Hamelton

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  • The Dark Side of TikTok: How It’s Destroying Attention Spans, Invading Privacy, and Fueling Online Scams

    TikTok has become one of the most popular apps in the world, with over a billion active users. Its highly addictive, short-form video format has captured the attention of millions of young people, making it a dominant force in social media. But beneath the surface of viral trends, catchy dances, and endless scrolling, there are serious problems that few people talk about.

    From ruining attention spans and putting user data at risk to being a hotbed for scammers and misleading ads, TikTok has become a breeding ground for some of the worst aspects of modern social media.

    This article takes a deep dive into TikTok’s biggest issues, exposing how it’s affecting users, why it’s dangerous, and why banning TikTok might actually be a good thing for everyone.

    1. How TikTok Is Destroying Attention Spans

    One of the biggest criticisms of TikTok is that it is rewiring people’s brains to crave instant gratification and short bursts of entertainment.

    The Science Behind “TikTok Brain”

    • Each video on TikTok lasts between 15 seconds to 3 minutes, but most viral content is under 30 seconds.

    • The app uses an infinite scroll system, meaning you can keep watching non-stop, with the algorithm constantly serving up more content you might like.

    • The dopamine effect—each short video gives your brain a small dopamine hit, reinforcing the habit of constantly scrolling for more.

    • Over time, this weakens the ability to focus on longer tasks, making activities like reading a book, watching a full-length movie, or paying attention in school/work harder.

    A study by Common Sense Media found that kids and teens now struggle to engage in activities that require sustained attention because they are so used to fast, short bursts of information. Teachers have even reported that students’ ability to focus has dramatically decreased in the past few years.

    Who’s Affected?

    • Young kids and teens—many start using TikTok at ages as young as 9 or 10.

    • College students—many report struggling with focusing on lectures and assignments.

    • Adults—even working professionals admit they have a harder time reading long articles, watching full TV episodes, or even sitting through a conversation without feeling the urge to check their phones.

    Simply put, TikTok is rewiring brains to crave constant stimulation—and that’s a serious problem.

    2. The Dangerous Data Privacy Issues No One Talks About

    TikTok isn’t just another social media app—it’s owned by ByteDance, a Chinese company that operates under Chinese law. That means user data on TikTok could potentially be accessed by the Chinese government.

    What Data Does TikTok Collect?

    TikTok gathers more personal data than most people realize, including:

    • Your location (even if you disable location tracking).

    • Your browsing history—it tracks which sites you visit outside of TikTok.

    • Keystroke tracking—meaning it can potentially log everything you type while using the app.

    • Facial recognition data—from videos you upload and filters you use.

    Why This Is a Problem

    Under China’s National Intelligence Law, all Chinese companies must provide data to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) if requested. This means:

    • Your personal data could be accessed by the Chinese government at any time.

    • There is no transparency about how your data is used or stored.

    • There have already been multiple cases of TikTok employees accessing private user data without permission.

    Governments around the world—including the U.S., Canada, and the European Union—have raised concerns about TikTok’s data collection practices, with some countries already banning the app from government devices.

    If you use TikTok, you are handing over an enormous amount of personal data—and the truth is, no one really knows how safe it is.

    3. TikTok Is a Scammer’s Paradise

    One of TikTok’s biggest problems is the number of scammers and misleading ads that flood the platform.

    Many users have fallen for fake promotions, overpriced junk, and straight-up scams. TikTok’s loose ad policies have made it a goldmine for dishonest sellers who use deceptive marketing tricks to trick people into buying garbage products.

    Common TikTok Scam Tactics

    🛑 Fake “Discount” Ads – Sellers use false pricing tricks to make you think you’re getting a once-in-a-lifetime deal.

    • Example: “I’m so sorry you paid $89.99 for this, it’s only $5 now!” (Reality: It was never $89.99, and the new price is actually $12.99 plus hidden fees.)

    🛑 TikTok “Mystery Box” Scams – These promise you high-value items for a low price, but in reality, they send you cheap junk worth less than you paid.

    🛑 Fake Product Demonstrations – Many TikTok ads showcase products doing impossible things, like makeup that “erases wrinkles” instantly or gadgets that do things no physics textbook would allow.

    🛑 Drop Shipping Overpriced Garbage – Many sellers buy products for $2 from China and resell them for $50+ with fake reviews.

    The Problem? TikTok Doesn’t Care

    • The ad approval process is weak, allowing blatantly false advertising.

    • Even when scams are reported, it often takes months before anything is done.

    • Many sellers just create new accounts and start over, making it impossible to shut them down permanently.

    If you’ve ever seen a TikTok ad that seemed too good to be true, chances are, it was a scam.

    4. Why Banning TikTok Would Actually Be Good

    With all of these issues, banning TikTok wouldn’t just be about national security—it would actually improve people’s lives.

