Don't you feel that way on most sites? I mean, conceivably, HN could be manipulating your feelings as well by fingerprinting your browser and using a different ranking algorithm.
Precisely. It is unnerving how many websites and corporations try to "play God", so to speak. Any instance of manipulation makes me feel used, and that lack of trust never really goes away.
I get that services want me to see stuff that is "most relevant" to me, but there is no room in relevance for serendipity, and it brings to mind the line from Equilibrium:
"..The comfort of knowing your life has been lived before."
Personally, I try and trust most of these sites until they prove that they can not be trusted. Granted, it gets harder and harder to provide any level of trust, given how intrusive web sites become (with ads, trackers, dark patterns, etc).
Why? Wouldn't a more informed view be to assume that the sites (and companies, politicians, etc) will behave in the way that economics favors them to behave?
In this case, you're not paying, so you're not a customer and they don't really care about your needs as long as you stick around.
They make their money from the companies that the article goes on about, and they will do whatever they can to make more.
In short, wouldn't it be better to assume that if the NSA can listen to you, they will? And if a company can make money from your data, they will? And if a politician could be taking bribes, they are?
I get that services want me to see stuff that is "most relevant" to me, but there is no room in relevance for serendipity, and it brings to mind the line from Equilibrium:
"..The comfort of knowing your life has been lived before."