#No code platform

[blazetechnology]

The Rise of Low-Code Software Development

This infographic takes a deep dive into the growing trend of low-code software development. Learn how businesses of all sizes are using low-code software to streamline their processes and boost productivity. To know more, you can visit our website.

[kovaionconsulting]

Boosting Start-Up Growth with No-Code Platforms and SaaS Integration

In today’s dynamic start-up environment, speed and adaptability are critical factors for success. As emerging businesses aim to quickly establish themselves in competitive markets, effectively leveraging technology becomes crucial. No-code platforms have become a transformative tool, especially for start-ups utilizing Software as a Service (SaaS). These platforms offer an efficient approach to application development, enabling start-ups to concentrate on growth and innovation instead of getting tangled in complex coding.

The Rise of No-Code Platforms

No-code platforms empower users to create applications without traditional coding, using visual development interfaces and pre-built components. This simplified development process is a boon for start-ups with limited technical resources or those aiming for rapid market entry. For a deeper understanding of how these platforms impact innovation, check out How AI-Powered Low-Code Platforms Are Transforming Innovation.

Benefits of No-Code Platforms for Start-Ups

Speed to Market

No-code platforms provide rapid development capabilities, allowing start-ups to build and launch SaaS products swiftly. This quick turnaround enables testing and iteration based on user feedback, which is crucial in gaining a competitive edge. Discover more about fast app development in our blog low-code mobile app development platforms in 2024.

2. Cost Efficiency

Traditional software development can be costly, involving hiring skilled developers and extensive coding efforts. With no-code platforms, start-ups can significantly reduce expenses and direct resources to other essential areas. For insights on how low-code platforms are transforming cost structures, read How Low-Code Platforms Are Transforming Manufacturing Processes.

3. Ease of Use

No-code platforms are user-friendly, enabling non-technical entrepreneurs to develop and manage applications themselves. This democratization of technology allows start-ups to retain control over their projects. Learn more about how this ease of use benefits developers in our blog How No-Code Platforms Can Enhance Web Developers’ Efficiency.

4. Flexibility and Scalability

No-code platforms offer functionalities and integrations that allow start-ups to customize and scale their applications as needed. They adapt to changing requirements, making them an ideal choice for growing businesses. To explore more on this, read the best angular low-code platform for developers In 2024.

How No-Code Platforms Enhance SaaS Solutions

Rapid Prototyping

No-code platforms facilitate swift prototyping, enabling start-ups to test and refine their ideas. This approach is invaluable for validating concepts with real users, ensuring a product-market fit before full-scale launch.

2. Integration Capabilities

With built-in integrations, no-code platforms allow seamless connections with other tools, essential for SaaS start-ups. This ensures comprehensive service delivery to users.

3. Empowering Non-Technical Founders

No-code platforms empower founders with limited technical skills to bring their visions to life, fostering innovation without the complexity of coding.

Kovaion’s Role in Accelerating Start-Up Growth

At Kovaion, we recognize the challenges start-ups face and are dedicated to supporting their growth through our cutting-edge low-code platform. Our platform streamlines the development process, enabling start-ups to build scalable SaaS applications efficiently. To understand more about how Kovaion’s low-code solution stands out, read Best Angular Low-Code Platform For Developers In 2024.

Our low-code platform accelerates development and offers seamless integration, scalability, and a user-friendly design. By leveraging Kovaion, start-ups can focus on their core business strategies and achieve rapid growth.

Conclusion

No-code platforms are reshaping software development for start-ups, offering speed, cost-efficiency, and simplicity that are vital for thriving in today’s competitive landscape. By integrating these platforms into SaaS solutions, start-ups can quickly launch their ideas, adapt to market needs, and scale efficiently. With Kovaion’s support, start-ups can unlock their full potential and accelerate growth, turning innovative concepts into successful ventures.

[lagoontechnologies]

The Future of Software Development: How No-Code Platforms are Driving Business Growth?

Our digital world of development landscape is experiencing an extreme shift on No Code DX Platforms. It will be a supercharger for the software development industry to rule Information Technology’s future. They are transforming the way we sneak up software platforms and are making them more penetrable, energy-efficient, and democratized.

