This paper explores parallels between social networking site (SNS) interface design and the Haussmannization of Paris under Napoleon III. Using Walter Benjamin’s analysis of the Parisian Arcades and Edgar Allan Poe’s flâneur, it examines how consumption and space changed in Paris, drawing comparisons to the internet. The lurker in SNS, much like the flâneur, navigates spaces designed for algorithmic consumption and engagement, where user behaviour is mapped. The research speculates on new metaphors of collective visibility, inspired by the Mass Observation Project, and examines spreadable behaviours while looking at memes. It uses digital ethnography to explore the emergence of the attention economy and its implications for interaction design, particularly in gentrifying online spaces, while raising questions about ethics, consent, privacy, and the future of the web.