Mercer Posted October 15, 2019 Share Posted October 15, 2019 So, I haven't fucked with IG for years now, but recently decided I no longer wanted it to look like I follow accounts I no longer had any interest in. Just didn't want to add to their metrics as a "follower". Nike is one of these accounts, great shoes and gear, but I didn't want to follow for several reasons. I honestly liked when they stood up for Kapernic, even though as a minority I think police violence is a policing problem, as opposed to a racial thing but whatever. One thing I'm really big on is free speech no matter if I agree or not, so was kind of glad they sponsored Kapernic just from the free speech perspective alone. Now that Nike has exposed themselves as fake, by censoring athletes from speaking out on China, that changed my perspective. Clearly I'm 100% for the Hong Kong protesters, so fuck Nike (I'll still wear their shit though) but I'm not going to make myself availiable for their marketing campaigns, and def don't want to look like I am. Decided I should unfollow, so I logged into IG via my desktop web browser because I refuse to install IG (or any other spyware) on my phone and unfollowed the official Nike account. That's when a weird thing happened, my account automatically re-followed them. I was scrolling for other accounts I no longer wanted to follow, and noticed a Nike post. WTF? So I did some experimenting by unfollowing several verified accounts. Half of them wouldn't allow me to unfollow, no matter what I did, I eventually ended up blocking those accounts, at least blocking them finally worked. Here's proof: Unfollowgate.mp4 Anyway, I unfollowed close to 75 accounts this morning before I left, mainly targeting the verified ones which is bullshit to begin with. Why are some accounts verified, and other's aren't? It's using the platform to play favorites. I ended up blocking every verified account that I couldn't unfollow, which was a little more than half the verified accounts. Hard time believing this is just me, or a technical error. Out of curiosity, if any of you have IG on your phone are you able to unfollow verified accounts? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kults Posted October 15, 2019 Share Posted October 15, 2019 You’re right. I’ve noticed this too. At first I thought I had to log out and back in for changes to take effect but nope, still showing in the feed. Blocking is what got rid of them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NightmareOnElmStreet Posted October 16, 2019 Share Posted October 16, 2019 Fucking unfollow gate is real. I have not noticed this as I don’t follow any of those accounts. But it makes total sense. Blue checks cash checks and the check cashiers keep the ship afloat. 🧐🧐 Surely, someone somewhere makes it harder to get away from those folks with the checks. You guys are the computer nerds though. How is this possible, from a technical stand point?? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mercer Posted October 16, 2019 Author Share Posted October 16, 2019 @NightmareOnElmStreetYou basically write a script in react, or react native that says: 1) If user clicks the unfollow button, remove unfollow button, display follow button in it's place, then go to step 2 2) If account they're unfollowing gives zuc good hand jobs (using their mouth) don't unfollow, if not execute step 3 3) If account they're unfollowing belongs to peasant, or gives zuc hand jobs using just their hand, actually unfollow. 1 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deine Mudder Posted October 16, 2019 Share Posted October 16, 2019 It all makes sense now. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dirty_habiT Posted October 16, 2019 Share Posted October 16, 2019 Whoa wtf. That's crazy man, I just decided the other day that I was pretty tired of YT suggesting videos from channels that I will never not once ever click on. So I started blocking the channels. This was a few days ago. Yesterday I noticed that one of the channels I had blocked had a suggested video up on my feed. I blocked it again. I KNOW I blocked it the first time. This little twiddling of your followers that are happening on the backend of these huge sites is not by mistake. They hold the keys to the castle and always have. The people have given these companies so much of themselves it's not even funny. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
misteraven Posted October 16, 2019 Share Posted October 16, 2019 Matter of time before people wake up top all of this. A lot already seem to being doing exactly that. Strange days for sure, but wondering how it can happen without being replaced by something else, which is what I'm expecting/ 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kults Posted October 16, 2019 Share Posted October 16, 2019 1 hour ago, misteraven said: Matter of time before people wake up top all of this. A lot already seem to being doing exactly that. Strange days for sure, but wondering how it can happen without being replaced by something else, which is what I'm expecting/ Everyone thought fb would be the end all be all of social until IG took over. Just a matter of time until IG gets replaced too 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted October 16, 2019 Share Posted October 16, 2019 Waiting for the boomers to move over to snapchat and tiktok 😂 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+plus+ Posted October 16, 2019 Share Posted October 16, 2019 I still hate the new al gore rhythm. If I don't interact with a page, it seems like they dont post. for example, I was like hmmm Jaber isn't doing his normal self promo. Then i looked up his page and he had been posting all along. Since I looked up his page he is now in my feed again. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mn1_fuckos Posted October 16, 2019 Share Posted October 16, 2019 Thats pretty wild I dont follow many brands on IG and if I do they're typically small brands with only a few thousand followers. It appears they do have a limit I'm assuming to "control bots" although I feel like it may be more of a just incase you had second thought or even guilt you back into following them. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mercer Posted October 16, 2019 Author Share Posted October 16, 2019 @mn1_fuckosdon't feel bad about it, if they really wanted to get at me they can login/post on here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
