Tag Archives: Clapper

What the…

Posted on by
2

Okay, can someone, anyone, please make this make sense to me because I am seriously struggling here to completely understand what is going on.

I actually do understand it but I need someone to make this make sense.

What in the frig is all the hullabaloo with TikTok in the US seriously about?

Yeah, TikTok is an app that was developed in China and found popularity during 2020 in a time when during a world wide pandemic, while people were staying home during lockdowns and needing something to do, people discovered the app and it became a popular app with people creating content or people watching content.

As I see it, the developers of TikTok have been more than transparent in admitting who has access to the app’s data in regards to how data is handled and who has access to that information. There are no secrets, yet it is quickly accused of being “the Chinese spying app”, especially during the pandemic that spread across the world in 2020. China doesn’t even use the app, they have a completely different version of the app.

The other thing is that apps like TikTok, news is quickly shared and the US government want to put a muzzle on the news, they want to control the news and what is said. They want to block the freedom of speech and the freedom of information. That is manipulation of information as they want control. If Trump gets into office as the President Elect, he’s the one behind the “Chinese app” TikTok being banned as he’s always wanted to ban the app because he and his team wants to control what the people are saying to the rest of the world. He has never been a fan of TikTok.

This is the part where I am left to scratch my head in confusion because as far as I can see, while the US government is hell bent on doing everything they can in trying to get TikTok banned, how about looking at the apps that are developed in the US and used without any apparent concern about anyone’s data being stolen and used inappropriately by the US government? Again, it’s about controlling the news and what gets said to the people.

There’s an app called Clapper, (a similar app to TikTok but without many of features of TikTok and you need to be 17+ to use it), which  is promoted as a US developed app but if you actually look up who the developers of that app, you will see that the apps developers are the same as TikTok’s, ByteDance.

So if TikTok is banned, what happens to Clapper? Okay, Clapper in their information about the app claim that all their data isn’t shared to other parties and all content is stored on US based servers and cloud services, so Clapper may be safe as a TikTok alternative, if TikTok does get banned in the US but as a TikTok alternative, it needs a lot of work with adding and improving features before it can completely replace TikTok.

There is another app, which has only been around for 6 months, approximately called Favorited by US developer Like Labs Inc. It’s another app similar to TikTok, but the big difference is, you can’t post video content but it’s perfect for anyone who does battles, chats and on this particular app, you can actually play a lot of games on the app. You need to be 17+ to have an account. There’s already a lot of people from TikTok using the app, just like Clapper, the big difference between TikTok and Favorited is that unlike TikTok, when you gift someone in a live or during battles on Favorited, the content creator gets the bigger share of money and Favorited takes the smaller amount. This is why Favorited is becoming the much preferred app for people doing battles, they get more money than you do from TikTok.

There are other apps that I am more wary of in data being stolen, used inappropriately, or shared to 3rd parties without my consent and they are US based and developed app that people install on their devices without a second thought… heard of the apps Facebook? Instagram? X (formerly Twitter)? Snapchat? Just to name a few by any chance? They are apps I use too, but I don’t trust them to keep my data or my personal information stored on those apps safe, so I limit the personal information I share on those apps.

I just think that the driving force behind the US isn’t about caring about users’ data being stolen or what information is being collected or shared, I think it’s a smoke screen. I think it’s about TikTok taking more money for the use of the app, their servers, paying developers for the app, and money that isn’t going to US developers. It’s a US money grab because the US, they know how much profit TikTok makes, and they want a huge piece of the profit pie. I think that many US content creators will be there protesting against TikTok’s impending ban in the US, especially those who solely rely on the income they receive from TikTok because they made TikTok be their job. It’s also about control of what news is shared. It’s about manipulation of news of what happens in the US in the world news.

I joined TikTok in the last half of 2022, and in that time, I have made some wonderful friends in the US. Many I have as friends on other apps because if the US does ban TikTok, I don’t want to lose contact with these people.

I see the US government being trying to be bullies in the whole issue but they are sounding like spoit brats in the situation because they want to monopolise all the social media app platforms for themselves for profit, they also want to control what the people say and the news they hear from the outside world. I know that TikTok won’t sell the app as the US demands, so they are definitely giving the US the bird and say a big eff you and to force the US government to carry out their threat and ban the app but to this Australian, it’s making me hate the Meta apps even more and I’m hating those Meta apps now because of data breaches, them not keeping my data or my personal information safe, the control of news shared already as it’s filtered, now made even worse by fact check being removed, yet they want me to trust their apps, just because they are US based? Make that make sense, anyone?

I only hope that the US government have a change of heart and not ban TikTok because it’s not going to make me use those certain Meta apps more when I barely use them now as I really dislike them and X, with a passion. We have a right to news being unbiased and accurate in its representation, not just a whole pile of fake news which is what everyone will be getting when TikTok is banned.

So can someone, anyone make all of this make sense?

