this post was submitted on 11 Jan 2026
88 points (91.5% liked)
Enshittification
4035 readers
29 users here now
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.
founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
view the rest of the comments
How is anyone still putting their hopes in this guy...
Edit: holy shit, I missed the author of this article isn't just some random stooge, it is Cory Doctorow! The dude coining the term enshittification, and even this guy falls for thinking Trump will be on his side. Jeez...
Edit2: ok revising my post a bit. This is more about how what Trump is doing makes US tech less interesting for other countries and therefore tech could improve. Not that I believe some other actor outside US wouldn't do exactly the same with data as US companies, but this isn't what the title implies that Cory actually wants to have Trump do something to improve tech.
Would if they could, but ….. the key is going from a dominant corporatocracy to more diffuse centers of technology.
Think of the common charger regulations. We here in the US would still be tied to proprietary chargers at excessive prices, but we have USB-C because EU is big enough
Or think of something as basic as encryption. Not too many years ago, US dominated encryption technology and only the simplest was allowed worldwide. That basically created encryption technology centers in Israel and Ireland, and now we all benefit