Misogyny, conspiratorialism, surveillance, manipulation, fraud, and AI slop are drowning the internet. For the monopolists who dominate online – X, TikTok, Amazon, Meta, Apple – this is all part of the playbook. The process is what leading tech critic Cory Doctorow has dubbed ‘enshittification’. First, the platform attracts users with some bait, such as free access; then the activity is monetized, bringing in the business customers and degrading the user experience;
As a result, online public squares have become places of torment, and online retailers are hellish dumpster fires. The virtual gathering places where we once imagined the world’s problems might be resolved are now a sewer of hatred and abuse – thoroughly enshittified.
Doctorow enumerates the symptoms, lays out the diagnosis, and identifies the best responses to these diseased the monopolies online must be shattered. Companies too big to fail or to jail – and much too big to care – must be cut down to size. Only an attack on corporate power will permit effective regulation and real privacy. Tech unions must protect the workers who should, in turn, defend us against their bosses’ sadism and greed. — Book promo @ goodreads.com
The only thing that I have on the agenda is to get started doing my month end house cleaning and get ready for the move to the summer camp.
The past three days have had lower high temperatures but higher humidity so on a comfort level there has not been a lot of improvement. The summer camp has a forecast of slightly lower highs than here with afternoon thunderstorms in the three days after I arrive. Maybe an early start of the monsoons but probably not.