this post was submitted on 05 Oct 2025
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Enshittification

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What is enshittification?

The phenomenon of online platforms gradually degrading the quality of their services, often by promoting advertisements and sponsored content, in order to increase profits. (Cory Doctorow, 2022, extracted from Wikitionary) source

The lifecycle of Big Internet

We discuss how predatory big tech platforms live and die by luring people in and then decaying for profit.

Embrace, extend and extinguish

We also discuss how naturally open technologies like the Fediverse can be susceptible to corporate takeovers, rugpulls and subsequent enshittification.

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Sick of scrolling through junk results, AI-generated ads and links to lookalike products? The author and activist behind the term ‘enshittification’ explains what’s gone wrong with the internet – and what we can do about it

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[–] HailSeitan@lemmy.world 6 points 1 day ago (1 children)

You seem to be assuming that the only two possibilities for a tech company’s bottom line are either a) grotesque monopoly profits or b) operating at a loss. But this is a false dilemma, since there’s a huge range of somewhat less profitable but still highly profitable business models in between those options! Doing a few billion less in stock buybacks every year while investing in better quality products or higher wages isn’t going to affect whether the tech giants are profitable. They just might have to compete a little more for those margins.

[–] Zexks@lemmy.world -4 points 22 hours ago (1 children)

Name a company that is following your proposed methodology.

[–] HailSeitan@lemmy.world 6 points 21 hours ago (1 children)

Your bizarre “challenge” misunderstands the argument Doctorow is making. The idea isn’t to produce a magical new kind of corporation that will behave ethically out of the goodness of their hearts, but to change the material conditions companies operate under, such that their self interest aligns with what we want, due to their fear of losing business, being outcompeted, being fined, having workers go on strike, etc.

[–] Zexks@lemmy.world -2 points 5 hours ago* (last edited 5 hours ago) (1 children)

I understand it perfectly which is why o asked for an example. You all have no examples or ways to enact your fantasies. Shocker. Your solition here amounts to "remove greed from humanity". Fantasize more why dont ya. It is you amd the other guy who dont understand humanity or reality for that matter. Its all so ecident with the downvotes and complete lack of intellectual integrity.

[–] HailSeitan@lemmy.world 2 points 5 hours ago

Literally the opposite. Have you considered a career as a scarecrow salesperson?