Understanding No-Code Platforms

No-code platforms are one of the innovative game-changer for modern developers can get in the process of software development. They were developed to ease the job of developing applications and shorten the time taken to develop them.

These platforms come in the form of graphical and visual development interfaces where users can create an application by dragging and dropping some components. They rid the necessity of coding as we knew it hence opening up opportunities in software development to more people.

Here are some key features:

Drag-and-drop interfaces

Pre-built templates

Visual programming

Integration capabilities

Scalability and flexibility

These features make no-code platforms equally effective and applicable in small and large-scale businesses. They facilitate rapid application development and deployment which decreases the amount of time and money to be spent towards development.

The Evolution of No-Code Technology

The use of no-code technology is not a new concept in this world. It originated from the early periods of computing time when visual programming languages were proposed.

Thus, the technology has developed and reached maturity over the years. Today, they have turned into powerful tools that can be efficiently utilized to create versatile business applications.

The emergence of no-code tools is a reaction to demands for software development and lack of programmers. It is a solution that enables what is called “citizen developers” to develop applications without much coding expertise.

Main Characteristics and Advantages of No-Code Solutions

They come with a host of features that make them a powerful tool for businesses. These features are designed to simplify the development process and make it more efficient.

Drag-and-drop interfaces: This feature can be used to create an application where one can develop an application through using a drop-on-drop feature on a design board. As a type of programming, it is more or less visible, and logical to most people in a way.

Pre-built templates: It has been known to have its own set of templates which the users can employ as the basis for the applications that they wish to develop. It also must be noted that these templates can be further tailored to suit the nature of the business in question.

Integration capabilities: No-code platforms can interact with other applications and systems making it easier for businesses to digitize their processes and operations.

Scalability and flexibility: As they are conceived to accommodate fluctuations and changes, they may support any type and size of business, starting with the new venture.

Key Features of No-Code Platforms

Democratizing Software Creation

A great innovation of No-Code platforms is the equal opportunity it gives to anyone to develop applications. Businessmen and marketing departments, for instance, can design functional applications without necessarily having programming knowledge. No-Code platforms allow users to develop solutions by using simple drag-and-drop and adapting ready templates without involving development teams. This is where it is made perfectly even or fair for everyone concerned.

Accelerating Time-to-Market

This means that under today’s conditions and especially in the context of growing competition, speed is the most significant advantage. No-code platforms significantly help decrease development time and minimize the time spent to launch applications. It takes a small fraction of the time as it would take most companies to code new solutions, test them, and then deploy them. This ability results in a shorter time-to-market that ensures companies can respond to changes in the marketplace thereby providing them with a significant competitive advantage.

Lowering Development Costs

Unfortunately, skilled developers are not cheap to hire, and any custom coding can be very time-consuming and costly. These problems are solved by No-Code platforms since they allow teams to develop an application with less technical support. It not only reduces the development cost but also releases the pressures of IT departments from many ordinary tasks so that they can deal with more elaborate issues, making the process produce better overall effects.

Empowering Innovation

No-code platforms enable creativity since technical barriers are removed. Working in teams allows for the formation of new hypotheses quickly and the optimization of existing concepts with new possibilities. It enhances flexibility and enables businesses to expand into new sectors, switch strategies if necessary, and adapt to new trends in the constantly expanding digital world.

Seamless Integration & Scalability

Let me unwrap one of the misconceptions regarding the No-Code platforms, and that most of them are lacking in terms of functionality. The existing No-Code tools are capable of offering the integration level by which the new applications can link with the pre-existing system, database, as well as APIs. Moreover, while using No-Code platforms, companies can get tools that adapt to the company’s growth and needs but remain as much as simple as possible yet as complex as needed.

Shaping the Future of Development

In light of the ongoing trends towards digitalization in the sphere of enterprise management and operation, No-Code platforms cannot be considered as dispensable. By filtering out these constraints, they enable organisations to satisfy customer needs, introduce new products and services, and remain relevant in the market. The future of development is finally now and it has arrived through the advent of No-Code.

