#nyc cleaning company

[harborrestoration]

Hire Premier Roofing And Restoration Company In New York City

Harbor Restoration is your premier roofing and restoration company serving New York City and surrounding areas. We pride ourselves on our quality services, which are led by a team with experience and expertise to handle just about anything regarding roofing. From simple roof restoration jobs to general repairs, we have your back. With years of experience and expertise, we are the go-to choice for all your roofing and restoration needs in NYC. Now, look deeper into our services and how we can help you.

Roof restoration is a critical service in extending the life span of the roof and shielding your building from possible damages. At Harbor Restoration, it is important to note that we are aware of the importance of a well-maintained roof and strive to deliver top-quality restoration services. With the latest techniques and equipment, we can provide restorations so that your roof not only looks great but is also durable, strong, and resistant to harsh weather conditions. We don't just repair the obvious damages but trace and fix the root cause of them so they won't return anytime soon. Our roof restoration service in NYC is something you can surely rely on when it comes to a good outcome for your roof.

Sick of searching for roofing and restoration near me in NYC? Look no further because at Harbor Restoration, we are conveniently located in the heart of the city, and all it takes is one phone call from you. Our team is always ready to respond to your roofing emergency with quick and effective services. Well, yes, it is a fact that a leaked roof can bring discomfort and possibly be dangerous. That is why we offer timely and professional roofing and restoration services in your area. Be it large or small, simple or complicated, we boast experience to accomplish the job with precision and care.

With a highly experienced team in repair and restoration works of all kinds of roofs, including in Long Island City, we value your roof as highly important in your structure and, therefore, take great care in offering high-quality repairs and restorations. Our staff puts extra effort into restoring your roof to its original status and making it more durable and strong.

At Harbor Restoration, we value our work and are committed to giving our customers the very best services. We use high-quality materials and strictly adhere to industry standards in implementing our work to ensure the highest quality and durability. Our team is also complimented with state-of-the-art equipment and techniques; thus, we can ensure that services are rendered with utmost efficiency and effectiveness. Our belief in building long-term relationships and trust with our clientele is something for which customer satisfaction comes first among all other priorities.

Don't wait until it is too late; contact us today at (718) 866-4000 and tap into the experience of Harbor Restoration. Visit our website at https://harborrestoration.com/

[gloria-cleaning]

Cleaning Service in Bronx, NY

Welcome to the premier cleaning service in Bronx, NY—Gloria Cleaning. Here, we redefine the art of cleaning, ensuring every home and business shines. Our team is driven by a commitment to deliver exceptional results, making us the trusted choice for all your cleaning needs.

Our Services Include:

Residential Cleaning: We handle everything from general room cleaning to specific areas like kitchens and bathrooms, ensuring every corner of your home is sparkling clean.

Commercial Cleaning: Whether it's an office, hotel, or restaurant, our team provides thorough cleaning that leaves your premises spotless and welcoming.

Specialized Services: For those unique needs, we offer crime scene cleaning, post-construction clean-up, and hoarding cleaning, each with the same level of professionalism and attention to detail.

Why Choose Us?

Trusted Expertise: With years of experience, we've built a reputation for quality and reliability.

Customized Cleaning Plans: From one-off visits to regular maintenance, our services are tailored to fit your schedule and cleaning preferences.

Eco-Friendly Options: We offer green cleaning solutions that are effective and environmentally responsible.

Our Promise: At Gloria Cleaning, we're not just about making places look good—we ensure they feel good too. It’s about creating healthier environments and giving you back time to focus on what matters most.

Get In Touch: Ready for a spotless space? Contact us anytime as we're available 24/7 to accommodate your schedule. Visit us at Gloria Cleaning or call (838) 201-3231 to start with a free estimate.

Choose Gloria Cleaning for a clean you can trust—where quality meets dedication in every sweep!

[campbelljunkremoval]

HIRE EXPERIENCED TEAM OF HOARDER CLEANING SERVICES NYC

In the heart of the bustling metropolis, New York City, Hoarder Cleaning Services NYC offers a lifeline to individuals looking to reclaim their spaces and lives. Our compassionate and experienced team understands the delicate nature of hoarding disorder and approaches each project with empathy and professionalism.

