Internet is Done

[Kiwi_Roy]

Am I the only one who thinks the best days of the internet are behind us?
I seem to find if I search for anything it either comes up Amazon of flea bay.
Perhaps it's just me?

[Lannis]

Am I the only one who thinks the best days of the internet are behind us?
I seem to find if I search for anything it either comes up Amazon of flea bay.
Perhaps it's just me?

'Course not.   Now that people are "addicted" to it, the folks who make money from selling things or from running scams are in full cry, making sure that you can't get to anything useful without going through them.

Kind of like trying to check into a Las Vegas or an Atlantic City hotel.   There IS no direct route to the front desk to check in.   You have to wind your way through the slots and card tables to get there ....

Lannis

[Wayne Orwig]

Try a search engine that hasn't been paid off by Amazon or Fleabay.
It isn't the 'internet' that is done. It is your search engine that has been bought off.

[roadventure]

Try DuckDuckGo to be set as your default search engine.

https://duckduckgo.com/

You will get some different results.

[redrider90]

Try a search engine that hasn't been paid off by Amazon or Fleabay.
It isn't the 'internet' that is done. It is your search engine that has been bought off.

Wayne is correct. You just have to search a little farther down the list. Besides many firms run stores on ebay and or Amazon and have their own websites. You just have to look. I get packages in the mail with Amazon boxes (not being reused) from vendors who have Amazon stores as well as their own stores.
As for Amazon, it is way overrated. Ebay is generally cheaper than Amazon without the "Prime" dollars you have to pay yearly to get supposed free shipping. There is no such thing as free shipping.

[kirby1923]

I often don't have access to the internet but when I do, and search things, I have a choice NOT to use E bay or amazon and often don't, even when in the states or Europe. Nobody forces me to use first choices..

So what am I missing?

I have evolved my internet search techniques just like the big companies, I have a choice...confused!

:-)

[redrider90]

Last year I bought from Amazon once. They had a supplement no one else carried that my doc recommended for my gut problems (which by the way cured my gut problems). So I bought 8 months supply of the stuff and free shipping with Prime. Amazon offered me one month of Prime free if I wanted to try it. So I got my free shipping.  My wife wanted to watch Downton Abby so I signed up. We binged watched the whole series in 3 weeks and I canceled Prime early so I didn't have to pay.
A month later they charged me for ordering the video of the new Downton Abby movie. $17+ change. I never order it and the order date was weeks before they sent me the bill. Usually you order something and they bill immediately. I contacted them and said no way I never ordered it and they refunded the money. They were just trying to add on an order. I bet they do things like that all the time.

[John Croucher]

May be a case of the easier life/shopping has become, the lazier we have become.  Remember the days of driving to 5 different merchants to save a dollar?  I will take a few extra key strokes over driving around. 

In my past life when I worked for a living, I spent other peoples money in the multi million dollar range every year.  Pre internet.  I will take today's internet over book shelves full of out dated books, fax machines, USPS and Sales Reps sitting in the lobby wanting to take me to lunch, golf or fishing any day. 

The U.S. internet and market place is actually behind many region of the WWW.

[guzzisteve]

 I think it's all going to go tits up. As soon as this laptop quits, I'll be going analog.  Don't need it cept for software. Dark age is coming w/sunflash.

[oldbike54]

 Fellas , leave your personal politics out of this .

 Oddly enough , unless I type in "for sale" I don't see any mention of Ebay , or Amazon , or any site selling things . That must be telling me something.

 Dusty

[Kiwi_Roy]

It is me then lol
I suspected as much
I will give duckduckgo a whirl
Thanks for the tip.

I hate the way Amazon corrupt my searches so I will only use it as a last resource.
Start buying Guzzi parts on Amazon how long do you think our specialty parts suppliers that know the brand will be around?

[oldbike54]

It is me then lol

 It isn't just you Roy , the internet is all voodoo to most of us . Here is what I do know from discussing things like this with people who have some real understanding of how it works , if you shop a lot on the internet then sites that sell stuff will pop up . Same with any search history , I get some motorbike related sites that pop up , usually not anyone trying to sell me something . There are ways to block most anything not wanted , although it will take someone more well versed in internet stuff to advise us on how to do so .

 In the end , there probably isn't some huge conspiracy trying to exercise mind control you are seeing , marketing people have always known how to use certain tools to influence the buying public , heck , read up on how the outfitters in St Jo MO employed psychology to sell completely unneeded nonsense to families moving West in the 1800's .

 Dusty

[redrider90]

  Remember the days of driving to 5 different merchants to save a dollar?   

I remember well my mother always collected coupons for about 3 or 4 different grocery stores. We would go to all 3 or 4 of them and come home with a trunk full of food.