In Conclusion: The Future of Business Growth Lagoon’s No-Code Platforms are revolutionizing how businesses operate, making development accessible, cost-effective, and agile. Whether you’re aiming for rapid innovation, reducing development costs, or scaling effortlessly, Lagoon’s No-Code solutions provide the tools to drive sustainable business growth. The future of digital transformation is here — and it’s code-free!

[yethiconsulting]

Continuous Integration and Automation Testing: Streamlining the Development Pipeline

Continuous Integration (CI) and automation testing are pivotal components in modern software development, working synergistically to streamline the development pipeline. CI automates the process of integrating code changes into a shared repository, enabling teams to detect integration issues early and ensure code stability. This continuous integration of code is complemented by automation testing, where automated test suites are executed automatically upon each code commit.

By integrating CI with automation testing, teams achieve several benefits. Firstly, it accelerates the development cycle by providing rapid feedback on code changes, allowing developers to identify and fix issues promptly. Secondly, it reduces manual intervention in the testing process, saving time and resources. Thirdly, it fosters a culture of continuous improvement by promoting frequent code integration and testing.

Furthermore, this collaborative approach enhances software quality by detecting regressions and bugs early in the development process, leading to more reliable releases. It also increases confidence in the software's functionality and stability, ultimately improving customer satisfaction.

Overall, by streamlining the development pipeline through the integration of CI and no code test automation tools, teams can achieve faster time-to-market, higher code quality, and greater efficiency in delivering software solutions that meet the demands of today's rapidly evolving market.

[mikemoneywave]

The Power of No-Code Software: $10,000+ Months

[qmarket]

How To Create No Code Marketplace in 2024?

Searching for the perfect guide to start your no code marketplace? QoreUps Academy helps you to require step-by-step guidance with tips and tricks to create a no code marketplace. You will get to know about everything from creating to launching the marketplace.

[zealouspandataco]

No code platform

No-Code platforms significantly reduce development costs by eliminating the need for a dedicated development team. With user-friendly drag-and-drop user interfaces and pre-built templates, for more details please mail at enquiry@e-innomation.com.

[brilworks]

The 6 Best No-Code Tools in 2023

No-code tools allow anyone to build digital solutions — no coding or technical skills are required. As businesses rapidly move towards digital space, the demand for digital tools (including no-code tools) is growing.

According to a report, the no-code tools market is projected to grow by 25% in 2023, reaching a market value of $8 billion. This represents a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of $1 billion annually from $3.47 billion in 2019.

Similar to other technologies, no-code tools are growing in popularity and numbers. This is why you might be looking for these tools. They abstract away the complexities associated with programming languages, providing visual-editor to create websites and applications.

Over the past few years, these tools are breaking into mainstream development technologies. Consequently, a range of tools appears today. Therefore, it can be overwhelming to pick the right one for your needs.

Also, we cannot overlook the fact that each tool is designed for different types of users, ranging from beginners to advanced. We’ve used a bunch of different no-code tools, and here are our top picks.

But before we begin, let’s talk about what no-code tools are.

No-Code Tools: An Overview

Basically, no-code tools are types of software that allow an individual to build digital applications without writing code, also enabling non-technical people to create applications. They provide a visual interface that makes it easy to develop an app. This means anyone can build digital applications regardless of their technical skills.

While some tools may offer the ability to use code simultaneously, providing an alternative for those with coding knowledge. In 2023, the no-code tools have reached a level of maturity where they can be used to develop all kinds of advanced software.

1. Adalo: Build Custom Responsive Apps

Adalo is our top pick for several reasons, as it provides access to various tools with its free plan. When considering usability, it is one of the most accessible tools for those just starting. It demands minimal effort for anyone to learn how to use it. It appears at the top if we rank in terms of ease of use.

Furthermore, Community-generated templates are the cherry on top. The templates come fully equipped with screens, database collections, actions & more. Simply select your template & start customizing, further alleviating the development efforts. Also, you can opt for premium plans to add advanced functionality to your app.

Adalo has customized plans to suit the specific needs of founders & entrepreneurs, small & medium businesses, freelancers & agencies, and big enterprises & organizations.

Also, the premium plans come up with a range of features such as the ability to use custom fonts, have a custom domain for your app, access various APIs such as the collection API and notification API, as well as integration with Xano — a no-code backend development tool.