[we-re-always-alright]

seven years in a row!!!!!!!!

[sanmarbuildingservices]

Transform Your Restaurant with Top-Notch Commercial Cleaning Services

You want your restaurant to shine, right? Of course! Customers expect a clean and inviting environment when they dine out. Enter SanMar Building Services, your NYC restaurant cleaning experts. These pros know what it takes to maintain a sparkling, immaculate space. But wait, there's more! Let's dive into how investing in commercial cleaning services can revolutionize your restaurant's atmosphere and reputation.

First things first, let's talk about customer experience. Picture this - you walk into a restaurant with grime-covered floors, sticky tables, and an unpleasant odor. Gross! Your appetite diminishes, and you instantly question the establishment's hygiene standards. As a restaurant owner, that's the last thing you want. A clean restaurant fosters a welcoming ambiance and puts customers at ease. Show them your establishment is a haven of cleanliness, and watch their confidence grow as they enjoy their meal.

On top of the dining atmosphere, let's address something you “knead” to realize; appearance matters. A well-kept restaurant conveys an image of professionalism, attention to detail, and exceptional service. Remember that old saying, "You eat with your eyes?" Spotless floors, gleaming mirrors, and pristine table surfaces not only make your venue more appealing to potential guests, but they set the stage for a memorable dining experience. When you invest in commercial cleaning services, expect a higher level of cleanliness, which results in patrons associating your restaurant with top-tier quality.

Now, let's get down and dirty with something essential: health and safety. Maintaining restaurant cleanliness isn't just about appearances; it's also about protecting your customers and employees. Regular, comprehensive cleaning services ensure that your establishment adheres to strict food safety guidelines. Prevention is always better than intervention. Be proactive and tackle potential sanitation issues head-on to earn the trust of your clientele and establish a positive reputation for your business.

Ready for your restaurant's transformation? Reap the benefits of an immaculate dining environment with SanMar Building Services. These NYC commercial cleaning gurus have got your back, providing top-notch services to keep your eatery spick and span. From your lobby to your kitchen, SanMar guarantees a thorough job that will leave your restaurant looking, feeling, and smelling its best. Don't wait any longer! Elevate your restaurant's image, entice new customers, and ensure a healthier, happier dining experience for all. Take that first step towards a cleaner, more successful business. Contact SanMar Building Services for outstanding commercial cleaning services today!

Business Name : SanMar Building Services LLC

Address : 330 W 38th St RM 605, New York, NY 10018

PhoneNo : (917)-924-5590

[licleaning]

Beautiful Spaces Cleaning Services in NYC

Beautiful Spaces Cleaning Services in NYC are dedicated to making your home or office sparkle.

[goldentouchcleaning]

Office cleaning services NYC

If you are looking for the best office cleaning services in NYC, look no further than our team in your hometown. We are a professional office cleaning company that has been providing top-notch cleaning services to businesses in the NYC area for many years.

We understand the importance of keeping your office clean and tidy and we are dedicated to providing our clients with the best possible service. We offer a wide range of office cleaning services designed to meet your business's specific needs. Whether you need general office cleaning, deep cleaning, or any other type of specialized cleaning, we have the experience and expertise to get the job done right. Contact us today to schedule a free consultation.

[draincleanernyc]

6 Essential Tips for Preventing Clogged Drains in Commercial Buildings

Clogged drains in commercial buildings can lead to serious problems. Follow these six essential tips, including avoiding food waste and disposing of oil properly, to prevent clogs. For professional drain cleaning services in New York City, visit NYC Drain Cleaning to keep your drains flowing smoothly and avoid costly repairs. Original Source:- https://bit.ly/3MC7ybo

[commercialcleaningnyc]

The Different Titles of Commercial Cleaners: A Comprehensive Guide

A commercial cleaner is a professional who provides cleaning services to commercial facilities, including offices, retail spaces, and large buildings. Depending on the size and type of facility, there are different titles that may be used to refer to commercial cleaners. In this article, we will take a look at some of the most common titles used in the commercial cleaning industry.

