It’s bots all the way down at kindle unlimited (www.vice.com)

submitted 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) by cecirdr@beehaw.org to c/technology@beehaw.org

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My title might be a bit hyperbolic, but stuff like this worries me. I love to read and I love reading on a kindle. This has been going on for a while, but it has now reached absurd levels.

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[-] Suedeltica@kbin.social 1 points 2 years ago

Behind the Bastards just did a two-parter on this phenomenon but with children’s “books.” Icky stuff. Great episodes, but ugh that this is even a thing.

Part One: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/behind-the-bastards/id1373812661?i=1000617646703

Part Two: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/behind-the-bastards/id1373812661?i=1000617949358

[-] fidodo@beehaw.org 0 points 2 years ago

What I don't understand is who is downloading and reading these books?

[-] potpie@beehaw.org 0 points 2 years ago

My guess is: adventurous readers who are intrigued by a small snippet, then figure it out on page 2 after they've bought it already.

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[-] Snapz@beehaw.org 0 points 2 years ago

"Folding Ideas" does amazing work on YouTube around exposing grifters in well structured, long form explanations of their grifts.

One of their videos looked into a group of growth hustler type folks, a pair of twins. Part of their scam was automating the process of creating fake books like this from start to finish to sell them online for passive income.

Highly recommend anything this channel creates. Worth your time to have a focused sit to watch the journey unfold (especially if interested in the main subject of this post).

https://youtu.be/biYciU1uiUw

[-] ConstableJelly@beehaw.org 0 points 2 years ago

I fully second this. Folding Ideas is a first-class educator. I would still be completely in the dark on NFTs and Crypto without him, and "In Search of a Flat Earth" completely changed my perspective on flat earth adherents (i.e., I am much less amused by it).

[-] argv_minus_one@beehaw.org 0 points 2 years ago

Flat Earth adherents? What's their dirty secret?

[-] ConstableJelly@beehaw.org 0 points 2 years ago

No secret, I just used to think they were being stubbornly dense, like goofy idiots. His video contended that it's more malicious than that, born out of evangelical arrogance and an unfulfilled need to be smarter and more "moral" than everyone else.

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this post was submitted on 29 Jun 2023

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