#platform economy

[gigantic-spider]

November 2023 TTRPG Crowdfunding Retrospective

I recently became curious about the state of TTRPG crowdfunding (full transparency, it's partially because I am gearing up for a ZineMonth 2024 project *shameless plug*). How much money is actually being made? Who's making it? What are they making? And how many people are backing?

I know that this information is tracked for ZiMo by a variety of people (scroll down for the credits), but what about the rest of the year? What about bigger projects?

Essentially: what about the real money being made?

Well here's the quick stats:

175 campaigns

10 Backerkit

1 Crowdfundr

164 Kickstarter

$10,275,932.48 raised

$1,256,857.98 on Backerkit

$455.00 on Crowdfundr

$9,018,619.50 on Kickstarter

Types of campaigns

7 accessories

2 Actual Play shows

41 adventures

2 advice books

8 campaign settings

1 magazine

58 supplements/expansions

56 systems

39 distinct systems used across all campaigns

66 campaigns (37.71%) used D&D 5e and raised $5,621,468.60 (54.71% of all money raised in November)

43 campaigns (24.57%) developed original systems and raised $751,587.43 (7.31% of all money raised in November)

To read the rest, check out my latest blog post (yes, on a different blog lol) or look at the raw data here.

[onpassivereseller]

The A Winner Takes All phenomenon

The A Winner Takes All phenomenon. The digital revolution has transformed business and everyday life in many ways. I will highlight these concepts and their implications: The A Winner Takes All phenomenon: This phenomenon refers to a situation where one player grabs most of the market, leaving little room for others. Google and Facebook are prime examples of this. They are so powerful that…

[breed2177]

TaskRabbit Clone: On-Demand Service

Instant Access: One of the primary features of on-demand services is instant access to goods or services. Users can request what they need through a digital platform (such as a website or mobile app) and receive it almost immediately or at a scheduled time that suits them.

User-Friendly Interface: On-demand service platforms typically have user-friendly interfaces that make it easy for customers to navigate, search for services, and place orders efficiently. Intuitive design and clear instructions enhance the overall user experience.

Customization and Personalization: Many on-demand services offer customization options, allowing users to tailor their orders according to their preferences. This could include selecting specific features, options, or preferences related to the service being provided.

Geolocation and Tracking: On-demand services often utilize geolocation technology to match users with nearby service providers or delivery agents. Additionally, real-time tracking features enable users to monitor the progress of their orders, from confirmation to delivery.

Rating and Review System: To maintain service quality and build trust among users, on-demand platforms typically include rating and review systems. Users can rate their experiences and leave feedback, which helps other users make informed decisions and encourages service providers to maintain high standards.

Payment Integration: Seamless payment integration is a crucial feature of on-demand services. Users should be able to securely pay for the services they receive directly through the platform using various payment methods, such as credit/debit cards, mobile wallets, or digital payment systems.

Dynamic Pricing: Some on-demand services implement dynamic pricing models, where prices fluctuate based on factors such as demand, supply, time of day, or distance. This flexibility allows service providers to optimize their pricing strategies while providing users with transparent pricing information.

Multiple Service Categories: On-demand platforms often offer a wide range of services across multiple categories, catering to diverse user needs. Common categories include transportation (ride-hailing), food delivery, grocery delivery, household services, beauty and wellness, and more.

Service Provider Network: A robust network of service providers is essential for the success of on-demand platforms. These service providers may be independent contractors or businesses that partner with the platform to fulfill user requests promptly and efficiently.

24/7 Availability: Many on-demand services operate round-the-clock, providing users with access to goods or services whenever they need them. This availability adds to the convenience factor and accommodates users with varying schedules and preferences.

Regulatory Compliance and Safety Measures: On-demand service platforms must adhere to relevant regulations and implement safety measures to protect both users and service providers. This may include background checks for service providers, insurance coverage, compliance with local laws, and data protection measures.

Customer Support: Effective customer support is essential for addressing user inquiries, resolving issues, and providing assistance throughout the service journey. On-demand platforms typically offer multiple channels for customer support, such as chat support, helplines, or email assistance.

Scheduling and Booking: Many on-demand platforms offer scheduling and booking features, allowing users to plan and reserve services in advance. This functionality is particularly useful for services like appointments, reservations, or deliveries that need to be scheduled for a specific date and time.

Multi-platform Accessibility: To reach a broader audience, on-demand service platforms often provide accessibility across multiple devices and platforms. Users can access the service through mobile apps, websites, or even dedicated interfaces for smart devices like smart speakers or wearables.