Janitor or Custodian: This is the most common title used to refer to commercial cleaners. Janitors or custodians are responsible for the day-to-day cleaning of a facility, including tasks such as dusting, vacuuming, and mopping.

Maintenance Worker: A maintenance worker is a broader title that may encompass a variety of tasks, including cleaning and basic repairs. In some cases, a maintenance worker may also be responsible for the upkeep of the facility's grounds.

Housekeeper: This title is typically used to refer to cleaners who work in a hotel or similar facility. Housekeepers are responsible for maintaining clean and well-appointed guest rooms and public areas.

Cleaner: This is a general title that can be used to refer to any type of commercial cleaner. Cleaners may perform a wide range of tasks, including basic cleaning, deep cleaning, and floor maintenance.

Sanitation Worker: This title is often used to refer to cleaners who are responsible for maintaining the cleanliness and sanitation of a facility. Sanitation workers may be involved in tasks such as cleaning restrooms, removing trash, and sterilizing surfaces.

As a business owner or manager, maintaining a clean and well-maintained facility is essential to creating a positive environment for employees and customers. In today's fast-paced business world, finding the time and resources to handle the cleaning needs of your facility can be a challenge. That's where a commercial cleaning service comes in.

A commercial cleaning service in New York City provides a wide range of cleaning services to businesses of all sizes. From basic daily cleaning to deep cleaning and floor maintenance, a commercial cleaning service can handle all of your cleaning needs, freeing up your time and resources to focus on other important tasks.

There are several benefits to using a commercial cleaning service in New York City, including:

Increased Productivity: A clean and well-maintained facility can have a positive impact on employee productivity. Studies have shown that employees who work in a clean environment are more productive and more motivated to do their best work.

Improved Indoor Air Quality: A commercial cleaning service in New York City can help to improve the indoor air quality of your facility. This is especially important in a densely populated city like New York, where air pollution can be a major concern.

Increased Savings: By outsourcing your cleaning needs to a commercial cleaning service, you can save money on equipment, supplies, and labor costs. Additionally, you can avoid the costs associated with hiring and training employees to handle your cleaning needs.

Better Appearance: A well-maintained facility is more likely to attract customers and make a positive first impression. A commercial cleaning service can help you keep your facility looking its best at all times.

If you're looking for a reliable, efficient, and eco-friendly commercial cleaning company in New York City, look no further than Eco Green Cleaning. As a leading provider of commercial cleaning services in the area, Eco Green Cleaning is dedicated to providing businesses with the highest-quality cleaning services, while also being mindful of the environment.

One of the things that set Eco Green Cleaning apart from other commercial cleaning companies in New York City is its commitment to using environmentally-friendly cleaning products and processes. This not only helps to protect the environment, but it also helps to create a healthier indoor environment for employees and customers.

In addition to its eco-friendly approach, Eco Green Cleaning is known for its high-quality cleaning services. Their team of professional cleaners is trained to provide a wide range of services, including daily cleaning, deep cleaning, floor maintenance, and more. With Eco Green Cleaning, you can trust that your facility will be thoroughly cleaned and well-maintained at all times.

Another advantage of working with Eco Green Cleaning is its flexibility and customization. Whether you need daily cleaning services, a one-time deep clean, or something in between, Eco Green Cleaning will work with you to create a cleaning plan that meets your specific needs and budget.

Finally, Eco Green Cleaning is dedicated to providing excellent customer service. They understand that your business is unique, and they are committed to working with you to find the right cleaning solution for your needs. Whether you have questions about their services or need help with a specific cleaning issue, their team is always available to help.

In conclusion, if you're looking for the best commercial cleaning company in New York City, look no further than Eco Green Cleaning. Their commitment to quality, eco-friendliness, and excellent customer service make them the clear choice for businesses in the area.

