I chose Angela’s post of her Task 10 Attention Economy for my 4th linking assignment (her post can be found here).
Angela and I both experienced the same frustrations and annoyances with Ineryface. However, I choose Angela’s post as she made a connection I had not thought of before by linking the “subversive subliminal advertising controversy in the ’60’s and ’70’s” to the subtle, deceptive and manipulative way some sites use in order to gather your information today.
Angela’s post reminds us again that some ideas and concepts are being reused and recycled like our readings comparing the changes of text in Module 4 from Scroll to Codex. The codex allowed for more access to texts than ever before (Lamb et. al., 2020). However, what we pay attention to on the internet is a far worse concern than choosing to buy a book (or not). The consequences of what we pay attention to and how we are manipulated is clear as Harris (2017) and Tufekci (2017) discuss, and the subtle (or not so subtle) ways in which sites direct our attention was completely (and frustratingly clear) within Ineryface.
Like the advertising controversy in the 60’s and 70’s, the concept of knowing better therefore doing better is key. This concept, I believe, links with then final questions Angela poses at the end of her post on click bait, increasing site visits and monetizing visitors. Education for everyone becomes incredibly important when we are becoming the product and Kernaghan (2021) further highlights the importance of education amongst our youth by stating the more they understand more informed decisions that can be made. Additionally, Lee et. al. (2019) describes the importance of public policy within best practices in protecting consumers, this becomes another important factor in understanding our rights. Furthermore, Brignall (2011) and Harris (2017) encourage more accountability, transparency and simplicity amongst sites. This honest tactic has been used by some sites at a benefit to both consumers and creators.
I appreciated Angela’s post as it had be looking back in our history (again) as a perspective in what worked in the past.
Brignull, H. (2011). Dark patterns: Deception vs. honesty in UI design. A List Apart, 338.
Harris, T. (2017). How a handful of tech companies control billions of minds every day. TED.
Kernaghan, C. (March 19, 2021). The dark UX patterns targeting children: And how in-app advertising proliferated during the pandemic. UX Collective. https://uxdesign.cc/the-dark-ux-patterns-targeting-children-6c6cb1f0624d
Lamb, R., & McCormick, J. (2020, May 26). From the vault: Invention of the book. In Stuff to blow your mind. iHeart Radio.
Lamb, R., & McCormick, J. (2020, May 28). From the vault: Invention of the book, part 2. In Stuff to blow your mind. iHeart Radio.
Lee, N., Resnick, P., & Barton, G. (May 22, 2019). Algorithmic bias detection and mitigation: Best practices and policies to reduce consumer harms, Brookings. https://www.brookings.edu/research/algorithmic-bias-detection-and-mitigation-best-practices-and-policies-to-reduce-consumer-harms/
Tufekci, Z. (2017). We’re building a dystopia just to make people click on ads. TED.