Subscription and Membership Options: Some on-demand services offer subscription or membership options, providing users with access to exclusive benefits, discounts, or perks in exchange for a recurring fee. These subscription models enhance user loyalty and encourage repeat usage.

Reliability and Trustworthiness: A renowned company's on-demand service app is likely to have a reputation for reliability and trustworthiness. Users can have confidence that the services offered meet high standards in terms of quality, safety, and reliability.

Robust Infrastructure and Technology: Renowned companies typically invest heavily in developing robust infrastructure and cutting-edge technology for their apps. This results in a seamless and efficient user experience, with features such as real-time tracking, advanced security measures, and optimized performance.

Wide Range of Services: On-demand service apps from renowned companies often offer a comprehensive range of services across various categories, catering to diverse user needs. Whether it's transportation, food delivery, household services, or wellness offerings, users can find everything they need within a single platform.

Exceptional User Interface and Experience: Renowned companies prioritize user experience design, resulting in intuitive interfaces and smooth navigation. From the onboarding process to placing orders and tracking deliveries, every step is designed to be user-friendly and hassle-free.

High-Quality Service Providers: Renowned companies typically have strict criteria for selecting service providers, ensuring that only qualified and experienced professionals are onboarded. Users can expect to receive services from skilled and vetted individuals or businesses, enhancing the overall service quality.

Responsive Customer Support: Renowned companies understand the importance of excellent customer support and invest in dedicated support teams to assist users promptly and effectively. Whether it's resolving issues, addressing inquiries, or providing assistance, users can rely on responsive customer support channels.

Transparent Pricing and Policies: On-demand service apps from renowned companies often have transparent pricing structures and clear policies regarding fees, charges, and terms of service. Users can make informed decisions and understand the costs associated with the services they're using.

Innovative Features and Constant Updates: Renowned companies continuously innovate and introduce new features and enhancements to their on-demand service apps. This ensures that users benefit from the latest technologies, trends, and improvements, enhancing their overall experience over time.

Integration with Other Services and Platforms: On-demand service apps from renowned companies may integrate with other popular services and platforms, offering added convenience and functionality. For example, integration with payment gateways, mapping services, or loyalty programs can enrich the user experience.

Commitment to Safety and Compliance: Renowned companies prioritize safety and compliance with relevant regulations and standards. They implement robust safety measures, conduct background checks on service providers, and adhere to legal requirements, ensuring the safety and security of users and their transactions.

Community Engagement and Social Responsibility: Many renowned companies are committed to corporate social responsibility and actively engage with their communities. Users who choose their on-demand service apps can feel good knowing that they're supporting a company that gives back and contributes to positive social impact initiatives.

Accessibility Features for Diverse Audiences: Renowned companies recognize the importance of accessibility and inclusion, incorporating features to accommodate users with disabilities or specific needs. This could include options for text-to-speech functionality, screen reader compatibility, color contrast adjustments, or language translation services, ensuring that the app is accessible to all users.

Social Integration and Community Building: On-demand service apps created by renowned companies often include social integration features, allowing users to share their experiences, reviews, or recommendations with their social networks. This fosters community engagement, word-of-mouth referrals, and user-generated content, contributing to the app's popularity and growth.

Educational Resources and Content: Renowned companies may provide educational resources, tutorials, or informative content within their on-demand service apps to help users make informed decisions or learn new skills related to the services offered. This could include how-to guides, video tutorials, or articles on relevant topics, enriching the user experience and adding value beyond the core service offerings.

Continuous Improvement and Feedback Mechanisms: Renowned companies actively solicit feedback from users and leverage data analytics to identify areas for improvement within their on-demand service apps. This feedback loop enables them to iteratively enhance features, address user pain points, and stay responsive to evolving user needs and preferences, ensuring that the app remains competitive and relevant in the long term.

App  Includes:

Android app

Ios app

Admin panel

Source code

Patent rights

Code ownership

1-3  months support and maintenance

Customisations

Payment gateway integration

Api integration

End to end deployment

Payment gateway integration

UI UX designing

Server migration

Unrestricted code

How Script Help us in Creating the App

Feature Prioritization: The script outlines a wide range of features that users expect from an on-demand service app. Developers can use this information to prioritize features based on their importance and relevance to the target audience. Features such as reliability, user-friendly interface, robust security, and responsive customer support should be given top priority during the development process.