If you're ready to take your facility to the next level with the help of the best commercial cleaning company in New York City, contact Eco Green Cleaning today. Their team of experts is ready to help you create a cleaner, healthier, and more productive indoor environment for your employees and customers.

Eco Green Cleaning

244 5th Ave SUITE 1452, New York, NY 10001

(917)-764-2090

Ecogreencleaning.com

[mrgorillajunkremoval]

Get the best estate clean out services NYC

Hiring a professional Estate clean-out Services company in NYC is the best way to restore order and get back to life after the loss of a loved one. For more info Call: (888) 587-5865 Visit: https://www.mrgorillajunkremoval.com/

[book-cleany-01]

Discover the ultimate in cleanliness with Book Cleany's Premium Organic Eco-Friendly Cleaning Service in New York City. Experience a spotless home or office, guilt-free, with our environmentally conscious approach. Book now for a healthier, happier space!

[harborrestoration]

Protect Your Property with Premier Restoration and Roofing Services in Long Island City

Harbor Restoration is your premier choice for top-notch restoration and roofing services in Long Island City. Our commitment to excellence and years of expertise make us a trusted name in restoring the integrity of your property while ensuring a sturdy and reliable roof over your head.

We understand the importance of a well-maintained roof in safeguarding your home or business, and our team of skilled professionals is equipped with the knowledge and tools necessary to handle a wide range of restoration projects, from minor repairs to full-scale renovations. Whether your roof has suffered damage from severe weather conditions or simply requires routine maintenance, we can deliver exceptional results that exceed your expectations.

Our Restoration and Roofing services in Long Island City encompass everything from assessing the extent of damage to executing thorough repairs and replacements with precision and efficiency. We use high-quality materials and advanced techniques to ensure long-lasting durability and optimal performance, giving you peace of mind knowing that your property is in capable hands.

What sets us apart from other restoration and roofing companies is our unwavering dedication to customer satisfaction. We prioritize open communication and transparency throughout every step of the process, keeping you informed and involved from start to finish. Our team works tirelessly to minimize disruption to your daily routine while delivering timely results that align with your budget and timeline.

Whether you're a homeowner, business owner, or property manager, Harbor Restoration is here to help you protect your investment and preserve the beauty and functionality of your property. With our unmatched expertise and commitment to excellence, you can trust us to deliver superior restoration and roofing services that stand the test of time.

Contact Harbor Restoration today at (718) 866-4000 and visit our website athttp://www.harborrestoration.com/ to learn more about how our services can benefit you. Let us be your trusted partner in restoring and maintaining the integrity of your property in Long Island City and beyond.

[mostlysignssomeportents]

The moral injury of having your work enshittified

This Monday (November 27), I'm appearing at the Toronto Metro Reference Library with Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen.

On November 29, I'm at NYC's Strand Books with my novel The Lost Cause, a solarpunk tale of hope and danger that Rebecca Solnit called "completely delightful."

This week, I wrote about how the Great Enshittening – in which all the digital services we rely on become unusable, extractive piles of shit – did not result from the decay of the morals of tech company leadership, but rather, from the collapse of the forces that discipline corporate wrongdoing:

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

The failure to enforce competition law allowed a few companies to buy out their rivals, or sell goods below cost until their rivals collapsed, or bribe key parts of their supply chain not to allow rivals to participate:

https://www.engadget.com/google-reportedly-pays-apple-36-percent-of-ad-search-revenues-from-safari-191730783.html

The resulting concentration of the tech sector meant that the surviving firms were stupendously wealthy, and cozy enough that they could agree on a common legislative agenda. That regulatory capture has allowed tech companies to violate labor, privacy and consumer protection laws by arguing that the law doesn't apply when you use an app to violate it:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/04/12/algorithmic-wage-discrimination/#fishers-of-men

But the regulatory capture isn't just about preventing regulation: it's also about creating regulation – laws that make it illegal to reverse-engineer, scrape, and otherwise mod, hack or reconfigure existing services to claw back value that has been taken away from users and business customers. This gives rise to Jay Freeman's perfectly named doctrine of "felony contempt of business-model," in which it is illegal to use your own property in ways that anger the shareholders of the company that sold it to you:

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

Undisciplined by the threat of competition, regulation, or unilateral modification by users, companies are free to enshittify their products. But what does that actually look like? I say that enshittification is always precipitated by a lost argument.