Overall, when it comes to user-friendliness, it is likely at the top. In terms of affordability, it is also recommended. Although, if we want to opt for a more affordable one, we will discuss Webflow later in this article. All these factors make it an excellent choice for beginners.

Key Features:

Connect Stripe and IAPHub components for user payments.

Integrate with Zapier to automate tasks.

Over 1 million apps have been developed using it.

Custom actions for advanced functionality.

Component marketplace with pre-built components, design tools, and payment options.

Templates and UI kits for various use cases like appointments, e-commerce, social media, and delivery.

Integration with popular third-party tools like Google Maps, Zoom, Google Sheets, Airtable, Mailchimp, and more.

2. Bubble: Build anything without code.

Bubble is one of the most powerful tools; however difficult to master because it has a complex interface. It is exclusively for advanced users and is also a more expensive option.

However, Bubble is an established and mature no-code like Adalo, with robust community support. It boasts a staggering number of over 2.3+ million apps created.

It may take time to gain the necessary proficiency to use this tool effectively, as it requires technical knowledge. However, in this context, technical knowledge does not refer to coding skills since it is a no-code tool. Instead, it requires learning the technical knowledge of effectively utilizing a no-code tool.

On the bright side, becoming adept with this tool empowers users to create complex web applications that may not be built with alternative tools.

Bubble is an excellent solution for individuals looking for a tool that provides unparalleled customization freedom. With Bubble, you have the ability to customize every aspect, including the look, feel, and even the option to incorporate custom code if desired.

As a market leader, Bubble provides advanced tools for implementing advanced features, which is reflected in its pricing plans being comparatively higher than others. Furthermore, the strong community and customer support it offers to contribute to its overall value proposition, making it a worthwhile consideration.

Key Features:

Powerful Community Support

Unparalleled Customization Freedom

Complex Web Application Creation

Advanced Feature Implementation

Market Leader

3. Webflow: Versatility for Designers and Developers

Webflow lets you create whatever website you want to create — from SaaS websites to e-commerce stores. A range of templates to get you started and a drag-and-drop user interface enables you to launch websites quickly. The reason it is our top pick is because it provides users with a multitude of tools. So, if you are looking for a rapid website-building tool, Webflow emerges as a superior choice compared to Bubble and Flutterflow.

It is used by over 3.5 million users, including prominent names from the tech industry. Also, you can generate codes that can be utilized by developers. It is an additional option, which makes it a versatile tool where both non-technical individuals and coders can collaborate.

In terms of rapid development, it has the same ability as Adalo, but it has limited features compared to Adalo. And plans are also slightly more expensive than those of Softr and Adalo.

Talking about features, it has a diverse array of elements like sliders, tabs, background videos, etc. Optional but useful, it lets you create reusable components and CSS classes.

It’s worth noting that Webflow is more beneficial for users with a higher level of technical knowledge. The platform offers templates, content management, tutorials, and post-publishing features, including SEO tools, making it a comprehensive package for website creation.

Key Features:

Versatile website creation for SaaS, e-commerce, and more.

Templates and a drag-and-drop interface for quick launches.

A multitude of tools for comprehensive website development.

Developer-friendly with code generation for collaboration.

Rapid development like Adalo, with some feature limitations.

Reusable components and CSS classes for efficient design.

Suitable for users with higher technical knowledge.

Comprehensive package with templates, content management, tutorials, and SEO tools.

Optional elements like sliders and background videos for enhanced customization.

Read more at https://www.brilworks.com/blog/best-no-code-tools/

[no-code-chatbot-builder]

Transforming My Retail Shop with Botbuz Chatbot: A Story of Growth and Success

Once upon a time, in the bustling heart of our little town, I ran a cozy retail shop. It was a quaint, charming place filled with all sorts of delightful goods, from handmade jewelry to vintage collectibles. My store was my pride and joy, a labor of love. However, there was always this lingering thought in my mind: how could I take my small business to the next level?

As fate would have it, I came up with a magical solution that would change the course of my retail journey forever: the Botbuz Chatbot for a retail shop.