User Experience Design: The script emphasizes the importance of exceptional user experience design, including intuitive interfaces, smooth navigation, and responsive customer support. Developers can use this guidance to design user interfaces that are easy to use, visually appealing, and optimized for various devices and screen sizes. Incorporating user feedback mechanisms and iterative testing can further enhance the overall user experience.

Integration of Advanced Technologies: Renowned companies often leverage advanced technologies such as real-time tracking, predictive analytics, and machine learning to enhance their on-demand service apps. Developers can explore integrating these technologies into their apps to provide innovative features such as personalized recommendations, dynamic pricing, and predictive scheduling, thereby offering users a more tailored and efficient experience.

Data Privacy and Security: The script highlights the importance of implementing robust data privacy and security measures to protect user information and transactions. Developers should prioritize data encryption, secure authentication protocols, and compliance with relevant regulations such as GDPR or CCPA. Conducting regular security audits and staying updated on emerging threats can help mitigate risks and build trust with users.

Scalability and Global Reach: Renowned companies often operate on a global scale, requiring their on-demand service apps to be scalable and adaptable to diverse markets and regions. Developers should design the app architecture with scalability in mind, leveraging cloud-based infrastructure and scalable technologies to accommodate growth and fluctuations in user demand. Localization features such as language support and regional customization can further enhance the app's global reach.

Continuous Improvement and Feedback Loop: The script emphasizes the importance of continuous improvement and user feedback in app development. Developers should establish feedback mechanisms within the app to solicit user input, analyze usage data, and identify areas for enhancement. Iterative development cycles, agile methodologies, and A/B testing can help refine features, address user pain points, and keep the app competitive in the evolving market landscape.

Corporate Reputation and Brand Recognition: Developers can leverage the reputation and brand recognition of renowned companies to enhance the credibility and trustworthiness of the on-demand service app. Incorporating branding elements, such as logos, color schemes, and messaging, can create a cohesive brand identity and strengthen user loyalty. Collaborating with corporate partners and leveraging their resources can also facilitate app promotion and user acquisition.

Cross-Platform Development: Based on the features outlined in the script, developers can strategize and implement a cross-platform development approach. Utilizing frameworks such as React Native or Flutter allows the app to be built for multiple platforms (iOS, Android) simultaneously, reducing development time and ensuring a consistent user experience across different devices.

API Integration and Third-Party Services: The script mentions the importance of integrating with third-party services for added functionality and convenience. Developers can identify relevant APIs and services to integrate into the app, such as payment gateways, mapping services, or communication tools. This integration enhances the app's capabilities and provides users with seamless access to additional services.

Agile Development Methodologies: Following agile development methodologies, such as Scrum or Kanban, aligns with the iterative approach recommended in the script. By breaking down the development process into smaller, manageable sprints, developers can continuously deliver incremental updates and improvements to the app. This iterative approach fosters flexibility, collaboration, and rapid adaptation to changing requirements or user feedback.

User Testing and Feedback Incorporation: The script highlights the importance of user feedback in refining the app's features and user experience. Developers can conduct extensive user testing throughout the development process, soliciting feedback from target users and incorporating their suggestions into subsequent iterations. This user-centric approach ensures that the app meets user needs and preferences effectively.

Performance Optimization and Load Testing: With scalability being a key consideration, developers should focus on performance optimization and load testing to ensure that the app can handle increased traffic and usage. Techniques such as code optimization, caching, and server scaling can help improve the app's responsiveness and reliability, especially during peak demand periods. Conducting thorough load testing simulates real-world usage scenarios and identifies potential bottlenecks or performance issues early in the development process.

Compliance with Regulatory Standards: Given the emphasis on data privacy and security, developers must ensure that the app complies with relevant regulatory standards and industry best practices. This includes implementing measures such as encryption, data anonymization, and secure authentication mechanisms to protect user data. Conducting regular security audits and staying updated on legal requirements helps mitigate risks and ensures compliance with regulations such as GDPR, HIPAA, or PCI DSS.

Documentation and Knowledge Sharing: Throughout the development process, developers should maintain comprehensive documentation to capture design decisions, technical specifications, and implementation details. This documentation serves as a valuable resource for team members, facilitates knowledge sharing, and streamlines future maintenance and updates to the app. Additionally, sharing knowledge within the development team through code reviews, pair programming, and knowledge-sharing sessions fosters collaboration and skill development.