It starts when someone around a board-room table proposes doing something that's bad for users but good for the company. If the company faces the discipline of competition, regulation or self-help measures, then the workers who are disgusted by this course of action can say, "I think doing this would be gross, and what's more, it's going to make the company poorer," and so they win the argument.

But when you take away that discipline, the argument gets reduced to, "Don't do this because it would make me ashamed to work here, even though it will make the company richer." Money talks, bullshit walks. Let the enshittification begin!

https://pluralistic.net/2023/11/22/who-wins-the-argument/#corporations-are-people-my-friend

But why do workers care at all? That's where phrases like "don't be evil" come into the picture. Until very recently, tech workers participated in one of history's tightest labor markets, in which multiple companies with gigantic war-chests bid on their labor. Even low-level employees routinely fielded calls from recruiters who dangled offers of higher salaries and larger stock grants if they would jump ship for a company's rival.

Employers built "campuses" filled with lavish perks: massages, sports facilities, daycare, gourmet cafeterias. They offered workers generous benefit packages, including exotic health benefits like having your eggs frozen so you could delay fertility while offsetting the risks normally associated with conceiving at a later age.

But all of this was a transparent ruse: the business-case for free meals, gyms, dry-cleaning, catering and massages was to keep workers at their laptops for 10, 12, or even 16 hours per day. That egg-freezing perk wasn't about helping workers plan their families: it was about thumbing the scales in favor of working through your entire twenties and thirties without taking any parental leave.

In other words, tech employers valued their employees as a means to an end: they wanted to get the best geeks on the payroll and then work them like government mules. The perks and pay weren't the result of comradeship between management and labor: they were the result of the discipline of competition for labor.

This wasn't really a secret, of course. Big Tech workers are split into two camps: blue badges (salaried employees) and green badges (contractors). Whenever there is a slack labor market for a specific job or skill, it is converted from a blue badge job to a green badge job. Green badges don't get the food or the massages or the kombucha. They don't get stock or daycare. They don't get to freeze their eggs. They also work long hours, but they are incentivized by the fear of poverty.

Tech giants went to great lengths to shield blue badges from green badges – at some Google campuses, these workforces actually used different entrances and worked in different facilities or on different floors. Sometimes, green badge working hours would be staggered so that the armies of ragged clickworkers would not be lined up to badge in when their social betters swanned off the luxury bus and into their airy adult kindergartens.

But Big Tech worked hard to convince those blue badges that they were truly valued. Companies hosted regular town halls where employees could ask impertinent questions of their CEOs. They maintained freewheeling internal social media sites where techies could rail against corporate foolishness and make Dilbert references.

And they came up with mottoes.

Apple told its employees it was a sound environmental steward that cared about privacy. Apple also deliberately turned old devices into e-waste by shredding them to ensure that they wouldn't be repaired and compete with new devices:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/09/22/vin-locking/#thought-differently

And even as they were blocking Facebook's surveillance tools, they quietly built their own nonconsensual mass surveillance program and lied to customers about it:

https://pluralistic.net/2022/11/14/luxury-surveillance/#liar-liar

Facebook told employees they were on a "mission to connect every person in the world," but instead deliberately sowed discontent among its users and trapped them in silos that meant that anyone who left Facebook lost all their friends:

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2021/08/facebooks-secret-war-switching-costs

And Google promised its employees that they would not "be evil" if they worked at Google. For many googlers, that mattered. They wanted to do something good with their lives, and they had a choice about who they would work for. What's more, they did make things that were good. At their high points, Google Maps, Google Mail, and of course, Google Search were incredible.

My own life was totally transformed by Maps: I have very poor spatial sense, need to actually stop and think to tell my right from my left, and I spent more of my life at least a little lost and often very lost. Google Maps is the cognitive prosthesis I needed to become someone who can go anywhere. I'm profoundly grateful to the people who built that service.

