The Real Reason Facebook Wants A Metaverse

[@knowledgehusk]

I have another channel, hence why uploads are more sparse nowadays. kzbin.info/door/vg_4SPPEZ7y4pk_iB7z6sw As for this vid, I originally had a 20-30 minute vid planned discussing every aspect of a potential metaverse, but I'll wait on that till it's even remotely relevant.

[@salilbhatnagar]

Nice!

[@fuqupal]

Just start calling META make everything trump again and no one will touch it

[@bigbrownhouse6999]

I get recommendations for your other channels but seldom realize that it is you because there is little continuity between their names, thumbnails, and profile pictures. If they had more of a common theme I probably would be subscribed to them all. Just a bit of constructive criticism from my perspective, for what it’s worth.

[@sammexp]

You forgot to say that people were against Novels as well when it came out. Because people didn’t have small talks while waiting for the Tramway, like before

[@christiangibson1867]

I like your new channel. I subbed when you announced it. I really enjoy your latest content, it seems like you really found your niche. Hope you keep doing what you're doing and making videos you enjoy!

[@Gh0sb0ss]

I can not imagine people unironically using meta or VR for business meetings imagine being fired by your boss's fursona

[@mongster5780]

You're in for a rude awakening when you learn about augmented reality. And no, it isn't a bad thing.

[@diablo.the.cheater]

Imagine 'firing' your boss in your fursona by saying u are going to other place that pays you more AND let's you use your fursona in internal meetings.

[@blazefoster5845]

@@mongster5780 well I’m not sure about business meetings but I know on VR Chat, there was a jobs fair for programmers, designers for some companies. They created a world that was essentially a luxurious office space and held interviews. It was pretty interesting to see

[@ediodimacaroni]

I'm sorry i have to lay you off uwu

[@Robert399]

I completely agree. Having stupid Mii-like avatars around a desk is inferior to a Zoom call (or Skype or anything else). The avatars are a downgrade compared to live video, plus most people want a camera frame they can manipulate - they don't want their body motions being recorded constantly. "Immersion" is not a bonus.

[@TheElvenKeys]

"we're building THE Metaverse" translation: we want to move the world to a platform we own, so we can essentially own the world

[@Eli-dk3fr]

exactly

[@jessicacox2005]

Understated perfection my friend

[@alicia2931]

Yup

[@introverteddawg9805]

I'm afraid the average person won't understand that before its too late.

[@andreamoscoso4065]

Yeah and boy will they try.

[@AndrewFullerton]

I was genuinely thinking "Oh, that's pretty decent CGI, it looks almost like a real person" then I realized it was actually the "real" Zucc

[@ortherner]

lmao same

[@BeTheLight242]

What? I thought that whole thing took place in the meta?! I thought zucc was in the meta when he was showing us the meta! I'm now convinced he's not a human

[@JeredtheShy]

Funniest thing I've seen in recent memory is actual Zuck standing next to a wax statue of himself and he's the one who looks fake.

[@ortherner]

@@JeredtheShy lmao

[@josetO8]

tbh his image is soo heavily edited that he could probably qualify as motion capture CGI. Cleaning out his skin to such a level is ridiculous.

[@wheres_bears1378]

Living in the metaverse is like having a relationship with a blow up doll

[@Gandhi_Physique]

"Hey bro, you wanna hang out this weekend?" "Sorry man, gotta do my prison tasks in the meta-verse or I'll be banned"

[@ThepurposeofTime]

Vs Today "Hey bro! You wanna hang out this weekend?" "Yeah bro! Let's do it" (Both spend 80% of the weekend on their phones)

[@Coal_the_rock]

@@ThepurposeofTime but they playing minecraft together :)

[@coachreenasharma]

@@Coal_the_rock exactly, they're on screens

[@internallyinteral]

Hey bro u wanna hang out? No I'm too busy playing genshin impact/any number of RPGs. Of course no one will ever say it directly but it's heavily implied.

[@mimszanadunstedt441]

Prison tasks: '[redacted because explicit] and accept a bribe on Jeffrey Epstein's cell'

[@AmberCommentsThings]

The digital render of Zuckerberg still looks more realistic than the real one

[@asahearts1]

When he put the real pic up I thought it was fake for a minute.

[@VulpesHilarianus]

Dude has a deepfake aspect to his actual face. Even his movements don't dispel the uncanny valley effect.

[@635574]

I am freaked out when something that looks like the robot puppet of sugar mountain has a default smile

[@vylbird8014]

Why does the final paragraph of Animal Farm come to mind?

[@SA-mo3hq]

My only question is who is deeper in the uncanny valley - Zucks or Elon?

[@e2rqey]

Just had the terrible realization that large scale corporate investment in the concept of the metaverse creates a massive financial incentive to make the real world as shitty a place as possible. As you said, the entire metaverse concept is one fundamentally rooted in escapism. You can make the metaverse great by investing lots of money in it and sacrificing your control over it to a certain degree in order to get third party buy-in and leverage the open source community OOORRRRR you could just make reality worse.

[@gabbo7101]

And since most big corporations are on the fast track to destroying the planet, if this decision ever has to be made, it'll be the latter option.

[@cloakdagger4711]

Just like Wall-E

[@gabbo7101]

@@cloakdagger4711 That isnt what happened in wall-e though? the world wasnt destroyed deliberatly, it just so happens that the main evacuation force is a giant multi-natiuonal corporation

[@ethanlynch8275]

Ouch. The worst part about this comment is A) that it makes sense and B) there isn’t a clear cut way to stop this trend (There is one but it will go unmentioned, I hope you understand why).

[@TheRenegade...]

@@gabbo7101 Considering the sheer amount of trash, I have a hard time believing it wasn't intentional.

[@casicyber9842]

rule 1 to spot a scam: don't invest into a video that doesn't show an actual product that can be demo. animating your idea in a 3D art program is a shocking sign to say NO to the idea.

[@InfamousKicker]

Monetize human actions. That’s the ultimate goal. They want to monetize and control every aspect of human life they can

[@Butter_Warrior99]

How else are we gonna get into the dystopia?

[@jamesbaxter5147]

Need to work? Pay to use our VR system. Want to have some good fun? Pay to use our VR system. Do you want to meet some new people? Pay to use our VR system. Do you want to start over, to have another chance at life, to escape your mundane failure of a life where you get paid shit and have no meaningful connections? ... Pay to use our VR system. The goal is to exploit our insecurities, our inability to live in *their* world (one where you need to know complex technical skills, such as how to code, to make a decent living), to get us to focus on another one. Pretty dystopic, that we might get so preoccupied with VR that we just let these Douchebags take full control of society, not caring as long as we can fulfill fantasies in “The Metaverse”.

[@iainmcdonald9032]

The ultimate irony is that the rich will become a part of the system because when every aspect of life is controlled, every human monitored and a true dystopia arises, everyone is a slave, the people who control the corporations and governments are building a species wide bird cage and they think it doesn't imprison them, but it does and it always does.

[@ob3ythee.t.128]

@@jamesbaxter5147 I fear alot more people are gonna jump in and prefer spending most of their time with services like the metaverse. I mean VRchat is bad enough for internet addiction now imagine having an excuse because you have a business meeting in some poorly rendered office room lmao.

[@mastershadowreaper]

I mean his name is Zucker"berg" lmao of course it's all about money. he doesn't care about us. we're slaves to him

[@khata1169]

We truly live in the lamest dystopia

[@gianttacogod]

At least there is a evil lizard

[@radiantsquare007jrdeluxe9]

All hail Emperor Zuck

[@oldmukashiii]

IM ROLLING😭😭😭😭😭😭

[@nok4799]

At this point, I want an Alien invasion to happen☠️

[@1221-o7e]

There wasn't even a climax reveal 0/10

[@richpryor9650]

Jokes on them when they realize that 80% of their user base are boomers who barely know how to update windows let alone figure out VR.

[@thetruth4829]

They own Instagram and WhatsApp

[@crypticcryptid4702]

@@thetruth4829 I just hope that the younger people are well versed in technology to know how badly this can turn out.

[@davidndounou]

@@crypticcryptid4702 how could they be ?

[@davidndounou]

@@crypticcryptid4702 either way, VR is several decades away from reaching mainstream affordability so the fact that they are announcing it now is definitely just shooting themselves in the leg

[@dixiefish0173]

@@crypticcryptid4702 oh I am, the world becoming very dystopian just read 1984 it’s here, am surprised boomer’s don’t see it.

[@EhXKoRR]

I have a feeling this is going to make the gap between the upper and lower classes even more apparent, especially if/when the world and the way it operated gradually shifts solely onto VR.

[@teemumiettinen7250]

interesting, why do you think so? To become upper class you have to go to college and university which costs shitload of money, not everyone can do that. But in metaverse you can be anything, nobody gives a shit about your uni degree there.

[@xanxinha]

Now imagine you dont have the money to buy a $3000,00 setup to attend certain events, classes, hobbies, etc.

[@heresjohnny23.7]

Lower “classes” will soon be just one class essentially.

[@shariqhasan6220]

@@teemumiettinen7250 But you still would need to purchase the required hardware which is probably going to be pretty expensive unless they provide it for free.

[@deadasparagus]

No dystopian author of the past could have ever imagined a scenario so awful, so terrifying, yet so boring as the one we find ourselves in today.

[@redpillow7221]

I think Aldous Huxley came close. We're currently ruled by inane pleasures.

[@jamalisujang2712]

I just want cool mechs, bionics, bright neon lights, is that so hard?

[@Live-qf2lg]

This looks like those old quotes that would show up when you died in a call of duty game. That says something.