    Pros of Banning TikTok:

    ✅ Stronger Attention Spans – Without TikTok, kids and teens would relearn how to focus on longer content, books, and real conversations.

    ✅ Better Online Safety – A ban would reduce data privacy concerns and stop handing personal info to a foreign government.

    ✅ Fewer Scams & Misleading Ads – Without TikTok, users wouldn’t be bombarded with fake “discount” ads, mystery box scams, and junk products.

    ✅ Less Algorithm Manipulation – Social media companies have too much control over what people see and believe. TikTok’s algorithm is one of the most secretive and manipulative, making users more addicted and less informed.

    ✅ More Creativity, Less Copying – Before TikTok, people created original content instead of just copying viral trends. A ban could lead to better, more creative online spaces.

    ✅ Encourages People to Use Other Platforms – Instead of putting all their content on TikTok, creators would move to platforms that don’t have the same shady data practices.

    Final Thoughts: Is TikTok Worth the Risk?

    While TikTok is fun and entertaining, the truth is it comes with major risks. From ruining attention spans to stealing data, enabling scammers, and pushing junk products, the negatives far outweigh the positives.

    Maybe it’s time we step back from algorithm-controlled content and start creating a healthier, safer internet for everyone.

    🚀 What do you think? Should TikTok be banned? Let’s discuss.

  • The Forgotten Art of Personal Websites – When the Web Was Yours to Build

    I don’t know what got me thinking about this, but somewhere between scrolling through my algorithmically generated TikTok feed and seeing yet another cookie-cutter Squarespace site, I realized we’ve lost something important on the internet.

    There was a time when the web wasn’t a series of corporate-owned feeds, and instead of profiles, we had websites—real, hand-crafted personal websites, each one a unique expression of its creator.

    There was no template, no social media branding, no pre-designed “About Me” sections. Every pixel was yours to decide.

    So let’s take a nostalgic deep dive into the era of personal websites, the golden age of the DIY web, and why maybe—just maybe—it’s time to bring it back.

    1. The Geocities Boom – Where the Web Became Personal

    If you were online in the late 90s and early 2000s, chances are you either had a Geocities website or knew someone who did.

    Geocities was a free web hosting service that let anyone create a website about literally anything. And when I say anything, I mean:

    • A page dedicated to your favorite TV show, loaded with gifs and MIDI music.

    • A site filled with autobiographical ramblings, treating your life like it was some grand epic.

    • Your first attempt at HTML, with neon-colored text on a black background.

    Sites were divided into “neighborhoods” based on topics (e.g., Hollywood for movies, Athens for philosophy, Tokyo for anime). It was an attempt to create an internet “city”, where websites formed communities instead of existing in isolation.

    Why It Was Special:

    ✅ No one told you how your site should look.

    ✅ Websites had personality—even if they were ugly, they were authentic.

    ✅ It encouraged creativity, experimentation, and self-expression.

    Why It Died:

    💀 Yahoo bought Geocities in 1999, then shut it down in 2009, erasing millions of personal websites overnight.

    💀 The rise of MySpace and Facebook made creating a profile easier than building a website.

    💀 People stopped wanting to learn HTML—they just wanted pre-built templates.

    2. The Golden Age of the “Shrine Site”

    Before Wikipedia made everything easily searchable, if you wanted to know EVERYTHING about a niche topic, you’d go to a fan-made “shrine” website.

    Shrine sites were obsessive, hyper-focused collections of information. You weren’t just a fan; you were a curator of your passion.

    Some common shrine site types:

    🔥 TV Show & Movie Shrines – Episode guides, cast lists, theories, and GIF collections.

    🔥 Video Game Shrines – Walkthroughs, fan art, obscure trivia.

    🔥 Celebrity & Band Shrines – Fan fiction, rare photos, gossip speculation.

    🔥 Paranormal & Conspiracy Shrines – UFO sightings, urban legends, ghost stories.

    These were deep dives before deep dives existed. If you found a well-made shrine, you struck internet gold—the kind of dedication and detail that modern Wikipedia just doesn’t have the soul for.

    Why It Was Special:

    ✅ It was 100% passion-driven—people built these sites out of love, not for money or clout.

    ✅ The best shrines were hand-crafted with unique designs and layouts.

    ✅ You often discovered them by accident, leading you into internet rabbit holes.

    Why It Died:

    💀 Google and Wikipedia made niche knowledge easily accessible—no need for dedicated fan sites.

    💀 Social media killed the long-form personal project, replacing it with bite-sized content.

    💀 Many of these sites were hosted on free services that eventually shut down, erasing them forever.

    3. The Personal Blog Era – Before Content Was “Monetized”

    Blogging did not start with influencers. It started with regular people, writing about their daily lives, random thoughts, and personal projects.