There's a name for phenomenon in which you care so much about your job that you endure poor conditions and abuse: it's called "vocational awe," as coined by Fobazi Ettarh:

https://www.inthelibrarywiththeleadpipe.org/2018/vocational-awe/

Ettarh uses the term to apply to traditionally low-waged workers like librarians, teachers and nurses. In our book Chokepoint Capitalism, Rebecca Giblin and I talked about how it applies to artists and other creative workers, too:

https://chokepointcapitalism.com/

But vocational awe is also omnipresent in tech. The grandiose claims to be on a mission to make the world a better place are not just puffery – they're a vital means of motivating workers who can easily quit their jobs and find a new one to put in 16-hour days. The massages and kombucha and egg-freezing are not framed as perks, but as logistical supports, provided so that techies on an important mission can pursue a shared social goal without being distracted by their balky, inconvenient meatsuits.

Steve Jobs was a master of instilling vocational awe. He was full of aphorisms like "we're here to make a dent in the universe, otherwise why even be here?" Or his infamous line to John Sculley, whom he lured away from Pepsi: "Do you want to sell sugar water for the rest of your life or come with me and change the world?"

Vocational awe cuts both ways. If your workforce actually believes in all that high-minded stuff, if they actually sacrifice their health, family lives and self-care to further the mission, they will defend it. That brings me back to enshittification, and the argument: "If we do this bad thing to the product I work on, it will make me hate myself."

The decline in market discipline for large tech companies has been accompanied by a decline in labor discipline, as the market for technical work grew less and less competitive. Since the dotcom collapse, the ability of tech giants to starve new entrants of market oxygen has shrunk techies' dreams.

Tech workers once dreamed of working for a big, unwieldy firm for a few years before setting out on their own to topple it with a startup. Then, the dream shrank: work for that big, clumsy firm for a few years, then do a fake startup that makes a fake product that is acquihired by your old employer, as an incredibly inefficient and roundabout way to get a raise and a bonus.

Then the dream shrank again: work for a big, ugly firm for life, but get those perks, the massages and the kombucha and the stock options and the gourmet cafeteria and the egg-freezing. Then it shrank again: work for Google for a while, but then get laid off along with 12,000 co-workers, just months after the company does a stock buyback that would cover all those salaries for the next 27 years:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/09/10/the-proletarianization-of-tech-workers/

Tech workers' power was fundamentally individual. In a tight labor market, tech workers could personally stand up to their bosses. They got "workplace democracy" by mouthing off at town hall meetings. They didn't have a union, and they thought they didn't need one. Of course, they did need one, because there were limits to individual power, even for the most in-demand workers, especially when it came to ghastly, long-running sexual abuse from high-ranking executives:

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/25/technology/google-sexual-harassment-andy-rubin.html

Today, atomized tech workers who are ordered to enshittify the products they take pride in are losing the argument. Workers who put in long hours, missed funerals and school plays and little league games and anniversaries and family vacations are being ordered to flush that sacrifice down the toilet to grind out a few basis points towards a KPI.

It's a form of moral injury, and it's palpable in the first-person accounts of former workers who've exited these large firms or the entire field. The viral "Reflecting on 18 years at Google," written by Ian Hixie, vibrates with it:

https://ln.hixie.ch/?start=1700627373

Hixie describes the sense of mission he brought to his job, the workplace democracy he experienced as employees' views were both solicited and heeded. He describes the positive contributions he was able to make to a commons of technical standards that rippled out beyond Google – and then, he says, "Google's culture eroded":

Decisions went from being made for the benefit of users, to the benefit of Google, to the benefit of whoever was making the decision.