[@andret3739]

The apocalypse is not going to be a big sudden explosive change, instead its going to be slow and boring and you wont even realize its happening until it is done

[@pedrolmlkzk]

@@andret3739 you say that until a archduke gets shot somewhere and nukes fall from the sky

[@one_smol_duck]

This seems like the kind of pet project that could totally bankrupt a company. I'm really hoping that's what happens.

[@smittyvanjagermanjenson182]

The quest 2 is the 3rd most wished for gaming product on Amazon. Bankruptcy isn't happening.

[@stoyantodorov2133]

@@smittyvanjagermanjenson182 Understandable. It is incredibly good for its price. They can afford to undercut the competition.

[@panekmemes]

It's their last gambit. They know that when the boomers die facebook will too, and the company is down the drain. If the metaverse fails, we win

[@iamnotcreativeenoughforana5875]

But then we would lose oculus.

[@carlosnava1471]

@@iamnotcreativeenoughforana5875 A small price to pay for salvation

[@Sizifus]

Regardless of what you think of Zuckerburger, you gotta admit, he's the perfect mascot for a soulless corporation. And that reminds me, at some point in your life, you have to sell your soul to get this big.

[@CaponeXX]

It's true, the reason I don't have a job, a girl or anything remotely happy in my life is because I refused to sell my soul, yeeep.

[@Sizifus]

@@CaponeXX Bruh, in what kind of hell hole do you live in?

[@CaponeXX]

@@Sizifus Israel 2022

[@sethiddings7293]

Power grows much faster than strength. Strength you gotta do the same thing every day for years and years and years of boring hard work to become remotely proficient. Power grows all on it's own, all you gotta do is let go of all the things that don't make sense to it's proliferation (love, a soul, a conscience). Corruption comes when you become more powerful than you are strong. The snowball is already rolling down hill and the only thing that's going to stop it is when it crashes into something. Then power will find a new host, always another host.

[@TheDailyGlobe922]

Agreed Mark would be perfect for such a soulless corporation since robots are soulless

[@WrestlingColin]

"The rhetoric around the smart phone was that people were too addicted to technology." Well, that one was accurate at least.

[@andrejspecht8217]

You know... This corporate design, the attempt to look as non - threating, soft and friendly as possible, that falls straight into uncanny valley for me. I'm not against VR - but this is a big project that grows upon the remains of bulwark of digital tyranny in a soft, friendly- and nonthreating-looking shell. You know what facebook is. This is a improved clone of it.

[@PureAeternum]

non threatening and friendly, that's how they lure you in, and the next thing you know they unfurl their fangs but it's too late! they'll suck out all your dopamine and empty your wallet.

[@yama123numbercauseytdemand4]

Facebook adheres to the 48th rule of acquisition: ,,The bigger the smile the sharper the knife!"

[@jonathanallard2128]

Insert Ukulele in ads to make them sound harmless* Ever noticed since a few years, EVERY fuckin ad has ukulele as music because ukulele sounds like the happiest least threatening instrument? Because of corporations overusing this I now hate ukulele with all my heart. I thought you could understand.

[@andrejspecht8217]

@@jonathanallard2128 Yes, i do understand. Sometimes i think i'd watch an ad with death metal, infernal fires and most greasy CEO with horns on head saying things like "yes, we're evil arsehoes but we're honest about it and we want your money - but we have what you want" - i'd respect that.

[@jonathanallard2128]

@@andrejspecht8217 Yes!

[@AleksWorkshop]

we already have vrchat go away meta

[@ungabunga2]

#BoycottToxicFacebook

[@infinitepower6780]

@@ungabunga2 Facebook as a company doesn't exist anymore. It's META now

[@soulbfkinzkatcupkakes5aptw449]

VRChat and Secondlife is better.

[@ronipriestress]

EXACTLYYY

[@chuckbenger8918]

@@ungabunga2 lol someones been living under a rock

[@DonVigaDeFierro]

This "Metaverse" shit is literally just VRChat, but somehow meant to be taken seriously. This is dead on arrival, and I honestly couldn't care less.

[@sharp7j]

@@VikingTeddy Its google glass all over again

[@Curry-tan-]

I doubt it's expected to financially succeed. This VR "metaverse" is here to take up space and discourage competition. Facebook controls their own ads for a massive amount of people and can easily frame themselves as the go-to VR market for people who aren't techies. They don't need good service or many users, just a constant reminder to people that "if you get the gear we're right here one click away". Even if it cost Facebook 100 billion dollars over ten years, by the time the technology follows they could have the de-facto market and can probably recoup the cost for decades after that.

[@futavadumnezo]

That's what matters: don't care. If we don't care it will just go away. Stop using Facebook and what's app.

[@alikengi17]

Just imagine vrchat on Blockchain. Oh wait same thing

[@jacksparrow-pm7di]

I agree Facebooks/Metas Metaverse just sounds just like Vrchat but with more ingame markets atleast to me it does

[@gradynelson27]

I didn’t think VR would turn into anything like this. I think it’s only fun when you play games with your friends.

[@lewatoaofair2522]

I don’t know which is scarier, big corporations fulfilling the prophecies of sci-fi stories, or having zero sense of irony from said stories’ commentary.

[@redpillow7221]

I'm pretty sure Zuckertron has never seen Alien, RoboCop, or Idiocracy.

[@uhohhotdog]

The latter is much scarier

[@rjs4176]

Those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it...

[@635574]

@@redpillow7221 i heard people who didnt see the old star wars exist, maybe he's one too

[@Netist_]

I mean, just look at how many corporations and governments are interpreting 1984 as a manual instead of a warning.

[@nettogames4268]

Fun fact- There's a company called "Meta", and they own the name. Facebook offered money to buy it (not enough to even cover the costs of Meta changing their own name), and Meta said no. Facebook insisted, still not offering enough to make them break even. Meta still said no. Facebook decided to then just ignore their ownership of the name and use it anyway without buying it off them.

[@larsswig912]

bruh facebook is gonna get sued again lmfao

[@orbusg8451]

@@larsswig912 They don't care, facebook has facebook money. Even if they could win against facebooks army of high priced lawyers, they could never sue facebook for enough money for them to care.

[@vylbird8014]

There are many companies called meta, because it's one of the generic 'cool tech words.' Doesn't actually matter what it means, it just sounds smart. (It's a Greek-derived prefix. In modern use usually means 'surpassing with self-reference.' So a 'metaverse' would be a universe composed of universes... which is exactly why it will be familiar to all comic book fans.)

[@nettogames4268]

@@vylbird8014 It's a Chicago-based tech firm. They own the company name legally, meaning facebook would have to buy it off them. They're asking $20mil. Given the fact they need to go through rebranding, including all the loss of profits that occur during it (as they basically start from ground 0 with brand awareness which is a huge deal), that's a fair asking price. Facebook recognize that company has the legal right to the name. They proved this by contacting the company first to offer for it. The company said no, because the price was too low. Facebook, after recognizing they do not hold the legal right to the name, and after being told no, is ignoring this legal right now and using it anyway. Facebook knows what its doing. They've acknowledged that they need to purchase the name first, and have actively chosen not to.

[@arthas640]

That's perfectly legal, in order to prove trademark or copyright infringement they have to be in the same field and competing for the same customers in the same areas. That's why you can have a plumber and an electrician in the same area both called something like "Reliable Repairs" (same name, same area, different fields) or you can have 2 restaurants in different towns both called "Taco Tuesday" (same name, same field, different areas). With the other "Meta" company they actually have a different name, "Meta PC's" and they're not a social media company, they sell gaming computers. To make things even more confusing it can be really hard to trademark a generic name like "Meta" since even if you had the name BEFORE it became generic you can suffer from "trade mark genericifcation" which dilutes your trademark and makes it impossible to protect, that's why the people who started selling the first "escalators" have competing companies also selling things called "escalators" even though it started out as a brand name. There's also tons of difficulty in trademarking single words, especially existing words (made up words are easy), that's why McDonalds hasnt change their name to "Burger", Microsoft hasnt changed their name to "Computers", and Comcast changed their name to "Xfinity" and not just "Infinity".

[@fridgegaming1544]

If this takes off, I want people with hacked clients to join important / private meetings and invite hundreds of people. Having annoying people join your world is bad enough in VRChat. A virtual world where nothing is ever truly absolutely secure is practically meant to be exploited.

[@117Dub]

metaverse nuke script

[@liangarvas8139]

metaverse gun script

[@neutrin0329]

I can imagine that scene in the matrix where Neo walks through the metal detector with dozens of guns strapped to his body

[@m3mz614]

twomad raids an official government meeting

[@nick012000]

@@m3mz614 in 2b2t, the oldest anarchy server in the metaverse

[@MrTubeyboy]

All I can say is that I'm truly happy that the majority of the comments are against this soulless idea. people power!

[@randomgrinn]

That is good, but it doesn't mean Metaverse will fail. People have no power. Money is power, the Billionaires have the power.

[@fatiheryilmaz2243]

Why are you against?? This is such an amazing technology and I will buy one 100%

[@MrTubeyboy]

@@randomgrinn I beg the differ, the people definitely have power,its just the matter of who will use their power. Look at the trucker convoy in Canada they're making a lot of noise with many supporters. That is power. Once people realize how the metavesrse will mentally destroy humanity it will be then where the people show these billionaires who really call the shots. Without people these billionaires have nothing.