    In the early 2000s, LiveJournal, Blogger, and WordPress made it possible for anyone to publish their thoughts online, and people used it like a public diary.

    Some early blog types:

    ✍️ Personal Life Logs – People writing about their day-to-day in an almost journalistic way.

    ✍️ Tech Blogs – Coding tips, software reviews, and tutorials (before YouTube made them video-based).

    ✍️ Rant Blogs – The internet was FULL of rants—politics, gaming, culture, you name it.

    ✍️ Nostalgia & Retro Blogs – Even back then, people were nostalgic for the early web.

    These were uncensored, unfiltered, and unapologetic. There were no engagement metrics, no “influencer marketing”, just pure writing.

    Why It Was Special:

    ✅ You wrote for yourself, not for an audience or an algorithm.

    ✅ Blogs felt raw, honest, and deeply personal.

    ✅ They were standalone websites, not just another profile on a bigger platform.

    Why It Died:

    💀 Social media made micro-blogging easier—why write a blog post when you can tweet?

    💀 The rise of monetization made blogging feel like a job instead of a hobby.

    💀 Blogging isn’t dead, but it’s not the same freeform self-expression it once was.

    Why We Need Personal Websites Again

    The internet has become too uniform.

    • Every website looks the same.

    • Social media decides what you see instead of you choosing what you explore.

    • People no longer own their online presence—they’re just renting space on corporate platforms.

    Personal websites were expressive, weird, and deeply human. They weren’t about chasing engagement or going viral—they were about having your own space on the internet that reflected YOU.

    And the best part? They’re making a comeback.

    • Neocities is reviving the Geocities spirit.

    • People are rediscovering the fun of personal blogs.

    • Self-hosting is easier than ever.

    Maybe it’s time we stop giving all our content to social media and start building something that’s truly ours again.

    🚀 Did you have a personal website back in the day? What was it about? Drop a comment, or better yet—start your own site and bring back the magic.

  • The Primitive Social Media of the Early Internet – A Nostalgic Deep Dive

    I don’t know what it was that set me off down this rabbit hole, but I suddenly found myself reminiscing about the early days of social media—before it was even called that. Before Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok, there was an entire digital ecosystem of connection, and honestly? It was weirder, more personal, and, in many ways, more fun than what we have today.

    If you were born after, say, 2005, you might not even recognize some of these, but buckle up—because we’re about to take a deep dive into the primitive social networks of the internet’s golden age.

    1. Guestbooks – The OG Comment Sections

    Before social media feeds existed, before people could simply comment under a post or reply to a tweet, there were guestbooks.

    A guestbook was a simple HTML form on a website where visitors could leave a public message—kind of like the visitor logs at a museum but digital. If someone liked your website, they’d leave a note. If they hated it, well… they’d also leave a note (early internet users weren’t exactly known for tact).

    What made guestbooks unique was how personal they felt. There was no central feed or profile—your note existed on that one person’s website, and it was completely uneditable once submitted. People would sign with their usernames, websites, and even ASCII art signatures.

    Why It Was Special:

    • You could actually see who visited your site and what they thought.

    • It was an early form of digital reputation—popular websites had tons of guestbook entries.

    • It created real, one-on-one connections—the internet felt small, in the best way.

    Why It Died:

    • Once blogging and forums became more popular, guestbooks started feeling clunky and outdated.

    • Spambots absolutely destroyed guestbooks. You’d come back one day, and instead of friendly messages, your guestbook was flooded with links to “Hot Singles in Your Area.”

    2. Webrings – The Original Social Networks

    Imagine you’re a fan of, say, Final Fantasy VII in the late 90s. There’s no Twitter, no Facebook Groups—how do you find like-minded people?

    Enter webrings.

    Webrings were organized circles of related websites. If you had a website about a specific topic, you could join a webring, and in return, you’d get a small widget at the bottom of your site with links to other members.

    Clicking “Next” would take you to the next site in the ring, “Previous” would go back, and there was usually a hub page listing all the sites in that webring. It was a decentralized way of browsing the internet based on interest rather than algorithms.

    Why It Was Special:

    • It was purely community-driven—people had to apply to be in a webring.

    • It created organic discovery—you never knew what amazing site you’d stumble onto next.

    • It kept the internet weird, diverse, and personal.

    Why It Died:

    • Search engines like Google rendered them obsolete—why browse a webring when you could just search for what you wanted?

    • The rise of social media and forums made webrings feel like a relic of the past.

    • Many of the old webring services shut down, and webmasters didn’t want to maintain them manually.

    3. Bulletin Board Systems (BBS) – The Proto-Forums

    Before the World Wide Web was even a thing, we had BBSes—essentially, dial-up message boards that were accessed via phone lines. You’d literally call a BBS using a modem, and once connected, you could chat, leave messages, and even play early online games.

