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Networks and Their Effects
In class this week, we read a chapter from “The Internet Con” by Cory Doctorow. This chapter, called “Network Effects vs. Switching Costs”, discusses what networks and the interesting elements that construct them are. I found networks to be very fascinating because they are VERY intertwined with day-to-day life. A network, in this context, is the web of people, features, values, ideas, benefits, and connections that come from using a specific brand, company, or product. For example, say you join the “Apple Network”. You get access to Find MyiPhone, iMessage, the App Store, Apple Watches, Apple Music, and much more. Anyone in your family who uses Apple can join your Apple family and you can see each other’s location, share apps, and share music. Since Apple is very established now with many aspects of its network, it is very appealing to join and reap the rewards.
However, if you feel the urge to buy a new brand of phone, you are faced with switching much more than just your phone. Going to an Android would mean having to send a green bubble text to all your friends, buy all new phone cables, and you would lose all your Apple Music playlists. These are called switching costs, the price you pay for leaving one network and going to another. Companies these days try to raise the costs up as much as possible to keep customers loyal.
Now that you know what networks and their effects are, try to think of some examples in your personal life. Also, keep switching costs in mind when you decide to sign up with a company because joining a new network might come with future switching costs.
Defining Content
We see “content” everyday, most often on social media. But what exactly is content? Content is anything contained in anything. Vague but it is true. School supplies in a desk is content. A ladder in the back of a truck is content. The chapters in a book are content. The paragraphs you are reading on this website are content. The Earth’s loved 7 major landmasses sitting in the Ocean and the atmosphere are contents… continents… eh same thing now. Anything that can be contained in anything else is content. We have reached the point where content on the internet does not need to contain any value whatsoever and it can succeed in being seen and influencing millions. Kate Eichhorn mentioned the “Instagram egg” in her book “Content” and how it did exactly that. It is kind of crazy, yes, but is it an issue? Valuable (knowledge, humor) content is still very widespread, so maybe some fluff content is not all that bad.
If content was a coin, it’s 2 sides would be consumption and creation. When it comes to choosing what to do with your time, you can either be a content creator or a content consumer. I believe we should all be inspired to learn how to create content and contribute to the vast ocean of creativity and knowledge.
AI, just can’t get enough
AI, the controversy of controversies. It is a data consuming machine that humans feed everything they can to it. In the book “Atlas of AI” by Kate Crawford where she discusses AI and how it works, there was a quote I really liked that raises controversy. It is on page 93 sauing, “the unswerving belief that everything is data and is there for the taking.” To AI, everything IS data. To understand the world and be able to operate like a human, which is the goal of many people working with it, it has to process all the variables. Converting pictures, videos, mug shots, private information, and everything into data will continue to happen, and I have a feeling mugshots are just the beginning. I saw a video online of AI being trained to turn WiFi routers into cameras. Link to the study (https://arxiv.org/pdf/2301.00250).
AI might view everything as data, but so do humans. The difference is that we are not consciously processing it as data or trying to set claims on who owns what. I guess humans learn more from experience, and you can’t set ownership on experiences. Try thinking about how an experience you had could be converted into valuable data for AI to use.
Comments
One response to “Week 3 – Networks and Their Effects, Defining Content, and more AI”
Hey, Bryson! Using Apple as an example of network effects and switching costs was a really effective move. The amount of programs, devices, and systems that are interconnected makes it so that once you dive into that “world,” it’s very difficult to transition to another system, such as Windows or Samsung. I completely agree that companies increase the switching costs so that it’s very costly to switch from one brand to another.
I like your interpretation of the word content, although it doesn’t necessarily match my own. Your sentiment that perhaps “fluff content” is needed amongst knowledge/humor was interesting to me. Aside from the example of the Instagram egg, how would you define “fluff content”? What is “valuable” and what is not?