because advertisers will do anything to sell something. even if not official ads id bet we see fake accounts pushing something like reddit has seen over the years
That's not how this works. Eventually the way we search instances gets weighed heavily to the content with ads. Look at podcasts or youtube. You just can't find that OG material and it's not just because the Joe Rogan are just that much better at podcasting. It's because the ads are expensive and the system is made to sell attention.
You cannot give an inch. You either have to stand firm and never tolerate any encroachment of advertising or you have to bend over and grab the ankles and brace for the massive ad injection into all our spaces. There can never be any middle ground. Like a weed you have to be proactive and the minute you let your guard down it'll take over wearing the face of your favorite ishowspeed clone.
It's sliding further and further to the right, calling out transphobia gets your comments removed now if it's against power users being transphobic or defending transphobia.
I did, actually, and my own comment was removed instead, so I blocked the transphobe and moved on. I'm sorry, but it's clear that Lemmy.world isn't the space for me so I am not going to interact with it.
Internet is sliding away from what it was originally in the worst way. it's to the point you cannot create anything without forcing ads into it. At what point does just forking the instance not work. Who says github doesn't just start charging people like an Azure subscription and then offer up as packages as a way to reduce cost
Be aware of ads. Not just the ones that are obvious. Be aware of the guy on your favorite GOT thrones instance posting about these cool new shirts he found online. Be skeptical of the ads right before Christmas where the viral video also has the same uncanny product placement of the full label in view of the camera as the girl jumps on the trampoline. Be aware. And then call it out.
Hell if you truly want to go back to OG internet go the Chicago way. Every ad you find, create 2 anti ads yourself saying how that t-shirt looks cool but you bought it and it ripped easily, after all if it isn't an ad who cares. If you see people posting a temu night light, maybe you knew someone who had one but it burned down their house. Fuck these ads up. They took our internet and turned it into a swap meet. Counter advertise.
Use their tactics against them. Counter advertising works as a test to see where your favorite sites are headed. Reddit would ban accounts by the end who were screwing with their ad spaces.
And let's get back to the idea of people being sellouts
It's probably the only way. If ads work by being inconspicuous and manipulates people by making us believe we need something we don't by making us feel inadequate and scared and envious through cultural appeals why wouldn't it work in reverse by making more people aware what ads are and secondly by showing people these products suck. If every ad dollar needs to risk having counter advertising they will stop or just make it legal or ban everyone who does it with the help of admin and mods. Either way it's a win for all of us systematically.
We all shit post already. What's an extra few comments to call out the people who have ruined all our favorite places.
Spam is a moderation/instance level problem. If your community is pinning ads, nobody's going to subscribe or participate in it. There's no value in doing so.