[Chuck in Indiana]

Ok,riddle me this:
The other night, Dorcia and I were talking about several years ago camping at Oshkosh when we made a Dutch Baby, passed it around, and everybody had a really good time.
Two days later, we were watching YouTube, and there was a segment on how to make a Dutch baby. (!!) Who is listening? Smartphone? Alexa? The TV?
Neither of us googled Dutch Baby..

[RinkRat II]

   My money is on Alexa, then Dish remote, then TV.
 I almost forgot win 10's Cortana and Google assistant
       Paul B

[Lannis]

Ok,riddle me this:
The other night, Dorcia and I were talking about several years ago camping at Oshkosh when we made a Dutch Baby, passed it around, and everybody had a really good time.
Two days later, we were watching YouTube, and there was a segment on how to make a Dutch baby. (!!) Who is listening? Smartphone? Alexa? The TV?
Neither of us googled Dutch Baby..

I think it's amazing that once upon a time, people worried about the government "bugging" their homes.

Now people set up the microphones and broadcast everything that's said or done in their homes, audio and sometimes video, to not only the government but the entire world.

I don't understand it, but apparently it's worth it just to be able to say "Alexa, turn on K-95 Country, medium volume"! rather than the labor of finding the remote and turning on the radio ...

Lannis

[Bulldog9]

Advertizing $$ drives the internet. Most websites (including this) generate income and some make tons of $$ from such advertisements, and the passive AI reads messages, e-mail, websearches and custom tailors it all to your online history. Read an article or research a topic, be it a Car or Russian Brides, and the ad banners on all sites you visit will be cued in. In some cases when you have Siri or Alexa or Google Assistant set to always listen, just talking about things will drive those ads.  This is especially frustrating when you are trying to do research or read political/news/history with pop ups pimping crap to you.

I've been an Amazon user since it's inception, and really like the service and convenience they provide. Save tons of $$ annually with free shipping, access, and video/music/books. Well worth the price of admission. I used E-Bay much more in the past when it was largely hobbiests. Now it is just another online marketplace. I usually cross shop E-Bay with Amazon, as well as suppliers/retailers I know and trust. Depending on the item (used or new) I will also look at Craigslist and now Facebook marketplace and a couple local online swap meets..... Digital commerce and communication is here to stay... Cashless systems are in their infancy, and soon even cards/ID's will go the way of the dodo. Biometrics, facial recognition, personal mini RFID chips, huge metadata tied to it is already happening. Pretty soon, you won't need an ID to fly or board a plane. Your face, gait, and other passive ID systems will be your access key to most things connected.  It is what it is... and certainly is NOT done, it is still in its infancy. Unless you are Amish of course ;-)

[Chuck in Indiana]

Alexa or Google Assistant set to always listen,

You mean they *can* be set to always listen?? Believe me, I don't want the black helicopters thundering down my runway. 
Is there a way you can tell when they are listening? I have google home and an Amazon firestick controlling the tee bee. I'd like to *know* what tipped off the internet to Dutch babies.. 

[elvisboy77]

Am I the only one who thinks the best days of the internet are behind us?
I seem to find if I search for anything it either comes up Amazon of flea bay.
Perhaps it's just me?

The internet is a big money maker for some.  So far, it has not become mandatory to use.

[Bulldog9]

I think it's amazing that once upon a time, people worried about the government "bugging" their homes.

Now people set up the microphones and broadcast everything that's said or done in their homes, audio and sometimes video, to not only the government but the entire world.

I don't understand it, but apparently it's worth it just to be able to say "Alexa, turn on K-95 Country, medium volume"! rather than the labor of finding the remote and turning on the radio ...

Lannis

Of course..... ALL the best SCI-FI has for years projected that it is the corporations who will be our masters. 

Google/Apple/Amazon/Facebook know more about us than anyone else, perhaps even ourselves.... I have all the passive 'assistants' shut off on my devices, and to access I have to click the button, but I have NO doubt that they are still listening.  I know for a fact that Google, Amazon, Apple (and many others) all RECORD every voice text, internet search, and GPS map tracking (with or without directions) in their meta data.

The Only way you could potentially have a 'masked' digital presence would be to buy a burner phone cash, not sign in to any sites with any form of PII, e-mail, online accounts, etc. You could also potentially buy a used laptop and follow the same routine, or buy new cash, not register the warranty, and give false info/e-mail for software activation, etc, but once the devices IP address is attached to you, they have you... period. Heck, they even have our voice prints and can at will (though legally they need real cause and things like FISA warrants, etc.) turn on the ability to listen for your unique 'identifier' which will light up an alert when your voice is transmitted over any electronic means.

[Bulldog9]

You mean they *can* be set to always listen?? Believe me, I don't want the black helicopters thundering down my runway. 
Is there a way you can tell when they are listening? I have google home and an Amazon firestick controlling the tee bee. I'd like to *know* what tipped off the internet to Dutch babies.. 