    Each BBS was its own small community, usually run by a single enthusiast who hosted it from their home computer. They had usernames, message boards, and even private messaging—it was social networking before the web even existed.

    Why It Was Special:

    • It was hyper-local—BBSes were often community-based.

    • It was an underground network—only certain people even knew how to access them.

    • It had early versions of everything we associate with social media today—profiles, messaging, forums.

    Why It Died:

    • The World Wide Web happened.

    • Dial-up sucked—waiting 5 minutes for a message board to load was painful.

    • The rise of big online forums like phpBB and vBulletin made them obsolete.

    4. AOL Instant Messenger (AIM) – The First Status Updates

    AIM wasn’t just a chat app—it was THE social network of the early 2000s. If you weren’t on AIM, did you even exist?

    People lived and died by their buddy lists and away messages. AIM was the first time people had “status updates”—away messages were like mini-tweets, where you’d post your deepest 14-year-old thoughts, emo lyrics, or inside jokes for all your friends to see.

    If someone blocked you, you’d KNOW. If your crush signed in, you’d feel butterflies. And if someone left a cryptic away message, the drama was real.

    Why It Was Special:

    • Real-time chat in an era where email was the norm.

    • Away messages were the original social status updates.

    • You could show who you were friends with through your buddy list.

    Why It Died:

    • Social media made it redundant—Facebook and MySpace absorbed all its features.

    • People moved to texting and mobile messaging.

    • AIM shut down in 2017, taking with it an entire generation’s digital memories.

    The Legacy of Early Social Media

    All of these early platforms, despite being primitive by today’s standards, laid the foundation for what we now call social media.

    • Guestbooks became comment sections.

    • Webrings became Facebook Groups & Subreddits.

    • Bulletin Boards evolved into modern forums and Discord servers.

    • AIM’s away messages became Twitter & Instagram Stories.

    But the big difference? The early web was decentralized, personal, and creative.

    Today, we’re locked into corporate-owned social media where algorithms decide what we see. Back then, we chose our own experiences, hand-curated our favorite sites, and built communities based on passion, not engagement metrics.

    Maybe that’s why people are revisiting these old ideas—rebuilding webrings, embracing personal blogs, and leaving traditional social media. The internet wasn’t always about chasing virality—it was about expression, discovery, and connection.

    Maybe it’s time we got back to that.

    🚀 Do you remember any of these? Did I miss any weird early social networks? Drop a comment (or sign my digital guestbook… if only).

  • Alert – FS25 Scam Modder Group: Diesel Division Customs

    Beware of Diesel Division Customs: Protect Yourself and Your System

    The Farming Simulator community thrives on creativity, collaboration, and the sharing of high-quality mods to enhance the gameplay experience. However, not everyone respects the spirit of this community—or the rules set forth by Giants Software, the creators of Farming Simulator.

    One such group, operating under the name Diesel Division Customs, has been reported for violating Giants Software’s Terms of Service by charging $30 per month on Patreon to access their so-called “mods.” This practice not only undermines the community but blatantly disregards Giants Software’s strict guidelines, which prohibit charging for mods.

    The Danger Goes Beyond Paywalls

    The issues with Diesel Division Customs don’t stop at unethical monetization. Multiple reports indicate that their “mods” are infected with viruses and malicious software. Downloading their content puts your computer—and your personal data—at significant risk.

    These viruses can:

    • Compromise your system’s security.
    • Steal sensitive information.
    • Cause irreversible damage to your files.

    For your safety, we strongly advise against downloading anything released under the name Diesel Division Customs. Even free versions of their mods, if made available, should be treated with extreme caution.

    Why This Matters

    Charging for mods and distributing malicious software are severe breaches of trust and community values. The Farming Simulator community relies on the goodwill and integrity of modders who provide their work freely for the enjoyment of others. Groups like Diesel Division Customs jeopardize this trust and tarnish the reputation of modding as a whole.

    Protect Yourself

    • Avoid Diesel Division Customs: Do not download, share, or support any content associated with this group.
    • Use Trusted Sources: Only download mods from reputable platforms such as the official Farming Simulator ModHub or well-known community websites.
    • Stay Updated: Follow trusted community members and resources to stay informed about scams and unethical practices.

    What You Can Do

    If you’ve encountered Diesel Division Customs or similar groups engaging in unethical practices:

    1. Report Them: Contact Giants Software and provide evidence of the violation.
    2. Spread Awareness: Share this alert with others in the community to prevent further harm.
    3. Support Ethical Modders: Encourage and promote modders who respect Giants Software’s rules and contribute positively to the community.

    Conclusion

    The actions of Diesel Division Customs are a reminder to stay vigilant in the Farming Simulator community. By working together to expose unethical practices and protecting ourselves from malicious threats, we can ensure that the modding community remains a safe and collaborative space for all.

    Stay safe, and happy farming.
    – The Modding Blacklist Team

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