Ethical Design and Responsible Technology Use: In line with ethical design principles, developers should prioritize responsible technology use and consider the broader societal impact of the app. This includes addressing issues such as algorithmic bias, data privacy concerns, and digital well-being. Implementing features such as consent management tools, transparency in data usage, and time management features promotes ethical design practices and cultivates trust and goodwill among users.

App Revenue Models

User Acquisition Costs (UAC): Factor in the cost associated with acquiring new users through marketing and advertising efforts. Let's assume an average UAC of Rs. 100 per user.

Retention and Churn Rate: Estimate user retention and churn rate. Assume a 20% churn rate, meaning 20% of users stop using the app each year.

Subscription Model: Offer premium features or a subscription-based model for users who want access to exclusive content or additional functionality. Let's assume 5% of users opt for a monthly subscription priced at Rs. 100 per month.

In-App Purchases: Offer users the option to purchase virtual goods, upgrades, or additional services within the app. Estimate an average of Rs. 50 per user per year in in-app purchases.

Advertising Revenue: Generate revenue through in-app advertisements. Assume an average revenue of Rs. 0.20 per impression with 100,000 impressions per month.

First Year:

Total Transactions in First Year: Rs. 25,00,000 (as calculated previously).

Commission Revenue: Rs. 5,00,000.

Subscription Revenue: Rs. 100 * 12 months * 5% * 1200 users = Rs. 72,000.

In-App Purchase Revenue: Rs. 50 * 1200 = Rs. 60,000.

Advertising Revenue: Rs. 0.20 * 100,000 impressions * 12 months = Rs. 2,40,000.

Second Year

Total Transactions in Second Year: Rs. 55,00,000 (as calculated previously).

Commission Revenue: Rs. 8,25,000.

Subscription Revenue: Rs. 100 * 12 months * 5% * 1440 users = Rs. 86,400.

In-App Purchase Revenue: Rs. 50 * 1440 = Rs. 72,000.

Advertising Revenue: Rs. 0.20 * 100,000 impressions * 12 months = Rs. 2,40,000.

Live Demo in On-Demand Services

Website | Contact | Email: info@omninos.com

Real-time Interaction: Live demos in on-demand services allow potential users to interact with the platform in real-time. This could involve simulating the user experience of placing an order, tracking a delivery, or accessing a service, providing a firsthand understanding of how the platform works.

Demonstration of Key Features: Live demos offer an opportunity to showcase the key features and functionalities of the on-demand service platform. This might include demonstrating the user interface, customization options, payment integration, tracking capabilities, and any unique features that differentiate the platform from competitors.

Interactive Q&A Sessions: Live demos often include interactive Q&A sessions where participants can ask questions and seek clarification about the platform's features, pricing, policies, and more. This direct engagement helps potential users gain deeper insights and address any concerns they may have.

Personalized Guidance: During live demos, presenters can provide personalized guidance and tips tailored to the specific needs and preferences of the audience. This could involve highlighting relevant services, demonstrating workflow optimizations, or suggesting best practices for using the platform effectively.

Hands-on Experience: Live demos offer a hands-on experience that allows participants to explore the platform's functionality in a controlled environment. Users can navigate through different sections, test out various features, and familiarize themselves with the platform's interface and navigation.

Instant Feedback and Iteration: Live demos enable presenters to gather instant feedback from participants regarding their experience with the platform. This feedback can be invaluable for identifying areas of improvement, refining the user interface, addressing usability issues, and iterating on the platform based on user preferences.

Building Trust and Confidence: By providing a live demonstration of the platform's capabilities, on-demand service providers can build trust and confidence among potential users. Seeing the platform in action instills a sense of reliability and transparency, reassuring users about the quality of service they can expect.

Customization and Tailoring: Live demos can be customized and tailored to suit the needs and interests of the audience. Presenters can focus on specific features or use cases that are most relevant to the participants, ensuring that the demo resonates with their requirements and priorities.

Accessibility and Convenience: Live demos can be conducted remotely, making them accessible and convenient for a wide audience. Participants can join from anywhere with an internet connection, eliminating the need for travel and enabling greater reach and engagement.

Follow-up and Support: Following the live demo, on-demand service providers can offer additional support and resources to help participants further explore the platform and address any lingering questions or concerns. This might include providing access to documentation, tutorial videos, or scheduling one-on-one consultations.

Conclusion

As on-demand services continue to evolve and expand into new industries and markets, it is essential for providers to prioritize customer satisfaction, sustainability, and community engagement. By staying responsive to user needs, embracing technological advancements, and maintaining high standards of service quality, on-demand platforms can continue to thrive in an increasingly competitive landscape.

