Rec
What the last two decades of social media and digital platforms made it very clear is that nothing that appears free is actually free. Social media platform users are both consumer and labor of the platform. Whatever you post on Meta (facebook, instagram), X, tiktok etc, can be used by them, it's data to source and sell, made it very clear in the Cambridge Analitica scandal and now highlighted by the rise in AI how every single one of them uses posts as AI training data. And that's not even mentioning how these platforms fight for your attention in order to sell adds, we are reaching a point where even sites that were known for not having adds such as tumblr now features them as one of the few ways to keep the company afloat (though what afloat means can be very discussed as well, since most of them are public companies attending the interest and pockets of a millionaire/billionaire board of directors)
Now, not all social media platform are companies, simply take a look at Fediverse, which is a free and open source digital social structure that can be hosted in multiple services and not centralized in a single company or organization. It's a pretty interest alternative to how we understand our online lifes, but a decentralized operation means that there is also no moderation on servers, Mastodon, one of the biggest platforms of Fediverse, is a huge alt-right hub, there has also been cases of CSAM being distributed among the serves. Another complexity of this system is that it demands a certain know-how to start to use it. What can happen in these spaces is that you can find some pretty cool people discussing how to have a free and open internet, at the same time a different server can host the most nasty humans in the world.
But if you are expecting a social media network with a centralized domain, that can establish some sort of moderation and is able to be responsible to what it's shared on the platform you're expecting to be labor involved to keep it running, and I think this labor deserves to be reasonably paid. If the service is free, it means that I'm both labor and product, my data is certainly being sold and the page will most likely sooner or later be filled with adds because that is how traditionally these platforms can keep being free.
Premium Services that don't hinder the functionalities of the platform seems to me a reasonable alternative to keep a centralized domain working. I think Piffy is being pretty realistic and some what transparent when it comes to the reality of not having adds in a website. The instances when the creative labor of the users has been used, such as the Hinge and A24 partnership could have been more transparent and more detailed on where and how the responses were going to be used, but it was informed that those responses would be featured in adds.
In summary, I can't afford Piffy premium, but I would rather my profile looking a little bland compared to other users, that to be bombarded by affiliate links and adds.
Jul 22, 2025
Related Recs
Rec
📰anyone on pi.fyi will likely feel seen and heard when reading this. it basically accentuates all the redundancies and senseless aspects of social media and how it’s disrupted every industry and how we are all dominated by the algorithm and have to be our own hype person. i always feel like an idiot after i finish a record or a book that i'm really excited to share with the world, but then have to think about “content“ to promote the art itself. obviously pi.fyi feels likes a refreshing beacon of hope because artists can share their work here in a far more simple and wholesome manner. the article also addresses non-creative jobs like accountants and other professions that are all being forced to become an “influencer” of some sort or build a brand. it’s spooky, yet we’re all feeling the fatigue so hopefully we can see a less algorithmic future soon…
Feb 8, 2024
Rec
I was chatting with my friend over how stupid the new law that would require real identity verification to determine age online, and how bad the situation with Visa and Mastercard against Steam and Itch.io was. We're so upset that the internet is ravaged by data hungry and power friendzied companys who aim to monitor and control what we see or do under the pretext of "safetey". He brought up the possibility that the early 2000's and 2010's we're the golden age of the internet, and we're only living in the aftermath of corruption. I know that the 2000's and 2010's eras of the internet are already glorified (by me), but the thought that those times could never be surpassed is scary.
I sorta knew this was coming, I wrote about it in my senior essay to graduate, but to be honest I had too much to really fit into 3 pages. It's safe to say the evils of late stage capitalism know no bounds, thats why places like pi.fyi need to exist, but I almost feel like stuff like this isnt even safe to be on the internet anymore, like the very fact it's here makes it prone to some sort of corruption from a 3rd party, or regulations that just make it harder to commit to any real self expression. I guess I'm saying the internet no longer feels public (though maybe it never truly was to begin with). Don't get me wrong, I would never be an advocate for illegal activity, as long as the illegal activity pretains to immoral or dangerous actions.
Luv u pi.fyi!
Luv u pi.fyi!
