Social sales

  It appears to me that Facebook has gone from social to sales. There is far more advertising urging you to purchase something than there is social interaction. I'm guessing folks just got tired of all the negativity, fighting and name calling. All of those hiding in their keyboard castles slinging arrows at others have finally begun to remain silent. That is the result of a lack of reaction. People have become hardened to that and are allowing it to just go by.  That's a good thing, but rather sad in a way as well. Sad that we can't interact with each other is a more civil fashion and have to resort to silence. I have noticed the proliferation of groups. The majority of these groups require you to fill out a questionnaire and electronically sign an agreement. A terms of usage agreement. Violate the rules and you will be removed and blocked from commenting. 

  I have my own group. I have had that established for quite a while now. I am the sole administrator. There are no questions to answer, no agreements to be made in order to comment or join the group. I don't have any rules. I have blocked two people since I began the group and have refused entry to a number of others. It's my group and my decision, simple as that. I don't owe an explanation to anyone. I wouldn't say that group is very active but it is cordial most of the time. I haven't seen any big issues pop up. I have no need to "moderate" anything. Well, I am the administrator, not the moderator. My group doesn't have that. 

  All things run their course. Facebook is certainly no exception to that. I have seen it change over the years. I remember when everyone was farming. That has all but disappeared from the conversation. I used to see a larger number of photos and videos. Yes, it was mostly what people were eating for dinner or something cute the kids were doing. Even that has died down somewhat. Today there is little discussion, little social interaction, mostly just somebody selling something. A lot of posts about injustices of the past and every marginalized ethnic group in the country. A lot of postings about history being wrong. A lot of apologizing for America. 

  I still scroll down my timeline or page, whatever they call that, and leave my comments. I receive lots of comments about my education, my race, my age and my overall personality. Amazing how so many people know me that much from a single post. I'm guessing those folks must be checking my profile page, something I very rarely do with anyone. I have this theory about that. I place as much trust in the validity of those profiles as I do CNN. I have thought to change mine to say I have a PhD and several other degrees. I could also "identify" as any number of ethnic groups or "communities" for that matter. Maybe the fact checkers should fact check profile pages. But they are too busy fact checking your opinion. If it doesn't agree with theirs, it's not true. The best you can hope for is "partially true" but lacking context. 

  Well in a few years, maybe sooner, we can just create a virtual presence. This AI is remarkable stuff. I can have my avatar, one that is actually me, but talks using AI. Imagine how smart I could appear to be. With the entire web at my fingertips through this AI I could cite references all day long to support whatever I wanted to. I could fact check the fact checkers! Will it be me? Without some program, some other intelligence to inform you of that, you won't know. Facebook may become the place for virtual conversations between artificial intelligence. Computers arguing with computers. My avatar can beat up your avatar. Yes, it's a brave new world. Facebook as a social network will no longer exist, it will remain as a sales network perhaps.