[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

[rotzaprachim]

imho the left had just as much issue with philosemitism as Christian Zionists but in different ways and it’s become super obvious with the open season on the Jews. Like there’s been years of posts treating Judaism like the ultimate liberal self-help book rather than its own complex and varied set of traditions and cultures with their own cultural inter community complexities and problems (right wing tziyonut, the political actions of medinas yisrael, and colorism among others) as the oppositional Good Religion that was everything Christianity was not. Like people kept holding up Judaism as the Good Ones when it came to abortion, birth control, lgbt rights, trans rights, and so forth and it’s true many Jews (though not all) do hold progressive opinions on those topics including those who consider themselves religious but treating a whole group as either a moral positive or negative is so strange especially once after some Jews in a specific part of the world started doing something really bad, people everywhere have decided that Jews as a whole and Judaism as a whole are morally corrupt and impure and at the heart of the worlds problems

[dailyanarchistposts]

Transphobia is hate speech.

We do not use the phrase ‘hate speech’ lightly. When we describe something as ‘hate speech’ we are talking about speech qualitatively different from mere bigotry, prejudice or ignorance. Hate speech is a weapon, wielded against the marginalised. Hate speech serves, constructs or reinforces systems of oppression that operate upon its targets. Hate speech is characterised by an attempt to dehumanise and delegitimise the very existence of its target, and in this sense it is ultimately eliminationist. By dehumanising its targets, hate speech encourages and supports further violence, marginalisation and oppression.

At its core, transphobia denies the legitimacy and reality of sex and gender diverse peoples’ experience of gender. It is worth highlighting the extreme consequence of this denial. Trans people face extremely high levels of homelessness, poverty, physical and sexual violence, and social ostracism. Other systems of oppression, such as sexism and racism, deny the humanity, intelligence and worth of their targets. Transphobic attacks, in denying the reality of trans peoples’ experience of gender, in effect deny that trans people even exist.

Transphobia is advanced in our midst by those claiming to be radical feminists. Trans Exclusionary Radical Feminists portray trans people as gender ‘imposters’ and argue that they undermine feminist organising. This is often accompanied by the intentional misgendering and involuntary outing of individual trans people. Through their actions and ideas, Trans Exclusionary Radical Feminists promote discrimination, bullying and create the ideological basis for the further oppression of an already marginalised group of people

While these ideas are often put forward under the guise of feminism, they are no part of a genuinely libertatory feminist or anarchist movement. Those advocating transphobia must be confronted and rejected in the same manner we should confront and reject racists, homophobes and misogynists. We must deny those advocating hate speech any legitimacy in our midst.

Anarchist Affinity calls on all other anarchist groups and individuals to join us in rejecting transphobia by refusing to provide a platform to any person or group advancing transphobic hate speech, and by refusing to share a platform with persons perpetuating transphobia.

[myketheartista]

Ah the pain of wanting to commission but not able to use the payment methods mentioned.

If you’re implying Paypal is what you’d use, it’s a platform I’m overall untrustworthy of. I will probably return to it in the future regardless of my feelings since it’s widely used for international transactions, but right now, I wasn’t really willing to upcharge any clients just to cover the fee Paypal forces business transactions to have.

With that being said, anyone who wants to use Paypal is still welcome to message me if you’re alright with an additional few dollars added onto the price. I’m just not officially writing it into my comm post as of now.

[somerandomg33k]

Do you know that you need money for Gas and Groceries? Well, yea, you do. And the Democrats isn't going to change that. Maybe they will help you if you need help. But only if you past the "means testing." That is usually the Democrats plan.

[killingboredom]

About piracy, one think that people doesn’t talk about is how A LOT of things that are popular now, wouldn’t be if they weren’t pirated first.

Anime? You couldn’t even watch shingeki “legally” when it aired first. Kpop? Before gen 3 or 4 it was almost impossible to get any albums. Kdramas, doramas, movies that where not from your country or usa????? Yeah, good luck pal.

[adj-thoughts]

Should social media platforms be banned from collecting their users' data?

Quarrels for banning data-

Privacy Concerns- Well, if Should social media platforms be banned from collecting their users' data? then there will be less chances of privacy breaches and personal info.

Data Security- Limiting data collection reduces the risk of large-scale data breaches.

Quarrels Against banning data-

Service improvement- By collecting users' data, social media platforms can better understand user needs and preferences. This information helps in: Personalization, Feature development and Performance enhance.