18h ago
Rec
đźš«started writing this a few hours ago when i first saw this ask, then decided against posting but i've since changed my mind. there really is no justification for it outside of entitlement. even from a selfish lens, there's no long term benefit to its usage. it harms the world and culture in more ways than one.
a.) the water and energy usage that isn't a secret at this point. "no ethical consumption under capitalism" yadda yadda and yeah corporations are extremely culpable in the state of the environment but there really is no need for chatgpt and the planet is already too delicate at the moment.
b.) the exploitation of workers in the global south. this program is not just a computer figuring it all out, there are in fact humans behind it. it reminds me of the acceptance of fast fashion and how people have the tendency to divorce the idea of the garment worker from the garment they wear when all clothing is handmade in some way, shape or form. you need hands to man a sewing machine, you need human eyes to moderate content. also, content moderation can be a thankless job with psychological repercussions.
c.) the erosion of social skills, humanity and media literacy...this one is very personal. like, you have a cushy email job but can't write an email? you need a computer and a worker in kenya to get paid a dollar an hour to figure out a daily routine for you? i've seen the program churn out blatantly incorrect information. fine tuning a prompt or chat or whatever to give you the exact (possibly incorrect) answer you need isn't really that much less work than sharpening your research skills by cracking open a dictionary or using boolean search keys in google. again, the main issue with this kind of stuff is the entitlement to convenience, with no thought towards the repercussions within and outside of us. we are losing major recipes (critical thinking and media literacy) here, people!
i probably did an iffy job are coherently articulating my thoughts here but i am in fact, human. and that’s the beauty of it all.
a.) the water and energy usage that isn't a secret at this point. "no ethical consumption under capitalism" yadda yadda and yeah corporations are extremely culpable in the state of the environment but there really is no need for chatgpt and the planet is already too delicate at the moment.
b.) the exploitation of workers in the global south. this program is not just a computer figuring it all out, there are in fact humans behind it. it reminds me of the acceptance of fast fashion and how people have the tendency to divorce the idea of the garment worker from the garment they wear when all clothing is handmade in some way, shape or form. you need hands to man a sewing machine, you need human eyes to moderate content. also, content moderation can be a thankless job with psychological repercussions.
c.) the erosion of social skills, humanity and media literacy...this one is very personal. like, you have a cushy email job but can't write an email? you need a computer and a worker in kenya to get paid a dollar an hour to figure out a daily routine for you? i've seen the program churn out blatantly incorrect information. fine tuning a prompt or chat or whatever to give you the exact (possibly incorrect) answer you need isn't really that much less work than sharpening your research skills by cracking open a dictionary or using boolean search keys in google. again, the main issue with this kind of stuff is the entitlement to convenience, with no thought towards the repercussions within and outside of us. we are losing major recipes (critical thinking and media literacy) here, people!
i probably did an iffy job are coherently articulating my thoughts here but i am in fact, human. and that’s the beauty of it all.
Oct 1, 2024
Top Recs from @nanabo
Rec
🕵One of the things I like the most about Pi.fyi and the current scale of users is that it's still noticeable when a rec was inspired by another.
Sometimes the rec directly mentions the other, but other times you can kinda assume that reading an especific thing here triggered a memory or an ideia.
It's very cute and interesting to notice the small influences interacting with other humans online can have.
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🧽I know there are days when you are so tired, or maybe you made a big meal for friends and family or you spent the afternoon meal prepping and now you have to clean like five pots and a tray, but be brave!!! (my inner monologue)
Don't force your future self to wake up to a bunch of dirty dishes. It will keep your mind full because you will be constantly reminding yourself to clean that up.
Don't force your future self to wake up to a bunch of dirty dishes. It will keep your mind full because you will be constantly reminding yourself to clean that up.
Rec
đź“ UbuWeb - archive for video, text and sound, all avant gard art
Marxists.org - archive for marxist texts
CrimethInc - archive for anarchist publications and news
Aeon - magazine on philosophy and science
Eye on Design - magazine on design news
Failed Architecture - magazine on critical architecture and urbanism
LitHub - literary magazine
Anna's Archive - love of my life ♥️
A terra Ă© redonda - magazine of art and politics
Passa palavra - news and articles on Brazillian politics
Digilabour - news and articles about gig economy and surveillance capitalism