~KRYLON2~ Posted October 16, 2019 Share Posted October 16, 2019 I got a random email that my facebook account was being removed. Funny thing is I've never had a facebook page 😆 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+plus+ Posted October 16, 2019 Share Posted October 16, 2019 Also remember when the youtube suggestions would lead you into new genres and stuff... Now it just recommends the same fuckin 10 songs i just listened to. Might suggest one new song/artist occasionally. I used to just let it take me on a journey. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mercer Posted October 16, 2019 Author Share Posted October 16, 2019 4 hours ago, ~KRYLON2~ said: I got a random email that my facebook account was being removed. Funny thing is I've never had a facebook page 😆 Probably a fishing attack, you click the link, enter your facebook password and you're hacked. Props on not having a FB account. 34 minutes ago, +plus+ said: Also remember when the youtube suggestions would lead you into new genres and stuff... Now it just recommends the same fuckin 10 songs i just listened to. Might suggest one new song/artist occasionally. I used to just let it take me on a journey. Youtube had a problem with their algorithm leading people to radicalization videos. You'd click on something semi conservative in nature, then it would push you a little further to the right, next suggestion a little further to the right, and eventually the rabbit hole would end up on a what youtube themselves deemed extremist. It took a while to figure out but channels that promoted racism/xenophobia were surging for a while. I'd end up on channels bitching about respecting the rebel flag etc. constantly, and couldn't figure out why google thought I was a racist white person. I even questioned my own views/tastes in videos like damn son, do I secretly want to lynch myself. Turns out the algorithm that determines suggested channels was pushing people towards more, and more extremist views before they fixed it. https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/29/technology/youtube-online-extremism.html 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IHATEU Posted October 16, 2019 Share Posted October 16, 2019 (edited) i always stayed away from following brands and celebrities for this reason... i just felt if i really wanted to look at it i could just do that without following... i do this with most public accounts unless they are a friend.. the only sus activity i see is in my explore after i look at or mention something it shows up. which is odd considering i always have siri and location off on my phone. Edited October 16, 2019 by IHATEU Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mercer Posted October 16, 2019 Author Share Posted October 16, 2019 @IHATEUIG/FB has access to your phones microphone, camera, and your photo library. It's basically needed if you want to be able to post anything. They don't need Siri, or location services. Same thing used to happen to me, they'll even tap into your watch, and some headphones with built in microphones sometimes. https://medium.com/@damln/instagram-is-listening-to-you-97e8f2c53023 Old article but still relevant. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
misteraven Posted October 16, 2019 Share Posted October 16, 2019 42 minutes ago, Mercer said: @IHATEUIG/FB has access to your phones microphone, camera, and your photo library. It's basically needed if you want to be able to post anything. They don't need Siri, or location services. Same thing used to happen to me, they'll even tap into your watch, and some headphones with built in microphones sometimes. https://medium.com/@damln/instagram-is-listening-to-you-97e8f2c53023 Old article but still relevant. fucked up. Never read this, but have experienced it plenty. Even talked to @diggityabout it since he experienced the same thing, except it was related to Google maps. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
One Man Banned Posted October 21, 2019 Share Posted October 21, 2019 On 10/16/2019 at 6:27 PM, IHATEU said: i always stayed away from following brands and celebrities for this reason... i just felt if i really wanted to look at it i could just do that without following... i do this with most public accounts unless they are a friend.. This. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abrasivesaint Posted October 21, 2019 Share Posted October 21, 2019 I stop following people and companies all the time. Stopped following this skater recently because shes been doing ads for hotel booking sites and shit on her Instagram. It’s cool for her, make your money and all, but also fuck off. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mercer Posted October 21, 2019 Author Share Posted October 21, 2019 19 minutes ago, abrasivesaint said: I stop following people and companies all the time. Stopped following this skater recently because shes been doing ads for hotel booking sites and shit on her Instagram. It’s cool for her, make your money and all, but also fuck off. lol, was it Leticia Bufoni? Same here. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abrasivesaint Posted October 21, 2019 Share Posted October 21, 2019 (edited) 7 minutes ago, Mercer said: lol, was it Leticia Bufoni? Same here. Sure was. I also finally admitted i was mostly following her because shes hot. Her skating has become almost robotic and looks like shes trying to throw style on it instead of actually having style. Shes still an incredibly talented skater, i’m just over following her. Edited October 21, 2019 by abrasivesaint 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joker Posted October 21, 2019 Share Posted October 21, 2019 Is there any real truth behind people being addicted to "likes" on Instagram? On YouTube, everything I am subscribed to is either bike racing related or design/architecture related, and yet somehow my "Recommended" feed is all political stuff from the likes of Brian Tyler Cohen, Sam Seder, et al. Or it's some guy who looks like he would shoot up every mall in town but seems to be a pretty intelligent guy, just standing in his garage and talks about everything with a somewhat unbiased point of view... somewhat. How did these videos appear in my feed to begin with and how do I get rid of them? I'd rather get recommends on more cycling and design videos. I deal with enough political shit when I leave my house. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