[@MrTubeyboy]

@@fatiheryilmaz2243 It is not the technology itself that i'm against,I'm against the harm that it can cause. The entire world spent time apart because politicians caged us in and spewed nothing but fear and propaganda and now the metaverse is something else to distract humanity with, keeping people further away from each other and reality. It is not healthy

[@fatiheryilmaz2243]

@@MrTubeyboy I understand what you are saying. With phones there is also some “harm”, for example people getting addicted to some apps or games. Does this mean that we would be better of without phones? Or without gaming consoles. The technology will just keep growing and the humanity will change because I believe it needs to change. We are just primates that can influence our environment. The upcoming of AI is another thing. These are just tools for the people to make their life more comfortable and exiting. Even if it means that there is some level of danger in it. I rather call that escapism and I would not say that the metaverse is the problem. A lot of people do escapism with drugs or whatever so the metaverse does not add a problem here. So with what you are saying, maybe metaverse will even get drug addicted people out of drugs cuz now they will just enjoy the metaverse and get a dopamine rush. Technology will change and there is no was to stop it, so I would say don’t overreact and if you don’t want to use it, cool don’t use it but I bet you will in the near future. Just enjoy the beauty of the time we are living.

[@Danaredlp]

"Even the best product can be ruined by upper management" Never have i heard anything so true.

[@zknarc]

Dilbert hit too close to home

[@shaider1982]

Rockstar did just that recently

[@dixiefish0173]

@@shaider1982 why gta5 sucks & red dead 2 gets updates of basically the same crap

[@joshs2734]

This is the most "Saturday morning cartoon, take over the world" plan I've ever seen in real life. The entire idea is just bonkers and a little bit terrifying. The idea of a company as large as LegNovel basically owning the entire internet and controlling everything is beyond dystopian. We basically already live in a cyberpunk nightmare. The last thing huge companies need is more control of the internet than they already have. The internet is one of the last (somewhat) free things left. That said, there's no way it's going to take off. It's too large of an idea, would require so much infrastructure and investment in multiple fields. Everyone would have to own a VR headset. I think it's going to die within a year. But just the fact that the human lizard wants to create this, instead of addressing the massive damage his site has done to the country, is scary as hell.

[@slyseal2091]

I wouldn't really worry about it, the internet is so conceptually untied from ownership, even if this were to take off in any capacity it wouldn't cut down on the free part of itself. And at that point it's just a matter of competitive software.

[@oldmukashiii]

*(Smartphone noises intensify)*

[@cosmosyn2514]

Considering that companies willing to sell products at a loss is far from unheard of, I wouldn’t be surprised if Fuckbook decided to sell Oculus Headsets at a loss to disperse VR to as much of the population as possible.

[@CyanSoups]

Thinking VR is going to die in a year is as stupid as thinking TV or the Internet would. VR is a completely new medium with it's own brand-new perks, it's extremely unlikely to just die off.

[@joshs2734]

@@CyanSoups I didn't say VR is going to die in a year. I said that I think the whole metaverse idea will probably be dead within a year. Of course, I could be 1000% wrong about that. Maybe it will thrive. But of course VR isn't going to be dead in a year. I don't know what the future holds for it, but I'm sure it will be around for a very long time.

[@darken2417]

Sounds like Tyler hasn't discovered VRchat yet, o boy that'll be funny.

[@ErikWarhammer]

Or Facebook either, lol!

[@darken2417]

@@ErikWarhammer True, not only did they make basic terrible looking avatars but the pretend features in it are behind even a crappy meme game.

[@e2rqey]

@@ErikWarhammer thank god

[@acanadianderg4035]

I've heard people actually get married there

[@darken2417]

@@acanadianderg4035 Well people got married in World of Warcraft so I wouldn't be surprised. Especially since you could probably get a far nicer setting for the ceremony than you could on an average income. Imagining someone setting up a map with a cathedral on the moon overlooking the Earth, easy to model.

[@boiledelephant]

After a long time pushing the issue around, I decided that all of those nay-sayers about technology aren't just reflexively hating the new thing; they were making accurate assessments. TV *has* trashed our culture. Smartphones *are* addictive and time-wasting. Social media *is* toxic and isolating. Cars *did* ruin our landscapes. These were valid criticisms when the things were new and they're valid criticisms now.

[@jimreily7538]

Absolutely

[@adjjal]

This. This.

[@pampazapp4169]

They helped our society more than what it worsened it

[@lordnordsucc4082]

So cry I guess?

[@MichaelDavis-cy4ok]

@@pampazapp4169 It depends greatly on how you measure "help." Food, healthcare, transportation, education, and social mobility are all more readily available than ever before. This is certainly a great help in society. That said, greater connectivity has dramatically reduced leisure time because most people can be contacted 24 hours per day. We have more communication but many of our relationships are more transitory and less meaningful, to include family relationships. People date more but marry less and divorce more frequently (for both good and bad reasons and with good and bad results). We have more safety infrastructure but that often leads to more carelessness. In many ways, society is objectively far better off in the material sense than we were 50 years ago. But in many ways, we're far more addicted to consumerism and far less fulfilled than we used to be. That doesn't mean engineers and telecommunications are the enemy. It just means our environment is something we're still adapting to and we need more wisdom along with all our technical abilities.

[@chrisfromsouthaus2735]

"If everybody looks artificial, then no one does" - Zukerbot

[@Goddessღ]

LOLLOOLLLOL insecureberg

[@TheBasementDweller84]

a.k.a. Commander Data

[@nicholasbstone]

@@TheBasementDweller84 Yes! He looks a lot like Data, especially the eyes.

[@Cat-Nipples]

Zuker is sugar in german, so zukerbot is sugarbot Zukerdaddy

[@FC_Twente_8469]

He looks more like a clown in a parody show

[@TurtleSauceGaming]

It's crazy that a company can be so hated yet so dominant because consumers continue to use it.

[@DiamondsRexpensive]

It is called hypocrisy, something humans are great at.

[@Jose04537]

Amazon? Walmart? EA? Disney?

[@latinaalma1947]

I dont I wont. Hate Zuck.

[@AsuraVGC]

Cause face book owns Major of ur communication app

[@BlueisNotaWarmColour]

@@Jose04537 I use Amazon because well... I don't hate Amazon enough to not use it. But all the others, I boycott, and it's honestly really easy. Anybody can stop relying on these corporations.

[@karuma6635]

The funniest thing about facebook changing it's name to "Meta" is that it's quiet literally the Polish word for meth.

[@YuTuboTuTubas]

Good point

[@ethanscinematicuniverse3260]

It also sounds like the name to a 13 year Olds imaginary super villian they came up with

[@kenos911]

Funny enough, they’re breaking the law by using the name. “Meta” is already owned by another company

[@karuma6635]

@@kenos911 But it's fucking facebook, one of the biggest corporations in the world, they'll probably get away with it lmao.

[@nobody-nk8pd]

Beautiful

[@kman9884]

It’s basically a way for corporations to retain control over you during remote work, because the thought of you doing work unsupervised (enjoying yourself, doing shit at your own pace) is abhorrent to the sterile corporate world that wants you to be complicit in their machine. It is truly the next breakdown of human rights and furthering corporate control over the population.

[@johnpaulcross424]

The fact that you predicted The Metaverse, SAO, and NFT’S all in one last minute end of term college paper is impressive, even if embellished

[@Bisquick]

Not to be _that_ guy, but you know, so did Karl motherfucking Marx about a century and half ago, more importantly however is elaborating _why_ and what material forces from which it emerges that necessitate it. Specifically, if you think about it in terms of feedback loop process (see: dialectical materialism) you got your base material organization of property relations, and then out of which all the superstructure of law, social relations, all the shit that forms our social (and like consciously lived ontological reality) on top, guided by and limited to the bounds of that base. This kind of manufactured scarcity shit, _pure_ exchange value basically imposed by a natural monopoly (one achieved by a digital enclosure movement essentially, talk about "first as tragedy, then as farce") needless to say, hopefully anyway lol, is _entirely_ superstructure, all that is solid is indeed melting into "the metaverse" (tm) (r) (c)... _"The bourgeoisie cannot exist without constantly revolutionizing the instruments of production, and thereby the relations of production, and with them the whole relations of society. Conservation of the old modes of production in unaltered form, was, on the contrary, the first condition of existence for all earlier industrial classes. Constant revolutionizing of production, uninterrupted disturbance of all social conditions, everlasting uncertainty and agitation distinguish the bourgeois epoch from all earlier ones. All fixed, fast-frozen relations, with their train of ancient and venerable prejudices and opinions, are swept away, all new-formed ones become antiquated before they can ossify. All that is solid melts into air, all that is holy is profaned, and man is at last compelled to face with sober senses his real conditions of life, and his relations with his kind."_ - some guy _“Once adopted into the production process of capital, the means of labour passes through different metamorphoses, whose culmination is the… automatic system of machinery… set in motion by an automaton, a moving power that moves itself; this automaton consisting of numerous mechanical and intellectual organs, so that the workers themselves are cast merely as its conscious linkages.”_ - some guy, again, “The Fragment on Machines” in The Grundrisse

[@Explorerofshadows]

@@Bisquick your that guy

[@matheussanthiago9685]

@@Explorerofshadows *you're

[@TheKeksadler]

@@matheussanthiago9685 your also that guy

[@serious_nigga]

@@TheKeksadler 😂😂😂 This was interesting 😂😂

[@toddlieberman5320]

Anyone else notice how CGI Zuckerberg is more convincing as human than actual Zuckerberg?

[@foaarmedforces4175]

Weirdly true...

[@c-rlt730]

👶🏻🤔

[@Tall_Order]

I was thinking that. It looked more human. It even didn't have that awkward smile he has.

[@olivebenninghoven9861]

Ive been thinking about it, its the eye brows. with eye brows he looks normal but with ought them he is missing a key facial feature that displays emotion and there fore looks like a robot.

[@Bee-zr5pb]

Everything looks more convincingly human than irl Zuckerberg. 6 cats in a trench coat would be more human than him.

[@NASkeywest]

1995: “Don’t sit to close to the TV, it’s bad for you.” 2022: “Strap this TV to a face shield in front of your eyes for 12 hours a day.”