A Humble Beginning My first encounter with Botbuz was through a friend who had also ventured into the retail world. She raved about how this chatbot had transformed her customer interactions, increased sales, and made her business more efficient. Intrigued, I decided to give it a try.

The Botbuz Chatbot for retail shops promised a lot – better customer engagement, 24/7 availability, and personalized shopping experiences. Sounded like just what I needed. So, I took the plunge and set up the chatbot on my website. Little did I know that this was the beginning of an incredible journey.

Welcoming My New Assistant The installation process was surprisingly easy. I was no tech wizard, but the platform's user-friendly interface made it easy. I could customize the chatbot's responses, add product information and set up various automated messages. In no time, I had my virtual assistant ready to engage with my customers.

Boosting Sales and Customer Engagement The most immediate impact was on my sales. The chatbot was like a diligent salesperson who never needed rest. It could answer customer queries, make product recommendations, and even help with the checkout process. It was like having a knowledgeable sales assistant available 24/7.

As a result, my customers felt more supported and appreciated. The personalized shopping experience the chatbot provided was a game-changer. It could remember customer preferences and offer tailored product suggestions, making each visit to my shop more enjoyable.

The Power of Abandoned Cart Recovery One of the features that truly blew my mind was the abandoned cart recovery. The chatbot could reach out to customers who had left items in their carts and gently nudge them to complete their purchases. The results were astounding; the number of abandoned carts decreased and my sales soared.

Real-World Success Stories But don't just take my word for it. Let me share some real-world success stories. My fellow shop owners in the area, skeptical at first, were amazed at the results Botbuz brought them. Sales increased, customer satisfaction went up, and some even expanded their businesses, all thanks to this ingenious chatbot.

A Personal Touch What I loved most about Botbuz was that it gave my shop a personal touch. Despite being an online store, my customers felt like they were talking to a friendly, knowledgeable shop assistant. They could ask questions, seek recommendations, and even chat about their day. It brought a piece of the brick-and-mortar shopping experience to the digital world.

Challenges and Growth Of course, it wasn't all sunshine and rainbows. There were challenges. Customers sometimes asked complicated questions, or the chatbot didn't understand a query correctly. But Botbuz was continuously learning and improving. With regular monitoring and updates, these hiccups became less frequent, and the chatbot's efficiency continued to rise.

A Bright Future Now, my retail shop isn't just a shop; it's a thriving online community. I've seen my sales skyrocket, my customers are happier, and I have more time to focus on expanding my business. Thanks to the Botbuz Chatbot for a retail shop, my little shop has become a big success.

So, here's my story, a tale of how a simple chatbot transformed my retail shop into a thriving, customer-centric business. If you're a fellow shop owner looking for a way to boost sales and enhance customer experiences, I wholeheartedly recommend giving Botbuz a try. You won't be disappointed.

And just like my little shop, with Botbuz, your retail store could be on the brink of an incredible transformation.

[blazetechnology]

Embrace Simplicity with Nocode Software Solutions

Simplify your software development journey with our Nocode software solutions. No more complexities of coding or technical hurdles. Our intuitive tools provide a seamless and efficient way to build applications, websites, and automation workflows. From startups to enterprises, our Nocode solutions cater to diverse needs, enabling you to focus on innovation and achieving your business goals. Embrace the simplicity of Nocode and unleash your creative potential today.

[kovaionconsulting]

Top 8 No-Code Platforms for Healthcare

The healthcare industry increasingly relies on digital solutions to improve patient care, streamline operations, and maintain compliance with strict regulations. No-code platforms have emerged as vital tools, enabling healthcare organizations to build customized applications quickly and with minimal coding knowledge. Here, we explore the top 8 no-code platforms that are particularly well-suited for healthcare applications:

1. Kovaion’s No-code Platform

Kovaion’s no code platform  stands out as a premier no-code solution tailored for the healthcare industry. It provides a highly intuitive platform that allows healthcare providers to create applications focused on patient management, electronic health records (EHR), and compliance with healthcare regulations such as HIPAA. Its robust suite of pre-built healthcare components and seamless integration capabilities make it an excellent choice for healthcare organizations aiming to enhance operational efficiency and patient outcomes.

