow people who neither climb nor go hillwalking to talk complete bollocks on a well-maintained and moderated site in return for allowing companies to display ads alongside.

Such is the economics of the internet. Create your own hosting platform and encourage everyone else to move over there.

 john arran 21 Nov 2018
In reply to Removed UserBoingBoing:

Convenience, more than anything. Makes posting things far quicker and easier, and easy enough for most people to follow too.

However, it does irk me when this convenience is taken to the extreme whereby people post nothing but an anonymous link, seemingly expecting others to follow it while having little idea where it will take them. There are principled reasons for not wanting to visit certain mainstream sites, and I think it's only good etiquette to let people know the source of the link. I also think a brief precis or quote from the link copied into the body of the post on here should be the norm.

 

 Ramblin dave 21 Nov 2018
In reply to john arran:

I get a bit irritated with people just posting bare Youtube links in music threads. At least say what it is you're linking to so I can see what everyone's into without opening dozens of new tabs!

Back on topic, though, Twitter links and a lot of Facebook links are public. If the OP chooses not to click on them Just Because then it's their own lookout.

 oldie 21 Nov 2018
In reply to john arran:

> I also think a brief precis or quote from the link copied into the body of the post on here should be the norm. <

Agree entirely. It validates the post without interruption and, at least for me, would avoid the frequent instances where the link doesn't work. Also sometimes the post is relevant to a paragraph and the link is to many pages which need wading through. Slight downside is that a precis might not be a good interpretation so a quote would be preferable.

 

 gravy 21 Nov 2018

It's problematic because they require you to part with private information and sell your identity to view content.

Now (obviously) quite a lot of people either don't know or don't care about this but a sizeable chunk do care about this and a sizeable chunk have strong feelings about the open nature of the internet or data privacy.

Using a public forum to post private, propreitery or closed content is seen by many people as at the very least rude and potentially acting against people best interests by proxy.  Just because "A N Facebook" user  is happy or ignorant doesn't mean everyone is.

And before someone points out the bleeding obvious I do know UKC is a social media platform and harvests my data.

 

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 gravy 21 Nov 2018
In reply to Sir Chasm:

Thanks but obvious I can't actually watch that without a tin hat first - hole in my bucket problem.

I've got a Fray-Bentos pie for tea so maybe later?

I guess you're the sort of Tesco clubcard carrying, post my life story on facebook sort then? My point is it's fine to share your own data but cheeky to expect others to be as promiscuous as you.

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 Sir Chasm 21 Nov 2018
In reply to gravy:

> I guess you're the sort of Tesco clubcard carrying, post my life story on facebook sort then? My point is it's fine to share your own data but cheeky to expect others to be as promiscuous as you.

Wrong on both counts. But I'm not under any illusions that I've kept control of anything i put on the internet.

Post edited at 10:39
 wintertree 21 Nov 2018
In reply to richprideaux:

> Create your own hosting platform and encourage everyone else to move over there.

I wonder what that platform’s policy would be on sock puppet accounts?

 wintertree 21 Nov 2018
In reply to oldie:

> Agree entirely. It validates the post without interruption and, at least for me, would avoid the frequent instances where the link doesn't work.

Agree.  People sometimes try and convince me to watch a long video purportedly for my benefit.  If that person can’t produce a brief, coherent précis of the content I’m just going to assume that it’s an incoherent, jumbled waste of my time.

Unless it’s a link to a KLF music video where I’m going to jump right in to the incoherence with gusto.

 gravy 21 Nov 2018
In reply to Sir Chasm:

Perhaps you'd like a loan of my pie tin once I've finished with your youtube clip then?

 Sir Chasm 21 Nov 2018
In reply to gravy:

> Perhaps you'd like a loan of my pie tin once I've finished with your youtube clip then?

So I can pretend I've kept control of stuff I put on the internet?

 richprideaux 21 Nov 2018
In reply to wintertree:

> > Create your own hosting platform and encourage everyone else to move over there.

> I wonder what that platform’s policy would be on sock puppet accounts?

Sounds like a bunch of muppets.

 Blue Straggler 21 Nov 2018
In reply to Removed UserBoingBoing:

 

> Why do some people insist on using Facebook/Twitter links and effe tively block people who would otherwise like to know what the link is about?

In what way are you blocked?

I don't use Twitter, don't have an account on there, but I can follow  a link to Twitter if someone has posted something interesting 

I assume it is the same for relevant Facebook links, i.e. people posting links to public things on there that don't require any sign-in.

 

 Blue Straggler 21 Nov 2018
In reply to Sir Chasm:

Is BoingBoing mypyrex?

 gravy 21 Nov 2018
In reply to Sir Chasm:

Exactly

 gravy 21 Nov 2018
In reply to Blue Straggler:

"assume it is the same for relevant Facebook links, i.e. people posting links to public things on there that don't require any sign-in."

That assumption is not always valid and is frequently incorrect.  Mind you, I'm not sure the posters realise this half the time.

2
 richprideaux 21 Nov 2018
In reply to Blue Straggler:

> I assume it is the same for relevant Facebook links, i.e. people posting links to public things on there that don't require any sign-in.

If a FB link was unviewable without an account it would of course, ironically, be because somebody has limited the audience through their privacy settings.

 gravy 21 Nov 2018
In reply to richprideaux:

The irony being that the people that many want to keep their data from still have access (ie facebook).

 Blue Straggler 21 Nov 2018
In reply to gravy:

> "assume it is the same for relevant Facebook links, i.e. people posting links to public things on there that don't require any sign-in."

> That assumption is not always valid and is frequently incorrect.  Mind you, I'm not sure the posters realise this half the time.

This is true but I didn't want to obfuscate my message to BoingBoing who is essentially making the opposite assumption.

 Sir Chasm 21 Nov 2018
In reply to Blue Straggler:

> Is BoingBoing mypyrex?

Indubitably.

 richprideaux 21 Nov 2018
In reply to gravy:

> The irony being that the people that many want to keep their data from still have access (ie facebook).

No - the irony being someone moaning about not being able to access content because the person who posted it has limited the audience to a certain list, a list THEY don't want to be part of because they choose not to use that service.

If you don't want to use certain data-harvesting sites like Facebook then you don't have to (although your friends and phone contacts will still happily give up your data for you). Just don't moan that other people are sharing content from it - there is no onus on a UKC poster to ONLY share content that is 100% publicly viewable.

As the last few years of very public scandals about metadata harvesting and resale have shown - most people don't care that much about handing over their data to huge corporations. They quite happily share their location, phone microphone and their browsing history with a few monstrous organisations so long as those organisations provide them with a service they want.

In reply to Removed UserBoingBoing:

I choose not to follow such links.  

T.

 marsbar 21 Nov 2018
In reply to Removed UserBoingBoing:

Well if what they are linking to is a Facebook post or a tweet then that's what they are linking.  It's your choice not to use them, you can't expect everyone to make more hassle for themselves because of your choices. 

 oldie 22 Nov 2018
In reply to marsbar:

There are some cases where its difficult to access quoted data. For instance recently a reply in a thread quoted a British Standard. On checking it was £170 to download, presumably the money does fund the standards bodies etc ( I think standards are also available  to view at some institutions and a very few large libraries). An explanation of the relevance  of the standard to the thread might have been helpful. Also it may be a bit of hassle to provide extra data in a reply but sometimes that may avoid hassle for hundreds who read the post.

As an aside it seems odd that we buy safety equipment but can't easily access the appropriate BS and EN standards for it. I'd be interested to know if I'm wrong and there is free online availabilty

 


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