[@TheGamesMaster6]

Yeah it's actually better. Gives you a more immersive experience.

[@MrGiggity890]

*too

[@MrGiggity890]

🤡

[@NASkeywest]

@@kevincarbone6831 it’s not a joke though….

[@TheSilverwing999]

Thing is sitting close to the tv actually is bad for you. It fucked up my eyes. Because if your eyes only focus on a screen close to you for hours on end it exacerbates near sightedness. Unless you make absolute sure to look away at a far away point for 1 min every hour at least

[@totoro3007]

I really never thought that a vr dystopia would happen, yet here we are. I think I'm going to let go of the internet, slowly.

[@jameskingcodes]

Same. I no longer use it to connect with people or be my center of truth for the news. Life is more peaceful and I can do my own research... which has ended up more reliable than the reports we hear on the news so far.

[@stlchucko]

To my understanding, there’s a small company called Meta that FB lawyers have been trying to get them to sell the naming rights and website super cheap. After they denied because of the lowball offer (the wouldn’t tell the company it was FB trying to buy), Mark went public to the media about the name, as if he’s trying to bury the original company’s right to the name.

[@mikaelh.2276]

To be fair, "meta" is a word that is used in common speech. It should not be possible/allowed to claim "rights" over a word found in the dictionary.

[@comboscripts]

@@mikaelh.2276 Apple.

[@enn1924]

@@mikaelh.2276 valve

[@randomaccount53793]

@@mikaelh.2276 Cadbury trademarked a particular shade of purple for over two decades until the decision was overturned recently. Companies can try and own pretty much anything they like.

[@itzzausty]

@@randomaccount53793 I think that was just so that like, other chocolate companies couldn't use it. A lot of colours like that are trademarked. I think there was a Half as Interesting video on it

[@masterspongebat2387]

“The Metaverse is impossible and never gonna happen” Mark Zuckerburg knowing it already exists on his home planet “👀”

[@oldmanlogan9616]

Lmao

[@AkweliParker]

Most of you probably aren’t old enough to remember, but this exact same drama played out in the late 90s/early 2000s, over which dial-up service would rule the Internet. Everyone was terrified that AOL (America Online) would hold people hostage within its “walled garden” of content. People back then voted with their feet, as I suspect they also will with the Zuckerverse.

[@snagnoir6489]

People are too dumb nowadays..

[@WilliamParkerer]

No that's not the same

[@laos85]

@@snagnoir6489 These days. You can find many 3 year old kids playing vr even thought their head is too small and required adult login, their good for nothing parents somehow help and let them spend so many hours on it. I'm not complainning about new techs since they bring good stuff but the main problem is the ignorantly dumb people these days just can't be any thoughtful of things. We will see even more dumb people in the future unfortunately

[@nateclipps]

@@laos85 your over exaggerating it… VR sets cost in the 500-thousands.. your adverage American can not afford that…. 3 year olds are not crawling around with rv sets..

[@laos85]

@@nateclipps Their rich parents can still buy them anywhere. No matter how high the price is, kid will get their hands on one. You're point is super vague and it doesn't explain why kid can't buy them. Quest 2 is pretty much a real vr headset.

[@jasonhatt4295]

1:32 A familiar scene: scrolling through options 1:37 Choosing the default one.

[@supersolenoid]

it's not about being scared of new technology: it's about being scared of new technology solely owned and controlled by a money-hungry private corporation and its creepy CEO...

[@fd502]

Agreed.

[@purplewyvern4015]

agreeddd

[@GayForklift]

Agreed

[@AlexLangerak]

can i join the agreement bandwagon?

[@immanuel1552]

and that boys is why I am a socialist not a capitalist

[@jamalisujang2712]

I don't get why they still use zucc for ads, his face is cursed from scandals.

[@BariumCobaltNitrog3n]

Mark: I want to be in an ad Press Dept: ok, or we could... Mark: You're fired.

[@vylbird8014]

Because even a scandalised face can be better than a faceless corporation. Have to at least put a relatable human facade up.

[@sunsetman22]

you could've stopped at "cursed" lmao. the dude ain't human

[@TheMADmk]

@@vylbird8014 "Mark Zuckerberg", "Human" and "Relatable" don't belong in the same sentence next to each other. People can relate better to the cookie monster from sesame street!

[@arthas640]

I honestly think he's trying to copy the mystique and image of Steve Jobs, especially with his all black long sleeve shirt/pants combo. It's also probably a sprinkling of egotism.

[@mockdr]

Go outside, touch some grass, breathe some fresh air, talk to your friends or something, spend time with people who care about you, and pick up a hobby. There, that’s better than what the meta verse ever will be. I know it can suck, but in the end, it’s better for everyone. Laugh, have fun, and enjoy real life while you can.

[@thebankrupter6704]

real life? Friend how do you know we are not already living in a metaverse created by an advanced species who started developing it a million or two years ago and we are the living product. Think SIMS year 4000

[@EBTS-3]

While you can- because one day generations will be born with VR goggles and reality will be a conspiracy theory from those that saw something more while 'Unplugged'

[@mockdr]

@@EBTS-3 no

[@lqu]

i think the grass was poisoned my hand is swelled

[@stevess7777]

@@lqu do you live in the amazon jungle

[@bagheeralu]

Quoted by Jak in the VR Experience Podcast, he says "if the metaverse is to be fully realised, it has to be decentralised". Furthering that, he explains that as we progress into the metaphysical age, that there won't, or hopefully won't, be a singular company that controls the metaverse. So yeah, this is unfortunate

[@mode3763]

Imo VRchat could actually steal the damn show from Facebook if they got a bigger budget and put some thought and work into it.

[@Omakhara]

@Other Account Apple has entered the chat xD

[@TheRenofox]

This is why they want to create a Metaverse. So that no one can make a better version than theirs, and everyone will be forced to pay up the nose just to avoid artificial inconveniences.

[@zeening]

they literally are not smart enough to figure out how to put ANY kind of user data protection in place, OR use any kind of encryption... so no i can't see them making an ACTUAL metaverse, regardless of how much money they get. and not for nothing even facebook doesn't have enough money to make an ACTUAL metaverse, noone does BECAUSE IT'S NOT FUCKING TECHNOLOGICALLY POSSIBLE RIGHT NOW.

[@capone4267]

@Road Runner not even close

[@rockyfalldownstairs]

VRChat has already won. Budget doesn't matter. VRChat simply already has the users and the creative freedom that makes its platform more fun.

[@TeaBroski]

Ironic how none of the hosts in Microsoft/Fb presentation were seeing wearing goggles. Zuckenbarg stands in a green screen environment for most of the time as suggesting this is the induced feeling but it also betrays his fear of being seen wearing a headset himself as it would make clear how uncomfortable those things really are

[@alicia2931]

Hmmm good thought

[@onelusciouslad7841]

I imagine those goggles shown would be more comfortable, if those work as VR goggles cause wow they're small, but who knows, technology is wild now

[@axiss5840]

You can't expect him to use the technology he peddles. He actively covers up his own webcam and microphone. He's not making the 'Metaverse' so he can use it. It's so he has control over what other people do.

[@EmilyCarrollCello]

I'm here after seeing Meta's trippy new ad in a movie theater: the one where a museum painting comes to life and a tiger quotes Rod Serling. Then four hip young art students enter the painting and dance with a bunch of dead-eyed stop-motion jungle animals. The end tag actually says "This will be fun." At first, I couldn't believe how much self-awareness they would have to lack to release such a creepy ad. But this video makes me wonder if Meta's offputting brand rollout is just an epic troll to make sure the metaverse never threatens their market share.

[@nicholasbstone]

Here is a youtube video breaking down and exposing the subliminal symbolism found in that very ad: kzbin.info/www/bejne/m3bTg4uXerusqM0

[@EmilyCarrollCello]

@@nicholasbstone Sounds fascinating! Saving this link for the next time I hate myself.

[@hankscorpio42069]

I don't think Facebook really wants to let go of the metaverse. They're just doing themselves any favours with these advertisements. There's really no need for them to release ads like these. Just announce a new technology, keep it on the down-low and for the love of god make it open source so that people will trust you.

[@nom6758]

@@nicholasbstone never clicking a youtu . be link, try again sucker.

[@nusrarahman7181]

@@nom6758 what was it

[@tuures.5167]

Facebook: "Other studios like Blizzard - - were too big and too profitable for an acquisition" Microsoft: "Hold my 68 billion dollars."

[@MrRyeguy0]

I'm convinced that we live in the lamest cyberpunk dystopia timeline possible. I mean come on where's the neon lights, the cool cyberpunk slang, replicants, terrifyingly cool evil tech companies. Instead we got lame paraplegic cyborgs, Lame evil tech companies, now this lame metaverse from Facebook.

[@RaveLordNito]

I know right. And the evil companies don't even have cool names.

[@MsHumanOfTheDecade]

@@RaveLordNito meta is pretty cool. microsoft is pretty cool. apple is disgustingly cool if we look at it as dystopian.

[@oneofthelastsurvivingdoges8832]

@@RaveLordNito Amazon is a cool name. But I think "Meta" is a bit lame.

[@99temporal]

Well, about the slangs... ever wandered through woke twitter? It looks like clockwork orange... you don't understand half of the crap they're talking... only, in place of milk with drugs, you get vegan crap and things like that

[@DaviRenania]

Even the remaining neonlights became LED, so boring

[@triggerboi_1545]

calling a metaverse 'THE Metaverse' is like calling Facebook 'THE Social Media'

[@ArtemisBlock]

Agree! The metaverse will end up being so much more than just FB's version of it - not for their lack of trying, likely - but the potential is unlimited! We made a video if you're interested :)

[@triggerboi_1545]

@@ArtemisBlock will check it out :)

[@olivia6632]

Remember when facebook used to be called THE Facebook?