Economic Impact- Many businesses rely on data for advertising or revenue if social media platforms be banned from collecting their users' data? it could disrupt a lot of businesses resulting the negative direction of economy.

[lavender--system]

I've seen only a few of my friends reblogging a couple of posts about palestine, only one of them is constantly reblogging and bringing attention to it and participating on the GLOBAL STRIKE thats going on, requested by Bisan, a Palestinian reporter that requested it, and only one of my mutuals is participating on it.

what the fuck?

Palestinian people are DYING, they are bleeding, they are suffering, they are mourning, what the fuck are you doing if you can't leave aside your fucking interests for A WEEK. A SINGLE WEEK. PALESTINIAN PEOPLE HAVE BEEN SUFFERING FOR 75 YEARS AND 100+ DAYS AND YOU CANT LEAVE YOUR INTERESTS ASIDE FOR A WEEK?

[asalescommunity]

A twitter company can be accused of a theft, and a fraud on a massive scale because doesn`t provide a return on an investment based on an advertisement.

Due to a fact an education is a basis of all qualifications, an engineer and a programmer can be accused that programmed features to do the theft and the fraud based on an organized crime instead of providing a service with a guarantee for consumers.

In a city and in a country where is a local Council all consumers who can prove that had ordered the service such as an advertisement from a company twitter can get all their monies back because the advertisement was incorrect, and invalid. And the company twitter failed to provide the service such as the advertisement in a correct manner for the consumers.

According to an economy, a complaint is a consumer`s right based on a law.

An act against the law is the act of a crime.

An author Piotr Sienkiewicz

+48 721 951 799

[marklikely]

netflix is genuinely so funny theyre like yes we are raising prices yes we will no longer let you share your account with your family but hey look on the bright side at least our original content is not very good.

[horrorwebs]

good goth stores in greenwich village? specifically looking for boots

[clowndensation]

@serkonans this is how you sound rn

[preproporting]

So like many great ideas, this started as a joke.

BUT

BUT

BUT

If we want to make wide-scale change from below in a way that centers and encourages direct participation from people with demographics that aren’t just white vanguardistas de siempre, we need something that is small, local, but replicable and works in a coordinated network. This is coming from a platform cooperative perspective yeah?

Well the problems are always that the people starting these types of organisations and projects have no money to invest in their project, usually start in a moment of crisis that makes it difficult to plan appropriately and think long term, lack of education and experience in the thing they are doing and no larger network available to offer that knowledge, and the usual problem of having something that because its economic and political, both looses money and pisses off about a third of the original participants due to political infighting.

So that´s a whole political diatribe for another day and like…a longer post.

BUT

BUT

BUT

Kebabs.

Kebab shops!

Small businesses in immigrant communities have very similar issues to platform cooperatives, like freakily so. Often started in times of crisis (immigration is a crisis, ask any one of them ever. Actually its a double crisis because you’re likely running from one crisis and now the local government is creating a new crisis made up of paperwork and catch22-like buerocratic nightmares), lack of financing, a strange mix of economic, social and political goals due to being part of a community in the way most businesses don’t think of themselves, and very often a business that the individual did not get an education for (sorry that all your highly valued degrees don’t mean shit here, enjoy slow cooking dead animals!)

And yet, kebab shops have proliferated across the European landscape with an ease and breadth that is frankly astonishing if you compare it to what the left considers to be its wildest successes. Occupied factories make up how much of the labor force? Compare that to how many people are employed at kebabs. Slow Food managed to make more eco food popular? Kebabs changed the entire landscape of the European drunken late night culinary scene. I bet kebabs have more people involved than Mondragón and the french CGT combined. Obviously this is a huge oversimplification but its still big.

They have been successful enough to attract a large number of people to start these businesses, but not so successful as to get franchised. Its some perfect sweet spot we have never been able to replicate in the social and solidarity economy.

So, how did this happen? There has to be some type of structure that helps break a path through European racism and capitalism. My best guess at the moment is that the people who sell the kebab its product are vaguely the platform that provides some informal education, provides the product, maybe has some access to start up money, maybe uses family networks to build out everything in a formal/informal, economic/social, business/large-scale-family type way.

Sorry this is a bit rushed, but this is probably what i need tumblr for. A place to free flow brainstorm with myself about ideas most people only want to hear about once they are past the “is this really stupid or really interesting” phase. So I’m going to go talk to some kebabers, ill be back later with delicious sandwiches and more political ramblings.