I asked my SO recently how she view the Internet, what it is and how it works. She was honest and told me that, "If I click this button, this websites loads. If that works I'm fine! If it doesn't I will call you. Don't stop working with IT please, if you get it, we need you badly!" I believe that is a good reason to be accepting towards the current state of affairs. People just don't care. They have more important is…
Thing is, it took me a long time to accept that people not caring was ok. Now I realize that my dad is frustrated I never learned something as simple as changing the oil on my car. My mom does not understand how I can't name more than two flowers and can't bake a pie. My legal-minded friends are astounded I do not take a day to work on my legal status to pay less taxes. Hell, my wife does the paperwork I am not even…
Most of their interactions were with local businesses, with people who, like themselves, were part of the local community. The unofficial grapevine worked pretty well for rooting out the good and bad mechanics, lawyers and florists. Your dad could change the oil, but almost certainly knew which mechanics could be trusted to have done what was on the invoice, and the few to avoid at all costs. Mostly if really was OK not to care, because they knew someone who did. The network meant something. Doubly so in smaller towns, and yes, small town life came with some downsides too. :)
That breaks horribly when recommendations are of global mega-multinationals, and most businesses on most high streets are national and international chains. A recommendation counts for nothing for a business of that scale, and an individual vote may be an employee you might never encounter again. The network means nothing, except as something to be gamed. Taking your custom elsewhere means nothing unless a million or two others do too. You have to care as no one else gives a shit about your interests, just the sale or commission. Except precisely none of us have the time for that.
If we want the benefits of larger scale business I think we need to start giving them some responsibilities too. Like a duty of care in law as exists in some areas already, but further reaching to consider the public interest as a priority. Without something the power imbalance is impossible.
Without constraint, large business takes the piss. It's time for some constraint. Then maybe we actually can depend on each other again.