[@lionobama1397]

not really, the metaverse is like saying the universe

[@zodiark111]

oh you mean just like that stupid movie that everyone loved?

[@qliphalpuzzle5453]

The Real Reason Zuck wants humanity.

[@luddity]

You'll never lose money on a product that appeals to people's lizard brains.

[@EricGraham94]

God the future of humanity is gonna ZUCK

[@Daysed.and.Konfuzed]

On that "head-mounted displays will become the successor of the smartphone" part I was totally expecting to see that dinner scene from _Back to the Future Part II_

[@neoasura]

"FrUiT, FrUiT pLeAsE"

[@networkgeekstuff9090]

There is one extra aspect in Facebooks motivation here. They have a bad growth in the newer generation. The same snowball of joining because your friends are there works in the opposite way. Teens today do not really want to hang out in the same place their parents and grandparents are, and can potentially see them ;).

[@SpottedHares]

Most of my younger family has solved this problem by creating two accounts. The bland, uninteresting, lifeless version of them selves that their family thinks is them. Then a second account that they use apart from the family, granted their lack of effort in keeping theme separate is what cause it to not work.

[@Pyritie]

facebook, yes, but a ton of younger people are on instagram, which they also own

[@SKSK-qg1kn]

facebook honestly owns almost all the social media platforms which is crazy asf to me, its like you cant escape them and they have almost all of your data

[@Baconator5642]

Actually, it's because we don't want to be associated with the company or some of the people who use it who are FUCKING INSANE, although I wish people would avoid twitter aswell.

[@skyty0]

Thanks for mentioning Snow Crash. It's been absolutely mind numbing hearing journalists break down the word "metaverse" without understanding that it's direct reference to something that already exists. Additionally, Facebook using the name Metaverse as an allusion to Snow Crash is actually *so much fucking worse* than if they just made up a dumb sounding name, especially considering that the Metaverse in Snow Crash is essentially an outright anti-human entity.

[@axiss5840]

It actually just fucking destroys me emotionally that huge companies are doing this shit, blatantly, and you'll be called a 'conspiracy theorist' for pointing out that they've literally named their product after an evil entity from a dystopian fiction novel.

[@zeening]

@@axiss5840 10000% agree, soooo sick of hearing people lick the fucking boot of corporations and constantly tow the line for them as these corps keep exerting more and more control over your life, paying us less, raising prices on EVERYTHING trying to get rid of benefits for people and go berserk forcing everyone back to work (REEEEEEEE LABOR SHORTAGE... no.. no there's not people are just sick of being shit on) allllll just to have more and more control over our lives so THEY can decide when they want our money and how much of it. even the US gov't, you are a product for the government hence the social security number (bar code) and why it is ILLEGAL to kill yourself, because then the "company" aka government, loses money! because you can't pay taxes if you're dead!

[@serpentsforhair]

Anti-human entity = Facebook. *insert spider-man pointing at spider-man meme

[@TheMetastasia]

@@axiss5840 Funfact, most conspirancy nuts are on facebook now.

[@ArtemisBlock]

The metaverse will end up being so much more than just FB's version of it - not for their lack of trying, likely - but the potential is unlimited! Props to Snow Crash for introducing the concept, not to mention Ready Player One for imagining more aspects of that concept, but there's really a ton more innovation already happening and to come. We made a video if you're interested :)

[@EBRyan-ri4tt]

taking "person on linkedin thinks black mirror episode premise is a good idea for their company" to its natural conclusion

[@gethypnotherapy]

There's little I want more than to watch "the metaverse" fail in every sense of the word.

[@EnclaveOfficer1776]

I’d rather not live a lie, this world isn’t perfect but there is not replacement for real life.

[@alessandromauriziosalvator2281]

I swear to god, if living in a meta verse will be as popular as smartphones are now I will fucking 9/11 Facebook headquarters

[@petroniusarbiter2632]

@@alessandromauriziosalvator2281 Uncle Ted smiles upon you

[@martymikes6822]

LOL. Only thing funny about that is you think your not living a lie right now.

[@alessandromauriziosalvator2281]

@@martymikes6822 idk bro but at least this is a very well constructed lie, I’d rather not live with a vr on my face. I like going outside and touching grass

[@martymikes6822]

@@alessandromauriziosalvator2281 trust me you may want to just remain blissfully ignorant. When I unraveled all the lies it literally put me in my room for almost a month trying to make sense of it all and wondering if anything I did even mattered. Took a while to come out of it, and I don't think some people ever come out of it if they ever figure it all out.

[@ComicalRealm]

Dad and Mom: It's vacation time kids!!! Kids: HURRAY! Entire family on VR wandering around the house.

[@Frogman1212]

You think families will exist in 20 years?

[@itsgrey8135]

You think 20 years will exist in Family?

[@ErikWarhammer]

@@itsgrey8135 Wait, The fuck?

[@e2rqey]

@@ErikWarhammer exactly

[@zombieranger3410]

@@ErikWarhammer Its the future bud, get over it.

[@BobDiaz123]

I'd rather spend my time in the Real-verse, a place that people ineract without technology and really meet face to face. VR is great for games, but not a substitute for real life.

[@Khrayfish]

They're already trying to substitute real life. They are even using climate-change and pollution (e.g. CO2 emissions) to deter people from going abroad/seeing the world so they can guilt them into playing their crappy fake-life. Of course, they'll happily jump in their private jets to attend a meeting about climate-change (COP[OUT]26).

[@killgriffinnow]

@Vince It’s climate change that is DESTROYING the real world and making people go into VR, and you’re helping it along.

[@ExHyperion]

dude you are making the exact same argument as boomers that say smart phones are bad. Literally change out the word "VR" for anything technology related and you'll just be quoting boomers from a different generation. "I'd rather spend my time in the Real-verse, a place that people ineract without technology and really meet face to face. Phones are great for calls, but not a substitute for real life." "I'd rather spend my time in the Real-verse, a place that people ineract without technology and really meet face to face. Television is great for shows, but not a substitute for real life." "I'd rather spend my time in the Real-verse, a place that people ineract without technology and really meet face to face. Radio is great for music, but not a substitute for real life." "I'd rather spend my time in the Real-verse, a place that people ineract without technology and really meet face to face. Telegram is great for communication, but not a substitute for real life." "I'd rather spend my time in the Real-verse, a place that people ineract without technology and really meet face to face. Mail is great for communication, but not a substitute for real life." kinda terrifying to think that every generation gets it's own set of boomers.

[@ExHyperion]

@Charlotte People 10 years ago - Smartphones are different from just watching tv, it's way off. With smartphones, you could basically just replace your whole real life with an online one. That sounds depressing as fuck

[@ExHyperion]

@Charlotte people 10 years ago- I don’t think that comparison makes sense, Televisions are just a combination of 2 technologies that have been around for ages. Although even I think Televisions can be a problem at times too, I find myself addicted to technology and using it as an unhealthy form of escapism. With smartphones, it’s even worse as it’s closer to real life and people will be more likely to unhealthily indulge in it and abandon their real life altogether. They’ll end up focusing on their online one instead. I guess I just hate smartphones because I’ve already acknowledged my own dependence on technology it which I fear will be made worse with things like this. That can easily be brushed off as a personal thing but there’s so many other people who are too dependent on their televisions and might not even realise it. Especially with people who are now starting to grow up with it so it just naturally becomes a part of their life. There’s already too many people addicted to technology and this will just make it worse

[@theobserver9131]

I've already mostly lost my family and friends to their screens. It's really depressing. It's almost impossible to pull them away from their devices to come out and enjoy the physical world. I have to text people that are in my immediate proximity in order to get their attention. They don't respond to the people that are around them. This is going to make it absolutely hopeless.

[@Lettucem3n]

Welcome to our internet come and have a look around

[@Drakonian-gz2nq]

"So guys, i have the best idea ever. You know that one thing in that one book that all evil corporations were doing? *Let's make our evil corporation do it now, so that other evil corporations can't*"

[@OrigionalCigarette]

Mark: "Guys, businesses will use this for meetings" Yeah, like a business would spend $200 per person to give them a VR headset.

[@mode3763]

Huh? Most companies already give phones to their employees. So it's pretty feasible if VR becomes the new norm.

[@someguycalledcerberus9805]

Pretty sure that the idea was that everyone will have a headset of their own and you will join the meeting using that. Similar to how a video interview is required for some jobs and you are simply expected to use your own laptop camera. Or indeed how it is perfectly natural for a company to expect that you have internet at home - something that was unimaginable 15-20 years ago.

[@tourmelion9221]

@@mode3763 naahh Zoom already works VR would be a pain

[@toddberkely6791]

buy one or you will be fired. when was the last time someone who doesnt own a smartphone got a job?

[@tizianovalicenti8432]

@@tourmelion9221 already? don't you mean barely?

[@Charles_Bro-son]

Given that the original Metaverse was used by the main antagonist media mogul to mind control its users and seize the power, it's kind of astoninshing they went with that.

[@embrace7052]

wow didnt know that-

[@Charles_Bro-son]

@@embrace7052 Snow Crash, Cyberpunk novel written by Neal Stephenson (1992) - it's a good read.

[@engineergaming1669]

@WolfmanIsdrawing it’s not irony, Zuck knows what he’s doing, the ads and representation for Facebooks metaverse are almost intentionally disturbing but he knows people will still buy it

[@purplewyvern4015]

pft someones about to get fired XD

[@HoneyBadgerVideos]

i have always liked the idea of vr. What scares me is not the technology, it's the company trying to monopolize the technology

[@Noise-Conductor]

When Mark picks his meta avatar outfit, he's letting us know that even in the metaverse he's gonna be the same asshole. Always read between the lines 🤔 The more things change the more they stay the same.