In other words, techies started losing the argument. Layoffs weakened worker power – not just to defend their own interest, but to defend the users interests. Worker power is always about more than workers – think of how the 2019 LA teachers' strike won greenspace for every school, a ban on immigration sweeps of students' parents at the school gates and other community benefits:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/04/23/a-collective-bargain/

Hixie attributes the changes to a change in leadership, but I respectfully disagree. Hixie points to the original shareholder letter from the Google founders, in which they informed investors contemplating their IPO that they were retaining a controlling interest in the company's governance so that they could ignore their shareholders' priorities in favor of a vision of Google as a positive force in the world:

https://abc.xyz/investor/founders-letters/ipo-letter/

Hixie says that the leadership that succeeded the founders lost sight of this vision – but the whole point of that letter is that the founders never fully ceded control to subsequent executive teams. Yes, those executive teams were accountable to the shareholders, but the largest block of voting shares were retained by the founders.

I don't think the enshittification of Google was due to a change in leadership – I think it was due to a change in discipline, the discipline imposed by competition, regulation and the threat of self-help measures. Take ads: when Google had to contend with one-click adblocker installation, it had to constantly balance the risk of making users so fed up that they googled "how do I block ads?" and then never saw another ad ever again.

But once Google seized the majority of the mobile market, it was able to funnel users into apps, and reverse-engineering an app is a felony (felony contempt of business-model) under Section 1201 of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. An app is just a web-page wrapped in enough IP to make it a crime to install an ad-blocker.

And as Google acquired control over the browser market, it was likewise able to reduce the self-help measures available to browser users who found ads sufficiently obnoxious to trigger googling "how do I block ads?" The apotheosis of this is the yearslong campaign to block adblockers in Chrome, which the company has sworn it will finally do this coming June:

https://www.tumblr.com/tevruden/734352367416410112/you-have-until-june-to-dump-chrome

My contention here is not that Google's enshittification was precipitated by a change in personnel via the promotion of managers who have shitty ideas. Google's enshittification was precipitated by a change in discipline, as the negative consequences of heeding those shitty ideas were abolished thanks to monopoly.

This is bad news for people like me, who rely on services like Google Maps as cognitive prostheses. Elizabeth Laraki, one of the original Google Maps designers, has published a scorching critique of the latest GMaps design:

https://twitter.com/elizlaraki/status/1727351922254852182

Laraki calls out numerous enshittificatory design-choices that have left Maps screens covered in "crud" – multiple revenue-maximizing elements that come at the expense of usability, shifting value from users to Google.

What Laraki doesn't say is that these UI elements are auctioned off to merchants, which means that the business that gives Google the most money gets the greatest prominence in Maps, even if it's not the best merchant. That's a recurring motif in enshittified tech platforms, most notoriously Amazon, which makes $31b/year auctioning off top search placement to companies whose products aren't relevant enough to your query to command that position on their own:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/04/25/greedflation/#commissar-bezos

Enshittification begets enshittification. To succeed on Amazon, you must divert funds from product quality to auction placement, which means that the top results are the worst products:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/11/06/attention-rents/#consumer-welfare-queens

The exception is searches for Apple products: Apple and Amazon have a cozy arrangement that means that searches for Apple products are a timewarp back to the pre-enshittification Amazon, when the company worried enough about losing your business to heed the employees who objected to sacrificing search quality as part of a merchant extortion racket:

https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-gives-apple-special-treatment-while-others-suffer-junk-ads-2023-11

Not every tech worker is a tech bro, in other words. Many workers care deeply about making your life better. But the microeconomics of the boardroom in a monopolized tech sector rewards the worst people and continuously promotes them. Forget the Peter Principle: tech is ruled by the Sam Principle.

As OpenAI went through four CEOs in a single week, lots of commentators remarked on Sam Altman's rise and fall and rise, but I only found one commentator who really had Altman's number. Writing in Today in Tabs, Rusty Foster nailed Altman to the wall:

https://www.todayintabs.com/p/defective-accelerationism

Altman's history goes like this: first, he founded a useless startup that raised $30m, only to be acquired and shuttered. Then Altman got a job running Y Combinator, where he somehow failed at taking huge tranches of equity from "every Stanford dropout with an idea for software to replace something Mommy used to do." After that, he founded OpenAI, a company that he claims to believe presents an existential risk to the entire human risk – which he structured so incompetently that he was then forced out of it.

