Link: Threads is trading trust for growth via Meta's creator program, which pays people to post without disclosing, making users assume everyone is engagement farming (Ben Werdmuller/Werd I/O)

Yesterday, the Internet Archive lost its appeal in a critical digital lending case, signaling a challenging road ahead for digital libraries. This nonprofit had initiated the National Emergency Library during the pandemic to provide free access to books for those confined at home.

Although the Archive's efforts were widely appreciated, publishers contested that it had overstepped legal boundaries, and the courts sided with them. This decision is a significant setback for freely accessible knowledge.

Sharing my views on this topic on Threads sparked unexpected controversy. Instead of the support I anticipated, my post angered users who misunderstood my intentions.

The response was an eye-opener on how people perceive posts on social media platforms. Some accused me of engagement farming, a concept tied to Meta’s creators program that incentivizes popular content.

However, I am not part of that program, nor am I an influencer; I'm just someone sharing thoughts online. The incident revealed a growing mistrust among social media users, assuming financial motives behind simple posts.

This distrust could undermine genuine interactions online, eroding the foundation of authentic communities on social platforms. The experience was a stark reminder of how quickly trust can deteriorate in the digital age. #

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Yoooo, this is a quick note on a link that made me go, WTF? Find all past links here.