Airchat: Boring as hell
April 17, 2024 12:16 PM Subscribe
On Monday, I described Facebook as a “data holding pen for advertisers to harvest,” but it’s not just Facebook and it’s not just advertisers. Every social network — Reddit, Tumblr, X/Twitter, TikTok — is now primarily an AI training pool. Though, I’ve reached the point where I don’t even really care about that anymore. The real issue with Airchat is that it’s boring as hell. Ryan Broderick of Garbage Day critiques Airchat, a new “audio-first social network.”
...I’ve seen people on Airchat already talking about flying out to San Fransisco to meet all their new Airchat friends. Do not do this! You are in an MLM for people who know what Github is, but don’t know how to use it. Get help!
But the real reason I think Airchat is the ultimate sign of the end of Web 2.0 is that every new app now (that isn’t run by Bytedance) launches by dropping these same weirdos into a new enclosure. It’s the same 250 cool product managers and white nationalist crypto backpack zoomers jumping from one friendship casino to another. These are emo night cruises for people who remember Klout. Look, I don’t know what the future will bring, but we are clearly done with whatever this is. There is — there has to be — something new coming. For the love of god, people. We can’t keep doing this.
...I’ve seen people on Airchat already talking about flying out to San Fransisco to meet all their new Airchat friends. Do not do this! You are in an MLM for people who know what Github is, but don’t know how to use it. Get help!
But the real reason I think Airchat is the ultimate sign of the end of Web 2.0 is that every new app now (that isn’t run by Bytedance) launches by dropping these same weirdos into a new enclosure. It’s the same 250 cool product managers and white nationalist crypto backpack zoomers jumping from one friendship casino to another. These are emo night cruises for people who remember Klout. Look, I don’t know what the future will bring, but we are clearly done with whatever this is. There is — there has to be — something new coming. For the love of god, people. We can’t keep doing this.
"emo night cruises for people who remember Klout" this is beautiful.
posted by mhoye at 1:16 PM on April 17 [6 favorites]
posted by mhoye at 1:16 PM on April 17 [6 favorites]
freshman dorm room-tier icebreakers from wear-a-leather-jacket-in-the-office millennials
I'm in this article and I hate it
posted by Phobos the Space Potato at 1:31 PM on April 17 [4 favorites]
I'm in this article and I hate it
posted by Phobos the Space Potato at 1:31 PM on April 17 [4 favorites]
I'm guessing they're up to something nefarious, because there's really no way to make a profit on a social networking app without doing something nefarious...
It’s $5 a month or $45 a year and you get Discord access
...but it would sting more if the article didn't end with "please join my weirdo enclosure"
posted by credulous at 1:42 PM on April 17 [3 favorites]
It’s $5 a month or $45 a year and you get Discord access
...but it would sting more if the article didn't end with "please join my weirdo enclosure"
posted by credulous at 1:42 PM on April 17 [3 favorites]
Claiming Friendship Casino as a band name or album title.
posted by limeonaire at 2:04 PM on April 17 [3 favorites]
posted by limeonaire at 2:04 PM on April 17 [3 favorites]
I have a theory that there's an underlying dynamic here that explains a bunch of this kind of silliness. Basically, the idea is that, despite their vocal protestations to the contrary, these sorts of Silicon Valley people are not really interested in building sustainable businesses or even cool products. Their only real interest is in making money. And while you might be able to make money buy running a business and selling goods and/or services, that's not how you make real money. Not Whole Foods salad bar and Equinox membership money, but private island and government-leaders-on-speed-dial money. And the way you get that kind of money is with some kind of VC-powered moonshot: get a ton of money from VCs to crank up the hype for your company (either by actually having a good business or by having the best hype, most likely the latter) until you exit either via IPO or acquisition (nowadays, also more likely the latter). In this framework, it becomes a lot less mysterious why so many people keep making silly stuff that seems to appeal to only a small and weirdly idiosyncratic segment of the population ("250 cool product managers and white nationalist crypto backpack zoomers"). They're all chasing after the same pile of money held by a handful of VC firms because that's the most likely way to make the big bucks.
posted by mhum at 3:07 PM on April 17 [4 favorites]
posted by mhum at 3:07 PM on April 17 [4 favorites]
2024: pivot to audio
posted by chavenet at 3:12 PM on April 17 [5 favorites]
posted by chavenet at 3:12 PM on April 17 [5 favorites]
Blessedly, I had forgotten Klout.
posted by Bella Donna at 3:24 PM on April 17 [2 favorites]
posted by Bella Donna at 3:24 PM on April 17 [2 favorites]
I'm guessing they're up to something nefarious, because there's really no way to make a profit on a social networking app without doing something nefarious...
