I am beyond disturbed that much greater resources are being spent on finding ways to “leverage” the power of the internet to exploit users, than we users are investing to find how we can harness our own power to use for our own good. This makes no sense when you consider what leverage means: to use a small object and a small amount of force to control a more massive object. In this analogy, the small force are the exploiters, the small tool is social media and the massive object represents the vast base of social media users: us.
In a leverage model, the greatest power is owned by the largest mass, which is us. So, while it’s true that the exploiters have a tool we need (social media), they need us so much more because their tool is both meaningless and useless without a massive user base. In a sense, we users represent the holy grail, the powerful object many wish to acquire and use for personal gain. We should recognize this power; collaborate and brainstorm how to use it and the wonderful, open communication medium that is the internet, for our own collective benefit. Instead, we agree to be used by others for their gain. We agree by just letting this happen.
Facebook and its investors only disagree over how fast increased user exploitation should take place, but clearly neither of them has any desire to protect us. Doing this is our job. We should get on it right away.
Also see: Save the Net!