#but also props to op who shared the usb-c audio port adapter<3 you are doing god's work

[cachien]

Fun fact: Henry Ford wanted to invest profit into the company (~1916? I think? I could be totally wrong on the date) and was sued by shareholders. His goal was charitable, he wanted to employ more people and make sure their jobs paid them enough to “build their lives and homes.” But the Dodge brothers, who owned about 10% stock in Ford, took him to court when Ford announced his intention to invest the majority of profit into “the company” (meaning mostly those employed by it).

The Dodge brother won. The case established that in the US, a company’s responsibility is not to the public, not to the employees, but to the shareholders. Their job is to make sure the shareholders profit.

So... Yeah. Tech isn’t about the wants of the people anymore. Nefarious practices like forced obsolescence and Smart Fridges and reduced options are intentional because they’re the most likely to gain profit, which goes right into the shareholders’ pockets. And if the company tries to do things that reduce that profit, that help the public or employees instead, they can be sued by shareholders and lose out on a ton of money and potentially the company.