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I can't see it being cheaper to buy and sell bitcoin than just transferring money between accounts, but I'm assuming the bitcoin exchanges are at least skimming something from the transaction too.



On social media, I'd seen a post by someone who actually recorded their feed and discovered that about 80% of the first 100 or so items on their feed was from friends of followed groups, the rest was suggested or adverts.

After seeing that I've become a lot more aware of how much crap I've been subconsciously scrolling past, and on TikTok/Facebook it certainly fits that I'm skipping at least 4 in 5 things.

I dunno, transaction fees and/or exchange rates from banks/ATM providers are absolutely downextortionate.
Some online broker skimming even as much as 10% off the top is likely still cheaper than that.

I think it also varies a lot by country. My impression is that places like the USA have a lot more fees attached to things like banking than places like the UK.

That's purely a rough impression I get from seeing people talk about things ;but it could also just be a bias that I've seen more people from the USA talking about money exchanges and bank fees than those from the UK.

 Mad Doc Grotsnik wrote:
It’s basically betting on Exchange Rates.

I don’t deal with investment complaints, so my knowledge is limited. But it involves two parties. One betting a currency will rise, the other betting it will fall, with the loser paying the winner the difference between the value of the asset the beginning and the end of the contract.

Now, if you know what you’re doing, including the staggering risks involved? You can make decent profits.

But hey, there’s a reason they’re not to be promoted to anyone apart from already experienced investors.

So basically short selling but via handing currency back and forth.

I guess 🤣🤣

In other “death of the appeal of social media” news?

The insipid rise of Instagram posts where you’ve stolen someone else’s content, and “remixed it” to include your gormless face reacting.

If you’re sharing it, I’m already gonna assume you found it funny. I do not need nor want you reaction to tell me it was funny.

I am not a sitcom audience. Your digital canned laughter is powerless here.

Also, idiot “trends”. Like rawdogging a flight. It’s not impressive, you’re just a tosser. And on a related note, if you need to repeatedly tell others you’re an “alpha male”. Chances are high you are, once again, just a tosser.

Yeah, I think we discussed reaction videos earlier... There are some that are actually useful and interesting, like the opera singer who analyses popular music, or the chef who critiques amateur cooking videos... But for the most part, I don't see the point.

And don't get me started on the fact that Gogglebox is an actual TV show made by actual TV networks using actual money.

Oh professional reaction stuff on YouTube can indeed be informative.

But these are just some vacuum of charisma “reacting” to a reel or similar. With their face interposed.

Yeah, but put a cat or dog reacting over it, and it's gold..... right..... RIGHT!

Soft as I am for both species?

Not even then.

Was back on Facebook again for a moment and learned that Spartans were actually African and that the Moors were the original rulers of Japan in the past. I'm not sure why I get these but my guess is having all tracking items blocked and probably the first time one popped up I looked at the comments because of "lolwat".

 Ahtman wrote:
Was back on Facebook again for a moment and learned that Spartans were actually African and that the Moors were the original rulers of Japan in the past. I'm not sure why I get these but my guess is having all tracking items blocked and probably the first time one popped up I looked at the comments because of "lolwat".

Someday someone should just make a historical fiction series where all wacky pseudohistory fantasies are true and have every episode start with 'based on a true story. trust me bro.'

That’s…that’s Graham Hancock. Isn’t it ?

I've just made the jump from Twitter to Bluesky and ... wow, it's so much better.

 insaniak wrote:
I've just made the jump from Twitter to Bluesky and ... wow, it's so much better.

Don't forget to make copious use of the block tool! It works very differently than other social media platforms, and using it makes your feed and others a much better place.

Yeah, block hasn't been necessary yet, but it's good that it's there.

The more positive tone in general is nice, and not having comment threads filled with bots is a very welcome point of difference, as is the lack of giant, repetitive ads every three posts.

 insaniak wrote:
I've just made the jump from Twitter to Bluesky and ... wow, it's so much better.

It is!

Won’t be joining myself, but I’m in favour of Twitter continuing to implode and lose Musk even more money.

Instagram announced that they will stop allowing you to follow hashtags.

As a user, I am struggling to understand what the point of the platform will be.

As a business person, it is clear they want to dictate to us what the user sees even more. And what you will see will be ads and paid content.

I think I am going to drop it and Facebook and stop most of my Social Media efforts going forward. They are no longer useful to reach my target audience.

You can't follow hashtags? Isn't that the whole point of hashtags?

 Overread wrote:
You can't follow hashtags? Isn't that the whole point of hashtags?

That's kind of what I thought too. Presumably the hashtags were too effective at helping people find the content they wanted, rather than the content Instagram would like to push at you, so they had to go.

 Overread wrote:
You can't follow hashtags? Isn't that the whole point of hashtags?

I thought they were to search for, to be honest with you, not too follow.

 Overread wrote:
You can't follow hashtags? Isn't that the whole point of hashtags?

They were until every post was a small essay of hashtags, though I see it's been limited to 30. That's 27 too many.

Pranks.

Or should I say “pranks”.

Where it’s so painfully, obviously, carefully orchestrated.

All that effort, and it’s not even entertaining.

Also anything captioned with variations on 'I laughed so hard!' is unlikely to to funny, and if you, Hypothetical Content Creator, need to tell me to 'watch to the end!' you probably need to learn how to make more engaging video.

Oh, and if YouTube video channels like WhatCulture could recruit narrators that speak with something approaching a natural cadence, that’d be fab.

Content creators that split content into parts 1 & 2 either trying to get you to subscribe for when part 2 shows up, or to follow them on a different platform for part 2.

There is a special place in hell for the people who make animal "rescue" videos after torturing the animal to need rescue in the first place.

 Baragash wrote:
Content creators that split content into parts 1 & 2 either trying to get you to subscribe for when part 2 shows up, or to follow them on a different platform for part 2.

Like when Arbiter Ian did a whole series on original Necromunda and said he would talk about the newest Necromunda later and it has been years and nothing. Now we're all sad and angry and there is nothing we can do about it.

I'm ok with split videos if the first part is breaking 45+ minutes... but then I like video essays.

 Mad Doc Grotsnik wrote:
Oh, and if YouTube video channels like WhatCulture could recruit narrators that speak with something approaching a natural cadence, that’d be fab.

You can change the playback speed on YouTube. So much content is a lot better at 1.5x.