JR Korpa @ Unsplash
It is with sad news that Google® plans to shutdown the entire G+ social media platform. Until April the 2nd of 2019, all users are left on their own to somehow migrate their content elsewhere. Alas, there is so far very little to know guidance on what to do with these content once exported. Yet alone finding an alternative network, or possibly an app that somehow migrate these content seamlessly.
Simply switching G+ off altogether just because it is not “as popular” as Facebook® to me, is uncourteous move. Given just how many people still keeps G+ in use nonetheless as platform to promote branding initiatives.
My case is no different. My book and manuscript This Is™ Humility requires a front portal share-worthy news; in addition to this blog.
Shutting an entire network down instead of trying to improve existing problems – be it lack of transparency or knowledgebase resources – speaks volumes about how Profit-centric Future we are heading, at the risk of losing Human-centric Culture.
Hence, I am writing this plea to help brainstorming alternative ideas and networks worth considering.
I am splitting this article into three barriers – the what, the how and the why.
1/3
What are the options?
First of all a recap to those who are new to the Web’s least visited independent thoughts on nutrition, sociology and wellness. This Project, This Is™ Humility – is all about being Contemplative. It’s not about being Attractive. It is not about imposing Objectivities. But rather to present the experiences of Subjectivities.
So far, no social media networks that I know of respects the former (Contemplative) expectation.
Disclaimer – I have no qualms against those using Social Media to leverage their showcasing of primal admissions of being simply that – “Attractive”. I am talking about porn stars, web cam models, promo models, the globe-trotting fashionistas, the health / “beauty” / fitness survivorship (aka. “sponsorship”) glamour labels, blings and glams.
If they are happily content (contentment as in “enough”) with such as their means of preserving their own Self-Authenticity; without demonising or looking down others as lesser or inferior – I absolutely have no problems with that.
But it remains difficult to find a social platform suitable for my sort of voice. Shifting inbetween topics of Science, alternative Nutrition / interventions, Philosophy and Sociology is certainly a mouthful of interests. Yet also impartial enough to remain unbiased, in that everything this project suggests – is up to the viewer’s interpretations and decisions.
An “Opinion” is nevertheless – a compartmentalised “Interpretation”, and vice versa. So far, I have next to no other physical connections or networks that shares this vision at alternatively addressing what can be done amidst our world’s problems.
2/3
How shall the (exported) content be exchanged? Or migrated seamlessly?
Surprisingly, the world of social media is hardly transferrable in terms of content conversions / exchange. One would easily assume googling around “import” content from one to another immediately suffices as solution. Through my lens, however to this day proved otherwise.
There is a third party app Google+ Exporter whilst that handily exports to blogger, XML’s, WordPress 4.x / 5.x and JSON®. But what of that of general audience who are not familiar with exactly what to do with these exported data?
There are many promising decentralised social media networks which I am yet to familiarise. But many seemed to rely on understanding needless jargons, and all the way requiring technical knowledge of setting up dedicated network servers and/or “pods”. Perhaps as a vision of bringing about decentralised future away from “central” planning. Viable vision indeed, but remains challenging to be considered pragmatic to an everyday enthusiast.
Whilst my search still likely ensues for days and weeks, perhaps long after this blog post is published – I somehow do not look forward to “Plan B”, whatever that entails. But my gut predicts that to involve manually recoordinating 500+ streams and posts individually, somehow.
3/3
Why does this brand needs a social media platform, if at all?
I need a social platform to promote my book; yet I am not entirely fussed at attaining as “many numerical likes” as possible. Instead I much rather co-exist with coincidental relativity of interests evidently through receiving written comments, replies and thoughts.
I longed to see a platform that helps promote my branding initiative to do exactly just that. Minus the community toxicities, delinquents and SJW moral pitchforks.
The reason why Google+ attracted me was its overall awareness is subdued compared to the 1984’s Big-Brother Facebook®.
Likewise, the (currently) major names today remains unwise alternatives. Twitter® is interestingly very concise and to-the-point, but perhaps too politically divisive. A political binary “left” or “right” dismissals. Likewise, “minds.com” – and communities within it seemed extremely entrenched in violent SJW-like toxicity. A vision of anarchy perhaps, in lost translation. Instagram® is likely reserved for feel-good & look-good fashionistas. Alas, an accruing for “Likes” and soft-porn fellowships is far more important there as opposed to sharing anything remotely contemplative. Again, nothing wrong with feeling “good” about being primally “attractive”, for as long as he/she does not raise a moral pitchfork.
Meanwhile, the sheer privacy compromise of both intellectual and personal data amongst the big networks remains real concerns. Adding to profiteering interests, automated bot-Instagram accounts looks & set to be exploitative and increasingly less – human.
Circa 2016 – 1 Follower. Zero likes.
So that leaves the last variable. What of me? And this branding initiative so far? Statistic wise? Well, many readily calls this laughably pathetic. But I care not a single iota. I am actually happy with receiving that few of a fellowship.
What remains concerning however is that our current survivorship visibility bias; which is largely Quantified based only on numerical “likes” or arithmetic “votes”. Rather than Qualitatively perceived by the Authenticity of comments, reactions and experiences – received.
An organic & authentic human experience is incomparable to a machine’s arithmetic of a recorded “vote”. I am more happy if anything I wrote convinces one organic (1) life to improve him or herself, as opposed to amassing frivolous “likes” digital counter.
Technology should only facilitates though not orchestrates – our individual appealing of needs, concerns and contexts. Authentically without censorship and without institutionalised Correctness Hierarchy. Mixing technology with politics and profits after all only brews implosive crusades through divisive contempts.
I fear that technology is becoming coercively reliant on us all to become less Humility centric. But more Utility-centric.
Hence, why I am asking you dear readers to help me acquaint with other possible alternatives.