misteraven Posted October 21, 2019 Share Posted October 21, 2019 Unsure if one of you has a WSJ subscription but here's a relevent article... https://www.wsj.com/articles/online-influencers-tell-you-what-to-buy-advertisers-wonder-whos-listening-11571594003 Online Influencers Tell You What to Buy, Advertisers Wonder Who’s Listening Billions are paid to social-media personalities to pitch products in an influencer economy riddled with deceit. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
misteraven Posted October 21, 2019 Share Posted October 21, 2019 Just now, Joker said: Is there any real truth behind people being addicted to "likes" on Instagram? On YouTube, everything I am subscribed to is either bike racing related or design/architecture related, and yet somehow my "Recommended" feed is all political stuff from the likes of Brian Tyler Cohen, Sam Seder, et al. Or it's some guy who looks like he would shoot up every mall in town but seems to be a pretty intelligent guy, just standing in his garage and talks about everything with a somewhat unbiased point of view... somewhat. How did these videos appear in my feed to begin with and how do I get rid of them? I'd rather get recommends on more cycling and design videos. I deal with enough political shit when I leave my house. Absolutely... You can Google this and believe there's a video posted in this thread or elsewhere where one of the co-founders of Facebook acknowledges early behavioral studies they did that identified it. Several incidents of people killing themselves after losing their social accounts, so it goes far beyond an addition to likes. Here's two quick ones... Instagram addiction and the Big Five of personality: The mediating role of self-liking https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6035031/ Facebook, cocaine, opioids: How addictive is the social network? https://www.foxnews.com/tech/facebook-cocaine-opioids-how-addictive-is-the-social-network 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abrasivesaint Posted October 21, 2019 Share Posted October 21, 2019 (edited) So i’m going to throw my tinfoil hat on here for a moment, and although i believe the situation to be highly coincidental, it still gave me moment to smash the pause button.. A few weeks back i was in the shower singing this song in my head, i swear it was ONLY in my head, if i muttered any words it was 1 line from the song AT MOST. I’m not a shower singer type. My phone was on the bathroom counter and when i stepped out of the shower i grabbed my phone to play some music, specifically the song/the album that i was singing in my head. I open Spotify and the album was the first recommended album on my list. At this point i hadn’t listened to this album in months. A week or so later I saw a story about the brainwave reading software Facebook has been working on for years. 🤯 edit: not sure if this was the thread for that but Joker asking about “likes addiction” made me think of it for whatever reason. Edited October 21, 2019 by abrasivesaint 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted October 21, 2019 Share Posted October 21, 2019 Babylon tings Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mercer Posted October 21, 2019 Author Share Posted October 21, 2019 2 hours ago, Joker said: Is there any real truth behind people being addicted to "likes" on Instagram? On YouTube, everything I am subscribed to is either bike racing related or design/architecture related, and yet somehow my "Recommended" feed is all political stuff from the likes of Brian Tyler Cohen, Sam Seder, et al. Or it's some guy who looks like he would shoot up every mall in town but seems to be a pretty intelligent guy, just standing in his garage and talks about everything with a somewhat unbiased point of view... somewhat. How did these videos appear in my feed to begin with and how do I get rid of them? I'd rather get recommends on more cycling and design videos. I deal with enough political shit when I leave my house. I was myself back in 2013-2015 ish Hard to admit, but I literally checked my phone for likes every 15 minutes or so for my metrics. How many new followers, how many comments, how many new likes? What type of content garners more engagement. Mind you unlike many of you with legitimate reasons like running a business, or making a living from art, none of this even mattered. I had to make a conscious decision to delete IG, and stop pulling out my phone to take pictures every time I was enjoying myself, so I could take it in myself, instead of trying to document, and broadcast how cool my life and surroundings were. Granted most of the other things in my life were doing well so I was more of a functional addict but still, not a good look and I see people still trapped in this cycle today and hope they can recover one day. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joker Posted October 21, 2019 Share Posted October 21, 2019 The "likes" thing is interesting, for sure. Killing yourself over them... I'm not going to touch that one. It does remind me (a little bit) of an article I read that talked about kids and video games, and how the stimulus they get from playing them is essentially equivalent to the stimulus adults get from having sex. They were trying to explain to parents why their kids freak the fuck out when they take their games away from them as punishment, basically asking them to imagine how their emotions would fly if someone were to stop them from having sex right in the middle of the action. It was an interesting article that had a bunch of studies and showed brain wave reactions between adults doing their thing and kids doing theirs. Anyway... The biggest thing that has been driving my desire to leave IG is ads, to be honest. In the last few months I've found myself opening up the app, starting to scroll and immediately start scrolling faster and faster not even caring what I'm missing because I just want to scroll pass the ads. And now that they're every third or fourth post it has become fucking ridiculous. Actually the more I type and think about it... I'm just going to delete the app from my phone and see what happens. I know my account won't die so it'll be a nice experiment to see what happens with it. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mn1_fuckos Posted October 21, 2019 Share Posted October 21, 2019 I was pretty similar to @Mercerexcept I would carry around my DSLR all the time. It made for amazing photos but most of the time I could only remember what was within the frame. I knew I enjoyed myself but I only enjoyed it through the viewfinder. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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