[@Noise-Conductor]

@Zef Fantastic! How is yours?

[@dugoo3405]

@Zef This is a beautiful conversation.

[@richbum3725]

You know the young kids are going to be the ones affected the most. They are completely oblivious of what they're going to get into. Addiction and escapism is a horrible thing.

[@S.O.N.E]

Lots of people will end up ill but I dont the think the world will end. We are ready in the baby stage of the society you described.

[@luma4902]

Escapism without control is a horrible thing. Ever heard of everyone needs a good place they can go to? =escapism. A healthy dose of it is pretty good

[@robbyderosa8756]

@@luma4902 yup, everything in moderation. The price of freedom is learning self control.

[@tmantonytv1166]

Yep. We already have social media and the promotion of narcissism for kids and this is just going to intensify things. I can’t wait until “meta” makes ads when the “metaverse” comes out, telling people that they should “express themselves” by making fake avatars that don’t look like themselves.

[@shukrantpatil]

i mean , just don't let your kids reach this stuff . keep them away from it , as simple as that

[@comradepeter87]

Since Meta says it would ensure that your Meta avatar matches your real self and it's not copying someone else, here's an ethical question - would it be okay to force disabled people to also make their Meta avatars disabled? Would it be fine to say to them that you cannot escape your reality and that you have to suffer the same problems emulated virtually, just because of the rules?

[@valideno9592]

Hold on with the twiter problems of 2039...

[@comradepeter87]

@@valideno9592 ahaha XD

[@dixiefish0173]

Yes , metabook hold my beer 🍺

[@WilliamParkerer]

I guess not

[@Nhatanh0475]

"matches your real self" My real self is a fluffy wolf.

[@builder1013]

Wow. My science fiction idea is like a metaverse as well. In the book I'm writing, it's called the Cyberverse and scientists figured out how to manipulate time travel to going off course and creating a new time stream that they could edit with its own laws of physics, so you could essentially live in a video game. Good luck to those who find this interesting comment.

[@pocket83]

The conceptual problem with a "Metaverse," open-source or not, is the same thing that afflicts the idea of the 'free' market; given any closed-system game, there are necessarily limited resources. As such, sooner or later, disparity emerges. Ultimately, somebody gets to own. Facebook (which we should be honest about, so let's admit up front that it started out as a seedy 'rate these chicks' site) is cutting to the chase by trying to be the first one to plant its giant corporate flag on this new, untouched frontier. It's another intellectual property gold rush. But as a new medium, this one's even more dangerous to the consumer than usual, because it has the potential to substantively decrease what is already near stagnant productivity, and further, it will cause even more frivolous spending in a people who are already in financial debt to their superfluous technologies. More servers will hum away burning fossil fuels so that Facebook may grow fat beyond control selling imaginary adornments for silly avatars to wear as they sit on their imaginary (yet purchasable) couches, all as their users shirk even more of their IRL responsibilities from their IRL couch. Granted, these threats to productivity were also voiced with emerging media of the past, as noted in the video. But those were different media, with different circumstances; though the past may have its patterns, it is fallacious to assume that disparate events of the past necessarily have predictive value concerning the future: that's the Gambler's fallacy. Causality notwithstanding, of course, pedant. Do yourself and the rest of us a favor, and stay away from the ultra-marketed enticements of this new technology until it really _does_ become open-source enough to be beyond investors' influence. Those of us old enough to remember computing before Microsoft and Google had dominated the platform by completely eliminating their competition should recognize the smell of rotten once ripe. The once-empowering tool has now become a pay-to-play, with the concession paid to us in the few unlikely collaborative efforts which have managed to survive the burn, like Wikipedia. With any luck, Zuck's new tech toy will turn out to be a Nintendo _Virtual Boy,_ putting this poor excuse for a visionary in a position of having just received his first real-time eye-poke, and maybe we'll be able to push back complete dystopian dejection for at least another generation. That's not selfishness to say it, kids. Nor is it hopeless cynicism; it is a sober awareness that we're over the hump mathematically now, and that bad times are coming. To state it as such is a clear assessment of ecology, and of economy. The standard of life that we were lucky enough to know will soon dissipate. Here we see a preemptive move to strategically acquire what will be our surrogate for a better world: they're already preparing to sell you a pre-packaged escape experience from your awful reality. At least we can still delay what's coming, though. Stop wasting. Be mindful; stay skeptical, and pay attention. And most of all, remember that everything you buy is your (real) vote.

[@smittyvanjagermanjenson182]

Good read, logical, the people who grew up before the rise of Google and Facebook like myself that have an attention span can see this for what it is. Unfortunately we aren't the intended target, that would be the younger generation, kids who just see new and shiny and want it, with parents who aren't truly informed on what it is aside from it being the new trend. That would be considered the majority that pushes the metaverse into full fledged reality. Basically we can't stop it, unless the majority declines it.

[@marvinmaali4019]

Humanity is destined to go towards the sun. In these 4 simple steps: 1 . We metaverse, shirk responsibility IRL and fossil fuels destroy civilization (by running out AND greenhousing the hell out of our planet). 2. Humans start again. But this time, there are no fossil fuels to make life easy. So whatever we accomplished in 100 years since the industrial revolution will take 1000 years coz duh, no more fossil fuels to make it so easy like the fiest time. Also, no whale blubber as plan B. All the whales are extinct. 3. We finally build that cyclic green future. But not by 2050. More like by 3050 A.D. Nonetheless, now rocket technology is green powered and no one is going to hate on billionaires going to space coz the rocket industry will be a global venture powered by nuclear power + solar energy systems like wind power (I consider all energy from the sun be it direct or otherwise, solar energy). 4. We don't go toward Mars. That energy poor dump worse no shit.. We go towards the sun. Why, As Dan Brown's novel ORIGIN asks; "Where do we come from ?" Answer - a star. "Where are we going ?" Answer - a star I'll tell you what. I want to start on this novel next year if ppssible. Who wants to collab?

[@Omar96149]

Agree with not wanting to base this on the past to predict the future. A perfect example would be WWI and WWII, when world powers targeted Germany for its actions after the war even though they were only rumors, while during WWII no one believed that people were being exterminated. Life is unpredictable

[@marlz11]

Brilliantly written and cogent treatise not only on the metaverse concept but big tech as a whole. I hope this gets pinned. Kudos.

[@dingfeldersmurfalot4560]

More shaming language about couch potatoes, energy usage, and people wasting their lives online? Tipper Gore lives!

[@beautifulislam67]

Isolate people with technology, then charge them for connecting to each other.

[@isabel2793]

isolate people with biological engineering (v1rus creation) then sell them technology for connect to each other.

[@magniwalterbutnotwaltermag1479]

@@isabel2793 the fuck

[@CynicalBastard]

@@magniwalterbutnotwaltermag1479 What? Are you so gullible?

[@magniwalterbutnotwaltermag1479]

@@CynicalBastard ratio

[@Sukhoi_Su-25]

@@magniwalterbutnotwaltermag1479 is not in your favor anymore it would seem muzzle cuck.

[@phoebexxlouise]

They're willfully overlooking the fact that VR makes many people feel motion sick, or cause eye strain. It also has the same issue 3D TVs and Blu-Rays have -- the media needs to be adapted to the platform. If a movie doesn't look any better in VR than it would on a TV screen, why go to the extra expense? Plus, I cannot play games on VR while I am sitting on a bus. I cannot take pictures with a VR headset. The very nature of its immersiveness is the entire reason it is not as flexible, functional or seamless to connect into our everyday lives.

[@smittyvanjagermanjenson182]

And that's where AR glasses come in, flexibility, minus full immersion, light gaming, pictures could be achieved, Its just another thing they're working on. Also the VR motion sickness issue is being aggressively worked on.

[@TrainsTer-91]

@@smittyvanjagermanjenson182 And how is that better than just... Playing on your phone??

[@corporatecapitalism]

@@TrainsTer-91 well I mean there are games in VR that are not on your phone lmao. Also VR is pretty fun ngl.

[@gonzaloxxx8922]

things advance phoebe, you wont the same technpology you are using now

[@smittyvanjagermanjenson182]

@@TrainsTer-91 first explain to me how playing on anything on 6" phone is enjoyable? Is it the gambling? I'm guessing it's the gambling. Lol

[@Angelic_Dreamz]

As someone who daydreams to a dangerous point and is in my imaginary world all the time detached from the real world, this gets a no from me!!

[@kaitlyn__L]

Ah, maladaptive daydreaming. I spent all of my teens doing that

[@Red_Four]

"Facebook is fucking evil." Yes, it absolutely is, but for some reason, we all keep using it.

[@Roxor128]

Speak for yourself. I've never had an account, and have no intention of ever getting one.

[@firewolfandrewb]

I don't

[@sergiowinter5383]

Changed Facebook for Binance and r/cryptocurrency, much more profitable

[@davidferguson1225]

I got rid of mine

[@NoBody-tz4fb]

Never had a Facebook acct

[@Grgrqr]

Honestly if Zark Muckerberg wasn’t there then this thing would seem a lot more dystopian and a lot less funny

[@GrantLenaarts]

best METAverse comment ever.

