The 'three meals a day' mantra has never sat well with me and, since living in West Africa — where eating one big meal a day is more common and the heat has affected my appetite —that feeling has only increased. The pandemic has clearly had the same affect for some people and this article is reassuring that I'm not alone in my scepticism about chowing down thrice a day.

I have written a weekly newsletter about content moderation for 2+ years and my work as a digital journalist/editor has encompassed many of the challenges that Bill notes: namely incentivising ‘good’ behaviours and creating an environment where expertise and insight can flourish. Right now, Readup does that through its very product and that’s why I, and others, come to it often as part of a routine.

But it shouldn’t become complacent. Readup could easily be gamed by groups intent on causing harm and destruction. We’ve seen it countless times before in different ways (eg Facebook’s micro targeting of ads altering the course of many elections). If I’ve learnt one thing from writing the newsletter each week and noting the moderation catastrophes of platforms all over the world, it is ‘prepare for the worst’.

No surprise why this article is popular here on Readup (and indeed why I took the time to read it). It’s clearly important for people to realise that, when they don’t pay for a product, they are in effect what is being sold.

I'm interested in the topic of content moderation and particularly whether anonymity would end online abuse. This article (and the related report) don't adequately deal with the pros of anonymity but it will be interesting to see where the campaign goes.

An honest and frank assessment of what it's like running an independent media company with an innovative business model in South Africa