Here are the features incorporated into Kovaion’s No-Code Platform:

AI-Powered App Builder

Advanced Form Builder

Drag & Drop Workflows

Interactive Dashboards

Responsive Application

Email Notifications

Seamless Integration

Attractive BI Dashboard

API Integration

OTP based Login

User role management (based on fields)

2. Mendix

Mendix offers a powerful no-code environment that enables healthcare organizations to develop applications that optimize patient engagement and operational efficiency. Its strong security features and extensive integration options ensure that sensitive healthcare data is handled securely.

3. Microsoft PowerApps

As part of the Microsoft ecosystem, PowerApps allows healthcare organizations to develop applications that leverage their existing Microsoft software investments. This platform is particularly useful for creating solutions that require deep integration with Microsoft’s Azure and Office 365.

4. OutSystems

Known for its rapid application development capabilities, OutSystems provides healthcare institutions with a secure and scalable platform to create extensive custom applications that adhere to compliance standards.

5. Appian

Appian’s no-code platform excels in automating business processes and improving workflow efficiencies. Healthcare providers can benefit from its strong BPM capabilities to enhance patient management and care coordination.

6. Salesforce Health Cloud

Built on the Salesforce platform, Health Cloud is designed to create personalized patient experiences. It integrates patient data into a single platform, providing healthcare workers with powerful tools to manage patient relationships better and coordinate care more effectively.

7. Zoho Creator

Zoho Creator offers an accessible no-code platform ideal for smaller healthcare facilities that need custom applications without heavy investment. It provides easy data management and compliance with healthcare regulations, making it a practical choice for budget-conscious providers.

8. Nintex

Nintex specializes in workflow automation, which is crucial for the healthcare sector. Its platform allows for creating streamlined workflows for patient data management and improving the overall efficiency of healthcare operations.

These no-code platforms equip healthcare organizations with essential tools to navigate the fast-evolving digital landscape, ensuring they meet patient needs and maintain compliance with stringent industry regulations. Among these options, Kovaion stands out as the superior choice due to its focused commitment to healthcare. It offers specialized features and functionalities tailored specifically for the sector, making Kovaion the best option for organizations aiming to fully harness the benefits of no-code application development in healthcare.

[giggso]

No code AI/AL Model Monitoring Management and Observability - Giggso

Leverage Giggso low code – no code platform to streamline your model deployment and monitoring with minimal effort and maximized efficiency. Get a FREE Demo.

Read More: https://www.giggso.com/no-code-platform/

[mostlysignssomeportents]

The specific process by which Google enshittified its search

I'm touring my new, nationally bestselling novel The Bezzle! Catch me SATURDAY (Apr 27) in MARIN COUNTY, then Winnipeg (May 2), Calgary (May 3), Vancouver (May 4), and beyond!

All digital businesses have the technical capacity to enshittify: the ability to change the underlying functions of the business from moment to moment and user to user, allowing for the rapid transfer of value between business customers, end users and shareholders:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/02/19/twiddler/

If you'd like an essay-formatted version of this thread to read or share, here's a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/04/24/naming-names/#prabhakar-raghavan

Which raises an important question: why do companies enshittify at a specific moment, after refraining from enshittifying before? After all, a company always has the potential to benefit by treating its business customers and end users worse, by giving them a worse deal. If you charge more for your product and pay your suppliers less, that leaves more money on the table for your investors.

Of course, it's not that simple. While cheating, price-gouging, and degrading your product can produce gains, these tactics also threaten losses. You might lose customers to a rival, or get punished by a regulator, or face mass resignations from your employees who really believe in your product.

Companies choose not to enshittify their products…until they choose to do so. One theory to explain this is that companies are engaged in a process of continuous assessment, gathering data about their competitive risks, their regulators' mettle, their employees' boldness. When these assessments indicate that the conditions are favorable to enshittification, the CEO walks over to the big "enshittification" lever on the wall and yanks it all the way to MAX.

Some companies have certainly done this – and paid the price. Think of Myspace or Yahoo: companies that made themselves worse by reducing quality and gouging on price (be it measured in dollars or attention – that is, ads) before sinking into obscure senescence. These companies made a bet that they could get richer while getting worse, and they were wrong, and they lost out.