[@francom3476]

I think the fact that muckerberg is there makes this a lo more dystopian xd

[@Bisquick]

I would say if one wasn't circumstantially and arbitrarily born in the imperial core, it wouldn't be a question that this was the case. Behind the curtain of US empire, people actually affected by what it takes to prop up these insane financial delusions at its peripheries are often born to lives of constantly compounding immiseration and little else, an effect that's merely catching up to us at home as the empire feeds off the republic and as we continue to hollow out and sell all social meaning and trust for profit at quite literally all other costs (my god, climate change alone), akin to the optimates of the late Roman empire but with guns and nukes (and robot gun dogs, "cool"). Take like almost anywhere in the global south for instance, especially during Operation Condor. I mean my god, throw a dart at a fucking world map and _wherever_ it lands will inevitably have been affected by this imperial belligerency (not even to mention the Bretton-Woods financial coercion through dollar hegemony and the IMF/World Bank "washington consensus" -debt peonage/resource extraction scheme- "economic development loan" policies), take the entire operational history of the CIA, NATO and color revolutions, Operation Gladio, Operation Cyclone, Operation Condor, Iran installing the Shah in '53, Guatemala in '54, Sukarno in Indonesia, Lumumba in the Congo, the first 9/11 in 1973 in Chile ousting democratically elected Allende to install Pinochet's military dictatorship (using a literal nazi we protected in the ratlines to south america Paul Schafer, also a huge pedophile because of course he was), Operation Mongoose/Northwoods and the absurd/criminal embargo of Cuba, honestly this is the tip of the imperial iceberg, far too many insanely grotesque operations to list, some even domestic to the US (the Schmitean "exception") and quite related like Operation Mockingbird, to which I'll quote William Casey CIA director under Reagan aka absolute demon regarding its efficacy, _"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false."_ In the most important ways, the nazis didn't really lose WWII, there's a _literal_ continuity there with absorbing the _literal_ nazi leadership in those ratlines to south america mentioned, also into Operation Paperclip obviously. We're all along for the ride to the bottom at this point, the "common ruin of the contending classes." As usual, the _actual_ choice for humanity, should we choose to you know _actually_ reconcile with reality, is just as Rosa Luxemburg put it in 1918 Germany before of course being executed by the freikorps paramilitary (later becoming the SS, shocker) at the behest of Ebert's SPD _social democratic_ party (and we know the rest): socialism or (continued) barbarism. _"The bourgeoisie cannot exist without constantly revolutionizing the instruments of production, and thereby the relations of production, and with them the whole relations of society. Conservation of the old modes of production in unaltered form, was, on the contrary, the first condition of existence for all earlier industrial classes. Constant revolutionizing of production, uninterrupted disturbance of all social conditions, everlasting uncertainty and agitation distinguish the bourgeois epoch from all earlier ones. All fixed, fast-frozen relations, with their train of ancient and venerable prejudices and opinions, are swept away, all new-formed ones become antiquated before they can ossify. All that is solid melts into air, all that is holy is profaned, and man is at last compelled to face with sober senses his real conditions of life, and his relations with his kind."_ - some guy, a bit optimistic at the end we wouldn't just choose delusion while everything burns Although he actually did note the potential for technology to mediate our lives to the point of atomized insulated cogs, so I guess the resonating capitulations/failures of the 1848 revolutions had some pessimistic sway: _“Once adopted into the production process of capital, the means of labour passes through different metamorphoses, whose culmination is the… automatic system of machinery… set in motion by an automaton, a moving power that moves itself; this automaton consisting of numerous mechanical and intellectual organs, so that the workers themselves are cast merely as its conscious linkages.”_ - some guy, again, “The Fragment on Machines” in The Grundrisse

[@Fx_Explains]

@@Bisquick i don't this is the site for writing novels.

[@matheussanthiago9685]

@@francom3476 same

[@R0GU351GN4L]

I hope it doesn't become such a mainstream thing in society,. I already can't stand how much smart phones and computers have become such a necessity for the most basic of things. I went to the bank the other day to talk to a person face to face and they made me sit in another room and download Zoom on my phone. It's beyond a joke. Technology is supposed to be an aid not a bleeding handicap.

[@WilliamParkerer]

It's for the record I assume?

[@thatyeagerist6452]

It's because not all employees come to the banks cuz of virus remember??just don't blame anything man

[@felixkjornsberg]

boomer

[@SenorGuina]

@@something_in_the_radiator1665 boomer

[@olenabogdanov]

I can't even begin to wrap my mind around the insane amounts of data they'll be able to pull - vr worlds will be the peak for behavioural analytics

[@Krisztian08]

What I don't get is why Mark zuccini didn't choose the skeleton outfit nor the astronaut outfit. Those were straight drip.

[@jrmichel1975]

Zuck doesn't care about VR. He only sees it as the best vehicle for his pernicious machinations. He's as soaless as his avatar. Fabeook is the LAST company I would put in charge of any metaverse.

[@whazzup_teacup]

"you likely joined FB in the first place because your friends were on there" Yes, I was heavily pressured by my friends back in middle school.

[@deadlyninja112]

For a second i read FBI and it made your comment much more funny

[@whazzup_teacup]

@@deadlyninja112 At least I'd have a job and U.S. citizenship in that world. Now I have neither.

[@deadlyninja112]

@@whazzup_teacup lmao life is so great for us all isnt it

[@fiendish9474]

I joined FB to play the browser games

[@the_legendary_fire]

I made an account to play oculous games and that's it and now I'm thinking of selling my oculous

[@kidcanis8199]

Meta was my favorite word to express being self-aware...but of course Facebook had to ruin that, too.

[@m.a8735]

2:06 I can't believe we'll play the Sims in real life 😂 It looks very similar to it.

[@sbk8210]

I agree that most generations just view any new technology as bad and all older technology as bad, but there's definitely something worrying about a metaverse, or at least something that should be kept in mind. TVs and smartphones at least have the commonality of being 2D, but being in a 3D world which plays on entirely different senses and parts of your brain, with the potential of you spending hours and hours and hours in it, will definitely have some adverse psychological effects. Mobile devices and the internet already have questionable effects on our psyches but this would surely be worse like......dissociative disorder/schizophrenia levels of worse. I do definitely agree tho that the worst part of all about this is that it wouldn't be a free metaverse, but just the further consolidation of corporate power over our lives and the privatisation of everything we participate in.

[@serpentine1983]

Yes and no. It depends on the tech. For instance if we get a technology the immerses you by connecting directly to your brain (like Matrix), Hell NO. I would NEVER use that, how would you know if they really won't read your thought and stuff like that. Also, a tech like moving your brain into an android, how would you know if they won't install a system to control you remotely? Something like putting on goggles and using a body suit and other accessories to increase realism, like in the movie "Ready Player One", then yea, that would be awesome. There are techs, that should be investigated, yes, but implemented on a massive scale, no. Because not everything is bad. They have a double edge, and if used correctly it will benefit humanity.

[@purpurina5663]

The side effects are not just psychological. Humans NEED, biologically, movement, fresh air, and the actual touch, sound and smell of other humans. Meta, and whatever Elon Schmelon wants to do with AI, actually scare me.

[@Sasha-zw9ss]

Regular computer games already make me sick physically (seriously, I feel dizzier than during the periods) and mentally if I play them for more than two hours. VR would probably be an instant overload.

[@serpentine1983]

@@Sasha-zw9ss that happens to me (getting dizzy) with 1st person shooters... the only 2 games 1st person shooters I can play without getting dizzy is Duken Nukem 3D (was able to play, now that I'm older I get dizzy) and Nexuiz (can still play it). I remember trying Doom, couldn't stand from my chair after maybe 2 min of playing it. Had to recover right there.... There is a side scroll game that I got EXTREMELY dizzy... Ghost n Goblins for PSP. Damn, I almost puked with that one! I've been told (not sure if it's true) it's because of a hearing difference between you ears (I hear better with the left)...

[@sbk8210]

@@serpentine1983 yeah I agree that its more the mass scale of some of these proposals that scares me. I think a free metaverse would have its pluses, essentially just being a new kind of internet, and some tech could even be really useful for science or whatever else, but I think it should all be approached with caution, like most new technologies.

[@ReMeDy_TV]

Needing to be open source is an excellent point. Yes, I'm waiting to hear from Facebook (err, Meta or whatever) when they'll willingly give everyone the source code for free. Also, considering the Metaverse is supposed to be a form of escapism, it'd be funny if in the year 2200 people create a Metaverse within a Metaverse to escape the first Metaverse.

[@deboraanonima]

What if this is already happening

[@someguycalledcerberus9805]

@@deboraanonima WHAT IF WE'RE IN ONE, OH GOD WE'RE NPCS IN SOMEONES WISH FULFILLMENT HAREM GAME

[@keepinmahprivacy9754]

@@someguycalledcerberus9805 Yah I must be an NPC then cuz my wishes are def not being fulfilled.

[@WickedKnightAlbel]

We must go deeper

[@saisameer8771]

I doubt metaverse will last that long. People will eventually get bored and move on. Metaverse sounds like those online party games I used to play as a kid.

[@trstmeimadctr]

I think that before the metaverse can get any legs to stand on, we as an internet community, need to keep pushing the idea to each other that we should absolutely not use the damn thing, because all of these companies are evil

[@Snaphoo]

There really is no "internet community".

[@luan4753]

@@Snaphoo there is....

[@Snaphoo]

@@luan4753 You not be surprised that I disagree. I think its merely a false impression many people have understandably formed.

[@ashwinatresh4278]

I remember using occulus an year ago and suffering severe strain after using it for just 30 min. VR is a great piece of tech but don't force it down people's throats (the whole YOLO /FOMO nonsense). It should, at best, be an option amongst several others. In fact after reading the entire meta concept I have decided to decouple from gadgets and keep it as minimal possible since we all know it can't be zero, realistically speaking. P.S. My Oculus broke and I ain't sad about it now.

[@ClellBiggs]

The sad thing is that writers like Philip K Dick have been warning us for over half a century about what the future was going to be like and despite all of us getting upset when we see governments and corporations pushing us in that direction we've been unable to stop them. The ones with the money make the rules.