They're selling your voice to AI companies.
posted by Johnny Lawn and Garden at 5:51 PM on April 17 [7 favorites]
They're selling your voice to AI companies.
posted by Johnny Lawn and Garden at 5:51 PM on April 17 [7 favorites]
I love Ryan Broderick.
Came in to say that! His newsletter is excellent.
posted by ellieBOA at 6:11 AM on April 18 [2 favorites]
Came in to say that! His newsletter is excellent.
posted by ellieBOA at 6:11 AM on April 18 [2 favorites]
OK, what is a "Backpack Zoomer?"
posted by mattgriffin at 7:28 AM on April 18
posted by mattgriffin at 7:28 AM on April 18
...but it would sting more if the article didn't end with "please join my weirdo enclosure"
The speed run to the "and yet you participate in society" new best is 4rth comment in this here particular weirdo enclosure.
posted by srboisvert at 9:04 AM on April 18 [5 favorites]
The speed run to the "and yet you participate in society" new best is 4rth comment in this here particular weirdo enclosure.
posted by srboisvert at 9:04 AM on April 18 [5 favorites]
you are in an MLM for people who know what Github is, but don’t know how to use it
hahaha oh god
posted by deludingmyself at 12:44 PM on April 18 [4 favorites]
hahaha oh god
posted by deludingmyself at 12:44 PM on April 18 [4 favorites]
> get a ton of money from VCs to crank up the hype for your company […] until you exit
it’s all pump and dumps
p.s. 🌍🧑🚀🔫🧑🚀
posted by bombastic lowercase pronouncements at 2:33 PM on April 18 [1 favorite]
it’s all pump and dumps
p.s. 🌍🧑🚀🔫🧑🚀
posted by bombastic lowercase pronouncements at 2:33 PM on April 18 [1 favorite]
> OK, what is a "Backpack Zoomer?"
backpack zoomers are at war with the skibidi heads they’re allied with the cameras they’re often seen bravely rushing toilet tanks while the cameramen lay down artillery fire.
in case you’re wondering everything i just said is 100% true canon and knowing it indicates a deep familiarity with the source material and how it has developed over time and so therefore your kids and their friends will think you are extremely cool and awesome if you casually drop references to the stuff above every so often
posted by bombastic lowercase pronouncements at 2:43 PM on April 18
backpack zoomers are at war with the skibidi heads they’re allied with the cameras they’re often seen bravely rushing toilet tanks while the cameramen lay down artillery fire.
in case you’re wondering everything i just said is 100% true canon and knowing it indicates a deep familiarity with the source material and how it has developed over time and so therefore your kids and their friends will think you are extremely cool and awesome if you casually drop references to the stuff above every so often
posted by bombastic lowercase pronouncements at 2:43 PM on April 18
To quote Groucho Marx:
"I won't join any social network that'll have me."
posted by JustSayNoDawg at 3:41 PM on April 19 [1 favorite]
"I won't join any social network that'll have me."
posted by JustSayNoDawg at 3:41 PM on April 19 [1 favorite]
They're all chasing after the same pile of money held by a handful of VC firms because that's the most likely way to make the big bucks.
I remember seeing slides for a really interesting talk from... 2015? 2012? 2003? ...I have no idea, really - where they talked about how all of the targeted advertising hype that kept coming back in new form every iteration of the web wasn't about more effectively extracting money from consumers, it was about more effectively extracting money from VCs.
posted by clawsoon at 4:26 PM on April 19 [1 favorite]
I remember seeing slides for a really interesting talk from... 2015? 2012? 2003? ...I have no idea, really - where they talked about how all of the targeted advertising hype that kept coming back in new form every iteration of the web wasn't about more effectively extracting money from consumers, it was about more effectively extracting money from VCs.
posted by clawsoon at 4:26 PM on April 19 [1 favorite]
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posted by mattgriffin at 12:55 PM on April 17 [3 favorites]