His reward for this string of farcical, mounting failures? He was put back in charge of the company he mis-structured despite his claimed belief that it will destroy the human race if not properly managed.

Altman's been around for a long time. He founded his startup in 2005. There've always been Sams – of both the Bankman-Fried varietal and the Altman genus – in tech. But they didn't get to run amok. They were disciplined by their competitors, regulators, users and workers. The collapse of competition led to an across-the-board collapse in all of those forms of discipline, revealing the executives for the mediocre sociopaths they always were, and exposing tech workers' vocational awe for the shabby trick it was from the start.

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/2023/11/25/moral-injury/#enshittification

[bengiyo]

Unknown Ep 7 Stray Thoughts

Last time, Wei Qian politely rejected Feng Ning. Yuan confessed his feelings to Wei Qian while drunk at a party, and got decked in the face for it. After avoiding Yuan for days, Wei Qian decided with San Pang to send Yuan to NYC. Poor Li Li has no idea what's going on, but I think a separation is probably for the best.

Yuan haunting this house with his notes.

Episode 7: Back to where there're you and me.

I hope we only use generic footage of NYC and keep Yuan inside the whole time.

Unsurprisingly, Wei Qian is spiraling and not handling this well at all.

Mm, there's the head stuff again. At least San Pang knows about it.

Wei Qian avoiding the question about his feelings for Yuan, I see.

I appreciate that everyone is bothered by this sudden break with Qian and Yuan.

Well, it's been years, but that's also probably for the best. Interesting that Wei Qian has been pining this whole time. I hope their company has held together.

Damn, Wei Qian. You can't even talk to him properly anymore? We all watched you clean his room and leave his lamp on like you're burning a candle.

I am glad the show checked in with Xiao Bao enough to let us know her career seems to be taking off.

I am relieved to know that their company has been doing well, but this business dinner looks way too raucous.

Oh no... San Pang has hearts around Li Li's name.

I'm into this new assertive version of Yuan.

Wei Qian is so happy to have his siblings back.

Oh my. Are we gonna reveal that San Pang has been with Li Li? Let me go ahead and be pre-mad.

What an excellent episode of terrible coping skills from Wei Qian. Still, a few years for Yuan to finish his schooling puts this all at a better balance for them to modify the relationship going forward. I like the time apart to see who Yuan is now. I'm looking forward to the next episode.

[hometoursandotherstuff]

The 1909 Canal Greenwich Condominium building is the former Tetley Tea Company Warehouse. (I wonder if it still smells of tea.) It's now divided into 8 condos in the Greenwich Village area of New York City and one unit is for sale. It has 2bds, 3ba, & is $4.4M + an absurd $2,556mo. HOA fee.

This is a 1st fl. unit, so these are the the big frosted windows we saw out front. I wonder if those security doors are functional.

Not only is this place gigantic, but it has 3 levels. What I like about it is that it's very old industrial chic. Look at the ceilings.

Look at the original factory floor. Gee, that's a lot of floor to clean.

Just look at the size of this place. It gets so cold in NYC in the winter (I live 20 min. away, so I know) how in the world can you even heat this place, let alone afford to?

I would suppose that if you didn't have all those bulbs on the ceiling, it would be very dark. I don't see many lamps, but lights must have to be on all day.

Look at how far back the dining room is. I would need a speaker system to call people to meals.

The kitchen is very cool. Love the exposed brick. The stainless steel appliances are very hi-end. I wonder if the island is even included, b/c it's on wheels.

There's a powder room and an original door. Look at the tiny sink- wash one hand at a time.

The primary bedroom & bath are in a loft and I'm disappointed that there are no walls, just curtains. A curtain separates the bedroom from a sitting area.

There's a nice exposed brick wall up here.

The bathroom has some high tub. Even the step is high.

The 2nd bedroom is in the basement. Not so sure I like that.

The en-suite bathroom. I wonder if there's a light in that shower, it looks a little dark.

It has an electric sauna. As much as I love industrial lofts, I would pass on this one. (Not that I could buy it, anyway.)