[@sunsetman22]

exactly. this is like straight out of Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch

[@seanmckelvey6618]

what do you mean unable to stop them? hardly anyone even tried and those that did raise concerns got dismissed as loonies. This is dystopia entirely of our own making.

[@ClellBiggs]

@@seanmckelvey6618 Well, I guess "all of us" was a bit too broad. There are a lot of us though, but like you said we usually get ignored. Another issue is that people complain and still take part in what these corporations offer.

[@kiraholzhausen9936]

I think I read one of his books, good stuff it was

[@RyoMassaki]

What gives me some hope for the future of humanity is the fact that this technological dystopia is very fragile. One huge Blast from the Sun that hits earth and all that shit is gone in 24 hours. Sure it would effectively create the breakdown of modern society with catastrophic consequences, but mankind will survive even if many people will not. Its like the back to the middle ages ending from Deus Ex 1. It could also be initiated artificially by exploding nukes in orbit. A strong enough EMP will kill all technology dependent on computers permanently. Its not a question of If, its a question of when and when it happens the elites who rule the world will lose all their power, it'll be a complete reset when it comes to authority and power.

[@tomholy]

5:56 "Facebook does nothing but ruin things". I totally agree. Their takeover of VR led, after the Oculus Rift S, to a race to the bottom. Sure new users will be wowed by the Quest offerings, but don't expect to play AAA games in VR and get a good experience on the Quest. All Facebook is interested in is furthering their business model, which is collecting information on its users. They really don't care about giving you serious VR as long as they can get your information. Also, being a huge company with mega resources, they can market anything they make to sound really good. In my opinion, Facebook's business model means they will always be evil.

[@cee_ves]

It’s so he can shed his uncomfortable human skin and attend conferences without anybody being able to see his true lizard form obviously

[@a1r592]

It feels to me like big corporations have been hammering on VR to become a thing for so long now, that this is a final desperate attempt to make it work.

[@poweroffriendship2.0]

The part where Eduardo smashed off Mark's laptop out of anger and calling him out is justified. I think Zuckerberg should've listened to him. _Social Network_ is way ahead of its time now.

[@deadlyninja112]

Why would he care about preventing a shitty dystopian society? He a billionaire

[@PianoWolfg]

I believe this is the perfect moment to make a sequel, there is enough material to make a trilogy of this.

[@geeknet7962]

the movie is not accurate

[@starlightstarbright26]

Social Network was basically a warning

[@ShawnsLegacy]

The funniest thing about this is that the corporations are already too late, VR Chat is a great example of a far better service being completely open source. These big corporations are not going to get very far with this, we all know it

[@cashkromsupernerd1193]

Until one of them buys out and/or shuts down the existing services

[@ShawnsLegacy]

@@cashkromsupernerd1193 I find that unlikely, purely because there's no real way they could shut down a service like that without either being slapped with lawsuits or something else just coming in to take its place that's also open source. They might be able to slow it down, but they're not gonna be able to stop the end of their enterprises.

[@pepeokatze]

@@ShawnsLegacy if they cant do it themselves, theyll make the government do it. But hey atleast they cant completely eliminate it all, its just only few of us will ever found that free open source stuff in the future

[@ShawnsLegacy]

@@pepeokatze Sometimes that's all it takes to send large corporations into bankruptcy

[@Aerogrow]

@@cashkromsupernerd1193 eh; you need to look at how hard it is to close source AGPL or GPL license; would pay key attention to what license each project/product is using. MIT or Berkely; possible; anything GNU/GPL = nope.

[@tobiasjonsson6415]

Zuckerberg wants to go back to his alien planet and this(metaverse) will make such a huge energy reading that the aliens will notice….and finaly princess mark will be home again

[@grandmasteryoda6717]

i think mark is here as punishment. he was expelled for his war crimes.

[@i_likemen5614]

@@grandmasteryoda6717 He was probably sent to earth to study us

[@ob3ythee.t.128]

Second weekday / fourth month/ 70 years after zuck domination: After his daily adrenochrome drip has finished, he will siphen the coom energy from all those poor souls trapped in the metaverse to rejuvinate his body for the long space voyage back to reptoid homeworld.

[@celticempire6187]

@@grandmasteryoda6717 how many did you commit

[@grandmasteryoda6717]

@@celticempire6187 Wilful killing Torture or inhuman treatment, including biological experiments; Wilfully causing great suffering, or serious injury to body or health; Extensive destruction and appropriation of property, not justified by military necessity and carried out unlawfully and wantonly; Compelling a prisoner of war or other protected person to serve in the forces of a hostile Power; Wilfully depriving a prisoner of war or other protected person of the rights of fair and regular trial; Unlawful deportation or transfer or unlawful confinement; Taking of hostages.

[@googlegoogle9712]

So now that someone like ZUCK wants to make his own "VR CHAT" game, everyone shits their pants? There is no need to panic. That's literally what the Metaverse is, VR CHAT.

[@4547466]

I'm a programmer, but I literally know nothing about how VR works. I would love to contribute to a fully open metaverse platform in the future (not vrchat, that's not open source, nor is it fully open) once I learn a bit more about VR. A fully decentralized platform would be the best.

[@diablo.the.cheater]

I mean, a fully decentralized platform would be more of a spec and protocol than a concrete application, although a initial application for the spec and protocol would be cool. If you make it in the spec so that any application that follows the spec and uses the protocol can communicate equally with other applications that follow the spec, a la web browser connecting to a web server, it would be best.

[@shaurz]

Neos VR

[@bountyjedi]

There's the V-sekai project which is working on making VR and Social VR possible on top of the open source Godot game engine.

[@bountyjedi]

@@shaurz Neos VR is not open source.

[@635574]

That is going to take LINUX amount of years.

[@cosmodious1755]

I saw ThrillSeeker pushing using "Nexus" instead of "Metaverse" to pull the idea back from Zuckbot.

[@dyskelia]

I remember being a little kid back in 1995 when my family got ‘the internet’ and I was so excited and happy about it but then it got really ugly with social media. I resisted getting a fb account until 2010 when it became professionally mandatory to have it. I hated it then and I hate it now. This metaverse bullshit seems like more of the same

[@luciangv3252]

but u love to comment in YT >:v hahaha

[@luciangv3252]

@NTDM hahaha virtual society xD

[@mdemanuel1911]

@@luciangv3252 he said fb not yt

[@Rokiotop900]

The difference is that nobody is happy about the metavers

[@seadrop5229]

i was born in 2003, ive never known a life without the internet. i remember as early as 5/6 years old watching youtube videos, i made my first instagram account at 9 years old, facebook at 11 and snapchat at 11 too. i wonder sometimes what i wouldve been like if i grew up in a different time, because the internet raised me tbh.

[@lucss21a]

we truly lived in a lamer 1984 big brother = big tech supression of freedom = oversimplified into supression of privacy

[@TheNefastor]

I can't wait for this. Once every idiot is stuck in VR I will finally be able to breathe free. The quality of the KZbin comment sections should increase to legendary heights not seen since the Renaissance.

[@sierrasouthwell9237]

You're acting like people in VR won't be able to access KZbin. They already can.

[@TheNefastor]

​@@sierrasouthwell9237 I'm acting like VR will probably have a dedicated service for that, especially if the Zuck is in charge. I don't see him sharing the sucker market with Google. Do you ?

[@sierrasouthwell9237]

@@TheNefastor Oculus (owned by Facebook) literally has a KZbin VR app. Also, I doubt that Facebook is going to have the corner market on VR worlds. Several companies (google included) already have several apps set up for VR.

[@TheNefastor]

@@sierrasouthwell9237 this is only the beginning, we'll see how things evolve. Maybe you're too young to remember the browser wars.

[@PrinceJes]

you will feel free if the.. erhm- "KZbin comment sections" are better..? Touch grass please

[@disturbedfan545]

There is too much escapism in the current world. We don't need more people detaching from reality and living in a fantasies, we need more grounded people who can make the world better so people don't want to escape from it.

[@mayconlcruz]

Sigh... That if these grounde people just were willing to come together for a common goal to begin with. Just looking at how polarized we are ideologically speaking makes me very concerned about any change, at least some change that isn't belligerent. Until then, escapism will remain a matter of preserving our sanity.

[@oeuftheoeuf]

At this point I don't know if humanity will be able to pull itself together for long enough to fix the issues. Most of our issues are caused by the big corporations influencing the government through bribery. It's not gonna stop until humanity's greed stops, which won't be until we go extinct in my opinion

[@mrslakjawedyokel]

@@oeuftheoeuf exactly right. There are so many issues in the world, and in the United States at least, the difficulty of solving almost all of them can be traced back to the fact that corporations write our laws. We do not live in a democracy, we live in a corporate oligarchy, and no matter how motivated we may be, literally nothing will change until the power is back in the hands of the people. The two party system is designed to give us the illusion of choice over who rules the country but in reality all of the important decisions are made by our corporate owners.

[@GeistInTheMachine]

I agree wholeheartedly. But it may be too late for that. I think at some level, people have lost hope. And I do not blame them. The world has twisted itself into knots. At this point, it may be we need divine intervention. If that is no thing, then there is nothing if the ship has already hit the iceberg. (To be fair, if all the iceburgs are melted, ships don't have to worry about that. Just everything else.) I believe we should all keep rowing, though. If nothing else, than for the pittance of comfort before we die that "at least we tried." May be better than crossing your arms and going down with the ship while listening to the universe's tiniest violins. Lol. Even if the end result is absolutely the same. Godspeed, guys.

[@wyziksimon1346]

I’d help but if I pay any attention to the real world I just start screaming from how depressing everything is so good luck.

[@itikutok6568]

Who listens to Zuck and thinks.. "I trust this person"