But this model doesn't explain the Great Enshittening, in which all the tech companies are enshittifying at the same time. Maybe all these companies are subscribing to the same business newsletter (or, more likely, buying advice from the same management consultancy) (cough McKinsey cough) that is a kind of industry-wide starter pistol for enshittification.

I think it's something else. I think the main job of a CEO is to show up for work every morning and yank on the enshittification lever as hard as you can, in hopes that you can eke out some incremental gains in your company's cost-basis and/or income by shifting value away from your suppliers and customers to yourself.

We get good digital services when the enshittification lever doesn't budge – when it is constrained: by competition, by regulation, by interoperable mods and hacks that undo enshittification (like alternative clients and ad-blockers) and by workers who have bargaining power thanks to a tight labor market or a powerful union:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/11/09/lead-me-not-into-temptation/#chamberlain

When Google ordered its staff to build a secret Chinese search engine that would censor search results and rat out dissidents to the Chinese secret police, googlers revolted and refused, and the project died:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dragonfly_(search_engine)

When Google tried to win a US government contract to build AI for drones used to target and murder civilians far from the battlefield, googlers revolted and refused, and the project died:

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/01/technology/google-pentagon-project-maven.html

What's happened since – what's behind all the tech companies enshittifying all at once – is that tech worker power has been smashed, especially at Google, where 12,000 workers were fired just months after a $80b stock buyback that would have paid their wages for the next 27 years. Likewise, competition has receded from tech bosses' worries, thanks to lax antitrust enforcement that saw most credible competitors merged into behemoths, or neutralized with predatory pricing schemes. Lax enforcement of other policies – privacy, labor and consumer protection – loosened up the enshittification lever even more. And the expansion of IP rights, which criminalize most kinds of reverse engineering and aftermarket modification, means that interoperability no longer applies friction to the enshittification lever.

Now that every tech boss has an enshittification lever that moves very freely, they can show up for work, yank the enshittification lever, and it goes all the way to MAX. When googlers protested the company's complicity in the genocide in Gaza, Google didn't kill the project – it mass-fired the workers:

https://medium.com/@notechforapartheid/statement-from-google-workers-with-the-no-tech-for-apartheid-campaign-on-googles-indiscriminate-28ba4c9b7ce8

Enshittification is a macroeconomic phenomenon, determined by the regulatory environment for competition, privacy, labor, consumer protection and IP. But enshittification is also a microeconomic phenomenon, the result of innumerable boardroom and product-planning fights within companies in which would-be enshittifiers try to do things that make the company's products and services shittier wrestle with rivals who want to keep things as they are, or make them better, whether out of principle or fear of the consequences.

Those microeconomic wrestling-matches are where we find enshittification's heroes and villains – the people who fight for the user or stand up for a fair deal, versus the people who want to cheat and wreck to make things better for the company and win bonuses and promotions for themselves:

https://locusmag.com/2023/11/commentary-by-cory-doctorow-dont-be-evil/

These microeconomic struggles are usually obscure, because companies are secretive institutions and our glimpses into their deliberations are normally limited to the odd leaked memo, whistleblower tell-all, or spectacular worker revolt. But when a company gets dragged into court, a new window opens into the company's internal operations. That's especially true when the plaintiff is the US government.

Which brings me back to Google, the poster-child for enshittification, a company that revolutionized the internet a quarter of a century ago with a search-engine that was so good that it felt like magic, which has decayed so badly and so rapidly that whole sections of the internet are disappearing from view for the 90% of users who rely on the search engine as their gateway to the internet.

