I've been saying for a long time that the "increased listenership" our web radio station gains by purchasing a larger streaming package is probably fake.
The attached article explains how this could be easily true and probable.
I worked on the precursor to the Internet (as it is today) called Videotex (the Canadian version - Telidon), well before there was the public infrastructure to support it. The company's name was Infomart.
I've seen the graphical Internet start up and grow.
It's a great tool, when used properly. It's interesting, because I was saying the same thing (while working for Microsoft) in the '90s.
Unfortunately, it's become the new home of hucksters and criminals. If you want snake oil, even to influence elections, you can't go wrong with utilizing social media, google (and other search engines), etc. If you want facts, all the facts, you still have to go to the same sources that existed pre-Internet - newspapers, research organizations et al.
I don't participate in social media. Most of it is opinion, and the rest is slanted fact. Anything I do read from there I corroborate with other sources.
Even when reading newspapers, listening to the radio and watching TV, I take everything with a large grain of salt.
I buy online only when I can't get something locally. You can't complain about losing local stores if you don't support them. There are also lessons to be learned in supporting local radio stations, TV stations, print media and the like. How can we complain if they disappear, or aren't community oriented, if they don't get support from that same community.
One of my biggest hot buttons recently was when my local bank got rid of all the tellers, put in computers, and wanted everyone to go online. They don't even keep any money in-house. No money in a bank?
If the Internet disappeared tomorrow, I might miss it for a while, but I'd get over it pretty quickly. And I think that everyone (except, of course, those who abuse it) would be better off.