I will be up front and say that this a a tricky, open, Pandora’s Box kind of topic and discussion. As listed in the title, this post will not be about any sports rants or topics in particular. I will attempt to bring sports into it if it fits, but we shall see.
Back to the topic at hand – Who owns our conversations? In MCO 426, we have gone over and discussed most entities of the digital world and what can be said, but who owns what we say? If I had to say right now who owns it, it would be the government, but that’s just me being a conspiracy theorist. In reality I do believe the person who originally shared the content on the internet owns the right to the product or content that they created. With copywrite and trademarks of course.
Now that covers content, but what online communities? Who has control over those. With what is currently happening with Twitter (X) and Reddit, some users are looking to make a change and find a community some place else away from these sites and apps. In some cases there are people who are hesitant to make the change to another site or app because of the following they have. There is now way them to transfer over all that they currently have, and seems like there is nothing in the works as of yet. Why would there be tough? Why would a company want to leave and just be able to whoever and whatever you want with you?
There are benefits to having a centralized platform like Twitter (X). Everyone that uses to app or website has the same tools as other users. It also can help users connect with more people and communities that may interest them. Take me for instance. I have been able to connect with other Mariner fans on Twitter (X) than I have on any other website. I don’t count Facebook because most of my family and friends are M’s fans as well. The downside of centralization is that there are a few heads on top that make all of the decisions.
What can we do to help? We should start by asking for decentralization across the aboard. Have sites and apps that gives the user more power within their communities. Could this lead to a more lively, healthy life on the internet and social media, maybe? But we won’t know the answer unless we start somewhere, and I do feel that decentralizing would be a great way to start, but start doing it very slowly. No need to jump the gun so fast!
I know I was a little all over the place when it came to this topic, but there is just so much to discuss. Personally I just think there needs to be a place where people can go to hang out and not have to worry about who owns their digital conversations. There is just too many things going on in the world that people should worry about. Lets try and make their digital conversations not one of them.