Google is being sued by the DOJ's Antitrust Division, and that means we are getting a very deep look into the company, as its internal emails and memos come to light:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/10/03/not-feeling-lucky/#fundamental-laws-of-economics

Google is a tech company, and tech companies have literary cultures – they run on email and other forms of written communication, even for casual speech, which is more likely to take place in a chat program than at a water-cooler. This means that tech companies have giant databases full of confessions to every crime they've ever committed:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/09/03/big-tech-cant-stop-telling-on-itself/

Large pieces of Google's database-of-crimes are now on display – so much, in fact, that it's hard for anyone to parse through it all and understand what it means. But some people are trying, and coming up with gold. One of those successful prospectors is Ed Zitron, who has produced a staggering account of the precise moment at which Google search tipped over into enshittification, which names the executives at the very heart of the rot:

https://www.wheresyoured.at/the-men-who-killed-google/

Zitron tells the story of a boardroom struggle over search quality, in which Ben Gomes – a long-tenured googler who helped define the company during its best years – lost a fight with Prabhakar Raghavan, a computer scientist turned manager whose tactic for increasing the number of search queries (and thus the number of ads the company could show to searchers) was to decrease the quality of search. That way, searchers would have to spend more time on Google before they found what they were looking for.

Zitron contrasts the background of these two figures. Gomes, the hero, worked at Google for 19 years, solving fantastically hard technical scaling problems and eventually becoming the company's "search czar." Raghavan, the villain, "failed upwards" through his career, including a stint as Yahoo's head of search from 2005-12, a presiding over the collapse of Yahoo's search business. Under Raghavan's leadership, Yahoo's search market-share fell from 30.4% to 14%, and in the end, Yahoo jettisoned its search altogether and replaced it with Bing.

For Zitron, the memos show how Raghavan engineered the ouster of Gomes, with help from the company CEO, the ex-McKinseyite Sundar Pichai. It was a triumph for enshittification, a deliberate decision to make the product worse in order to make it more profitable, under the (correct) belief that the company's exclusivity deals to provide search everywhere from Iphones and Samsungs to Mozilla would mean that the business would face no consequences for doing so.

It a picture of a company that isn't just too big to fail – it's (as FTC Chair Lina Khan put it on The Daily Show) too big to care:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oaDTiWaYfcM

Zitron's done excellent sleuthing through the court exhibits here, and his writeup is incandescently brilliant. But there's one point I quibble with him on. Zitron writes that "It’s because the people running the tech industry are no longer those that built it."

I think that gets it backwards. I think that there were always enshittifiers in the C-suites of these companies. When Page and Brin brought in the war criminal Eric Schmidt to run the company, he surely started every day with a ritual, ferocious tug at that enshittification lever. The difference wasn't who was in the C-suite – the difference was how freely the lever moved.

On Saturday, I wrote:

The platforms used to treat us well and now treat us badly. That's not because they were setting a patient trap, luring us in with good treatment in the expectation of locking us in and turning on us. Tech bosses do not have the executive function to lie in wait for years and years.

https://pluralistic.net/2024/04/22/kargo-kult-kaptialism/#dont-buy-it

Someone on Hacker News called that "silly," adding that "tech bosses do in fact have the executive function to lie in wait for years and years. That's literally the business model of most startups":

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=40114339

That's not quite right, though. The business-model of the startup is to yank on the enshittification lever every day. Tech bosses don't lie in wait for the perfect moment to claw away all the value from their employees, users, business customers, and suppliers – they're always trying to get that value. It's only when they become too big to care that they succeed. That's the definition of being too big to care.

In antitrust circles, they sometimes say that "the process is the punishment." No matter what happens to the DOJ's case against Google, its internal workers have been made visible to the public. The secrecy surrounding the Google trial when it was underway meant that a lot of this stuff flew under the radar when it first appeared. But as Zitron's work shows, there is plenty of treasure to be found in that trove of documents that is now permanently in the public domain.

When future scholars study the enshittocene, they will look to accounts like Zitron's to mark the turning points from the old, good internet to the enshitternet. Let's hope those future scholars have a new, good internet on which to publish their findings.

If you'd like an essay-formatted version of this post to read or share, here's a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/04/24/naming-names/#prabhakar-raghavan

[phoenixtherobot]

Hermittober Day 7: Fall!

I like to imagine Joel tripped a little when he got shot so he could fit the theme of all of the Bread Boys Falling

[asavt]

I finished a little reference sheet for Blake! I find it funny how much he has changed in his time existing, he didn't have his hair that long or voluminous(?

I'm trying to take this a little more seriously now, for portafolio purposes and stuff~ I would like to do character designing in the future...