The Default on most of these platforms is to always listen. Hey Google, Hey Siri, Alexa, Cortana, etc... You have to dig into the platforms, system settings and such to set them to manual. Then of course there is the issue with what hackers can and will do.

VPN software can help some with this, but not much. Dutch babes huh?  I get Russian wives and hot Asians... lol 

[Perazzimx14]

Wayne is correct. You just have to search a little farther down the list. Besides many firms run stores on ebay and or Amazon and have their own websites. You just have to look. I get packages in the mail with Amazon boxes (not being reused) from vendors who have Amazon stores as well as their own stores.
As for Amazon, it is way overrated. Ebay is generally cheaper than Amazon without the "Prime" dollars you have to pay yearly to get supposed free shipping. There is no such thing as free shipping.

I like Amazon. For the yearly fee of $130+/- its worth it. Shipping on even the smallest package is easily $5 so it doesn't take long to recover those 130 dollars buy not paying addition shipping charges plus items are delivered to my door step in 24 to 48 hours.

Its all stuff I'm buying anyways Amazon just makes it easier and more convenient. 

[GeorgiaGuzzi]

You mean they *can* be set to always listen?? Believe me, I don't want the black helicopters thundering down my runway. 
Is there a way you can tell when they are listening? I have google home and an Amazon firestick controlling the tee bee. I'd like to *know* what tipped off the internet to Dutch babies.. 

Predictive algorithms based on your age, buying habits, listening habits, viewing habits, site visits, search terms, etc. You add all those metrics up and sites start giving you suggestions. We just don’t notice most of the subtle fails. We DO notice when it gets it right and it seems like it’s omnisciently listening, we also notice the spectacular fails. Like when I get Harley ads. I *hate* Harley with a passion. (No offense to y’all that like em, just personally, ugh) anyways, it’s not some overt dark conspiracy, it’s just a dark conspiracy we’ve made ourselves. Because accurate targeting of ads using our voluntarily supplied metrics makes the most profits.

[Lannis]

....... it’s not some overt dark conspiracy, it’s just a dark conspiracy we’ve made ourselves.

Yup, this here ^^^^.

You can use it and take the consequences, or not use it and not have to deal with the consequences.   I'd love to see it all blow up and throw us all back into the Stone Age ... er, I mean 1992 .....

Lannis

[Perazzimx14]

Yup, this here ^^^^.

You can use it and take the consequences, or not use it and not have to deal with the consequences.   I'd love to see it all blow up and throw us all back into the Stone Age ... er, I mean 1992 .....

Lannis

 
Can we make it 1997 I don't want to have to redo  my apprenticeship. Getting up at 5am to be at work by 7am then work until 3:30pm then attend apprenticeship school 2 night a week from 7pm to 10pm 60 miles from home for 5 years gets to wearin' on a feller.


Glad those days are behind me

[Bulldog9]

Yup, this here ^^^^.

You can use it and take the consequences, or not use it and not have to deal with the consequences.   I'd love to see it all blow up and throw us all back into the Stone Age ... er, I mean 1992 .....

Lannis

Is that when Al Gore created the internet? 

[lazlokovacs]

FWIW I'm in my thirties, and I can agree that the internet was better 10 years ago. hard to get information now, a lot of sales in the way.

I have never had a smart phone, nor social media and I only use duckduckgo to search

seems to work for me.....

[Chuck in Indiana]

Can we make it 1997 I don't want to have to redo  my apprenticeship. Getting up at 5am to be at work by 7am then work until 3:30pm then attend apprenticeship school 2 night a week from 7pm to 10pm 60 miles from home for 5 years gets to wearin' on a feller.


Glad those days are behind me

I retired 5 years before that  But no, I wouldn't want to do the apprenticeship (I had to sign an indenture  ) over again, either. I was also doing computer programming on a Univac (!) at that time.
Get off my lawn!

[Perazzimx14]

The apprenticeship it is one of the best thing to ever happen to me and my family. One month out of high school enter Harrisburg Local 520 Plumbers and Pipefitters  Day one good pay check (went from minimum wage $3.75 to $8.25 in an instant) and only better as the years progressed. Pension, annuity, good healthcare, no student debt plus a trade that has provided exceptionally well for me and mine.

While I wouldn't want to do it over I wouldn't do anything else!

[Chuck in Indiana]

The apprenticeship it is one of the best thing to ever happen to me and my family. One month out of high school enter Harrisburg Local 520 Plumbers and Pipefitters  Day one good pay check (went from minimum wage $3.75 to $8.25 in an instant) and only better as the years progressed. Pension, annuity, good healthcare, no student debt plus a trade that has provided exceptionally well for me and mine.

While I wouldn't want to do it over I wouldn't do anything else!

  I get it..