The Algorithm is Ogre-ism
This is how I'm facing it
Certain photos have become universal icons, representing not only a moment in time but also an idea, a theme, or a movement. The historic Tiananmen Square confrontation photo above is such an image, a modern-day parallel to the biblical tale of David vs. Goliath.
But not all aggressors can be so easily identified. Oppressive control doesn’t always show up as tanks rolling into your community or shots fired or bombs dropped.
For most of us, it’s the invisible forces of oppression that are stealing our freedom. Since there’s no going face-to-face with an unseen aggressor, other tactics must be utilized. And that’s where I find myself today.
Convenience and ease of use are the modern-day tools of control. A product or system is offered to make your life better, easier, or more profitable. Over time, your dependence on the product or service is cemented. You can’t live without it.
And that’s when the the provider starts to change the rules. Prices go up, access is limited, the original terms and conditions are updated (and not in your favor).
Although there are many examples of this invisible version of oppression, my focus today is on the Algorithm.
Algorithm or Ogre-ism?
Many people would be hard-pressed to offer a definitive explanation of the Algorithm. Most of us have a vague idea that it’s a secret formula or set of rules that govern how information is presented on the internet.
No one seems to be accountable for how it’s administered and certainly no one is identified as the person responsible for its use. There is no Chief Algorithm Officer position or Algorithm department listed in any Human Resources roster of available jobs.
Yet we’re told the Algorithm is responsible for how we receive digital information.
The Algorithm controls what you see on social media and what is presented to you in online search engine results. The Algorithm determines what choices are offered to you on your streaming service. The Algorithm informs you of what you may “also like” and who you may “also know.” It even tells you what other people who bought this item also purchased—you know, so you can keep up with the Joneses.
And the price paid for this convenient service that assumes you can’t think or choose for yourself? Aside from the dollar amount, the cost is loss of privacy. The Algorithm knows everything about you. Everything—even intimate details because you probably bring your phone into the bedroom with you. Siri, Alexa, and the Google Assistant are always listening.
Worse than that, though, is loss of sovereignty. You can’t purchase what you’re not shown. You won’t know about a choice or information that is withheld in an internet search. And what you’re being shown has less to do with what’s good for you than what benefits the advertiser supporting the Algorithm’s service.
Will you stand with David or Goliath?
Another big loser to the Algorithm is the indie creator or small merchant who must compete for attention in the massive online marketplace. But, big-name competitors are not the only Goliaths that must be faced. The real ogre/oppressor is often the service provider.
Amazon built Kindle on the backs of small indie writers who put their books up for sale in that marketplace when the Big Five had yet to accept there would be a market for digital books. Once the publishing giants came aboard and Kindle was ensconced as the primary ebook marketplace for millions of readers, indies with limited budgets essentially got kicked to the curb. Their books did not show up in searches and were not part of the “also bought by readers of this book” recommendations.
In essence, Amazon simply rolled over the pesky little guys with their Big Power tanks.
I am one of those little indies who got trampled. That was 10 years ago. Initially, I was so tired after years of maneuvering the Algorithm shifts to stay alive on Kindle that I walked away.
Well, in truth, I drove away with my husband on a 3-year roadtrip across the country. Then Covid stopped our travels and cancer took my sweetheart. I’ve explored a number of new paths since 2020 and always had an eye out for how to deliver my writing to readers.
This newsletter has satisfied my need to stay connected with current work, but I have an archive of previous writing that begs to be available again. It’s taken a while to find a suitable outlet that offers direct-to-reader access and a reasonable fee for operation.
No system is perfect and although I’d love to have total control over publication, it’s not a practical solution—any more than living off the grid and growing my own food would be. Ideal is often not practical. At this stage of my career, I must be practical.
And I must count on my audience (YOU) for support. In truth, your positive feedback and presence during the Escape the Patriarchy Challenge gives me the courage to strike out on my own, direct to you, on a platform that provides the tech and infrastructure necessary for me to share past, present, and future work.
I’m not trying to defeat Amazon, but I will not sacrifice my livelihood to it, either. So here’s what I’m doing…
Early Bird Bonus 🐣
This is your invitation to join me on Patreon, a site that enables free-thinking individuals to connect and support creators of art, literature, music, video, and more. I’m proud to put my work in that environment. This is your opportunity to stand with me against ogre Amazon and the Algorithm.
I’m calling the new setup my “Netflix for Readers and Writers.” A free membership offers full access to certain series and the opening chapters/episodes of serial fiction and nonfiction. Paid membership tiers offer an array of choices for you. Eventually complete novels and series will be available for independent purchase.
This is a long-term, ongoing project with new and continuing work available each week. Just like Netflix!
Consider this an Open House invite to come and explore my new writing home. Anyone who signs up as a free or paid member by June 30, 2026 will receive a “secret story,” an email-only exclusive to my Patreon subscribers and not available on any site or outlet anywhere. Paid members will receive the secret story plus an exclusive “prequel” episode to The Great Escape Road Trip series.
As always, I am grateful for you!
☮️ and ♥️, Shelley
P.S. SMUDGE! will remain on Substack and delivered to you by email. But the bulk of my writing will be available on Patreon by subscription.