Until next time

Kaye

Social media…

Posted on by
Reply

I come from a generation who lived before social media was even thought of. Our social networking was talking to our next door neighbours, actually going to visit people at their house, speaking with people in the supermarket aisles or in the checkout line, conversing with the people we bumped into regularly in the street, or picking up the landline phone to call someone. We didn’t have social media and we didn’t have mobile (cell) phones back then, so I got to do all my crazy stuff without it being posted on social media for the world to hear about it.

My first plunge into social media was with Facebook in 2010, then a few months later I created a Twitter (now X) account and over the years I have accounts on many social media platforms. Some social media platforms, I have multiple accounts.

So here in 2024, I have social media accounts on Facebook, Twitter (Dear Elon Musk, I hate the name X and so I refuse to call your app that, signed me), Instagram, Threads, Snapchat, Bluesky, Clapper, Twitch, Rumble, YouTube, Discord, WhatsApp, Tumblr, Linkedin, Pinterest, Reddit, Messenger, Favorited and of course TikTok.

Some of the apps you probably haven’t heard of as some of these apps are relatively new and others don’t have the huge number of users unlike the mainstream popular apps have.

Why do I have so many social networking apps I hear you ask? Well, I wished I had a great answer but I hear about an app and if I think it’s interesting, I have to find out more and the best way for me to do that is to create an account for that app. I can only learn so much about the different apps by listening to other people talk about a particular app, or find out what information there is from Google.

There is however a content creator on TikTok who does livestreams and he’s on multiple platforms and he challenged his regulars to follow him on at least one other platform, or to follow him on all the platforms he’s on. Several of us regulars opted to follow him on all the platforms he’s on as he thought no one would take him up on that challenge, so he made it a dare to follow him on all the platforms. Apparently there were a few of us who if you dare us to do something, it’s game on, we’re going to do it! Lol

I’ve met some really wonderful people from all over the world through social media, so much so that they have become family. I’ve also met some of the most entitled, toxic, drama filled a$$hol3s as well on social media who have earned their rightful place on a blocked list but the good people outnumber the bad ones.

I enjoy learning about people, I enjoy seeing the parts of the world they live in, I enjoy talking to people and it’s all in real time. Whether I’m watching a livestream and typing comments in the chat, or in a guest box talking with people, it fascinates me as social media in general has made the world a smaller place to live.

There are however some aspects of social media I do not like. I detest the keyboard warrior’s who hide behind their keyboards, the trolls, the bullies, toxic people who love to create drama that break friendships or groups. What happened to simply agreeing to disagree about something? Or just being kind and respectful of other people’s opinions? Or be open enough and willing to see another person’s point of view without forcing your own point of view onto others?

When I joined TikTok in June 2022, TikTok was still a great app, then in 2023, TikTok went down hill big time as more people were doing battles by then and people opted to give up their jobs to make a living doing battles because it’s easy money, all you need is big gifters to support your battles. There’s now more bullies and keyboard warrior’s who hide behind faceless profile pictures on burner accounts. Toxic people are on the rise as well on the app.

One of the things that makes me always laugh though is how many people want tons of followers because they think that having a large number of followers makes them look popular. They post nothing, they follow no one, they aren’t known people, they contribute nothing in making the world a better place to live or contribute to making people’s lives better, they just want followers for clout in feeding their own ego’s all because they think that having a large number of followers makes them look impressive as a status symbol.

One thing for me about social media, I have never been about how many friends I have on Facebook or how many followers I can get on any of my socials. I don’t even follow everyone back who follows me. I don’t accept all the friends requests I receive on Facebook either, well the legitimate friend requests mainly, not the scammers or fakes as I remove them automatically. I have never been about winning any kind of popularity contest and never will. I’m about quality over quantity and making genuine connections with people. Even when people unfriend me on Facebook or decide to unfollow me, my attitude is “it’s their loss”. I simply don’t have an ego, I don’t do drama, I don’t do fake friends, I don’t do toxicity (okay, we can all exhibit toxic traits but if someone is totally toxic in how they interact and engage with people, I’m definitely out as I have absolutely no time for toxic people). If someone unfollows me, I will unfollow right back. I do have my boundaries that I will not compromise on.

There are people I have made true friendships with on the socials and those people are on my Facebook. Facebook is my inner sanctum as that is where I share parts of my life I don’t share anywhere else. It’s where I have my family and my real life friends and if a social media friend makes it into my Facebook feed, then they know they are family and I trust that person just as they trust me when they share parts of their life.

I’m a big believer though of the age old adage of don’t post on social media anything you don’t want the world to see. That works for me as I’m never going to post anything that I don’t want to share with the world because once it’s on social media, you can delete a post but somewhere on the internet, that post will still remain.

I love social media for not only connecting with people from around the world but I also love it for finding out what is happening in the world. I enjoy social media and finding some sleep sounds, quiet music or watch something relaxing on nights when I am unable to fall asleep. Social media has it’s advantages along with its disadvantages.

Whether you’re on social media yourself or not someone who does social media, whether you like social media or not, it is definitely something that will be staying around for a long time to come.

I’m kayezee71 on all my socials, maybe I’ll see you all soon somewhere in Social Media Land sometime soon, you never know.

Until next time

Kaye