Earlier quoted context omitted.
I find both cromulent.
Now that's a 15$ word!
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Autoenshittification. How the computer killed capitalism. – by Cory Doctorow
101–110 of 213 posts
Re: Autoenshittification. How the computer killed capitalism. – by Cory Doctorow
#102The ending section discussing Web Environment Integrity, Google's recent foray into attestation technology, with the ultimate goal of ensuring you're not running an ad-blocker or doing anything to limit their rent-seeking behavior is great: "Releasing a technology like this into a world where companies are willing to make their products less reliable, less attractive, less safe and less resilient in pursuit of rents…
> How does this affect browser modifications and extensions?
Web Environment Integrity attests the legitimacy of the underlying hardware and software stack, it does not restrict the indicated application’s functionality: E.g. if the browser allows extensions, the user may use extensions; if a browser is modified, the modified browser can still request Web Environment Integrity attestation.
Re: Autoenshittification. How the computer killed capitalism. – by Cory Doctorow
#103Re: Autoenshittification. How the computer killed capitalism. – by Cory Doctorow
#104>Today, we live in a rentier's paradise. People don't aspire to create value – they aspire to capture it... don't provide a service, just figure out a way to interpose yourself between the provider and the customer I think the customer has just changed. Consumers don't have money anymore. Businesses do. Maybe said a different way, for the highest margin products you are targeting businesses. A consumer spending 100k…
Yeah the title seems backwards - this is capitalism corrupting computers, not the other way around
Re: Autoenshittification. How the computer killed capitalism. – by Cory Doctorow
#105I still have a belief that capitalism and free markets are superior, but not the way we're doing it now. I'm not trying to no true scotsman here, but a man born in germany to 2 austrian parents and dressed in a kilt is no true scotsman. as i see things there are some major issues are - Removing money from gold standard, allowing power to accrue to those who can control the supply. Instead of competing for what consum…
Capitalism contains the seeds of its own destruction. "the invisible hand" sounds good and all, but the problem is that if the owners of capital control the profits produced by the mobilization of capital, then money and power will inevitably become concentrated enough that those capitalists both benefit from and become capable of restricting market freedom. The idea that free markets are a stable state of affairs is…
While I don't agree with your hyperbole, yes it is an imperfect system, but it is the best system we have.
Re: Autoenshittification. How the computer killed capitalism. – by Cory Doctorow
#106While I dislike the elecronification trend, cars are definitely better than they were 30-40 years ago, in a completely different league when it comes to reliability. Plenty of people also like the touchscreens or seemingly superflous features like Tesla's dog mode. Not gearheads but many normies genuinely do. To the extent that cars did get worse, it was mostly to meet stringent emissions regulations, not computers o…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C_r5UJrxcck Malibu vs Bel Air crash test. You better believe that modern cars are better, its incredible how _BAD_ cars were before we cared about safety. And that's just safety. Today's cars have better MPG, go faster, have more power, easier to maintain, consistently hit 150,000 miles, etc. etc.
Also worth noting how the car industry fought their damndest against safety features.
After Ralph Nader published Unsafe at any Speed, the car industry set their goons after him. Blurb from Wikipedia
> In response to Nader's criticisms, GM attempted to sabotage Nader's reputation. It "(1) conducted a series of interviews with acquaintances of the plaintiff, 'questioning them about, and casting aspersions upon [his] political, social, racial and religious views; his integrity; his sexual proclivities and inclinations; and his personal habits'; (2) kept him under surveillance in public places for an unreasonable length of time; (3) caused him to be accosted by girls for the purpose of entrapping him into illicit relationships; (4) made threatening, harassing and obnoxious telephone calls to him; (5) tapped his telephone and eavesdropped, by means of mechanical and electronic equipment, on his private conversations with others; and (6) conducted a 'continuing' and harassing investigation of him."[12]
Re: Autoenshittification. How the computer killed capitalism. – by Cory Doctorow
#107>Today, we live in a rentier's paradise. People don't aspire to create value – they aspire to capture it... don't provide a service, just figure out a way to interpose yourself between the provider and the customer I think the customer has just changed. Consumers don't have money anymore. Businesses do. Maybe said a different way, for the highest margin products you are targeting businesses. A consumer spending 100k…
The more power shifts to businesses the worse society gets. "Profit motive" is extractive and full of negative externalities. If lone businesses wield more power than the entire government (or capture government) then, as individuals, we're really back to taxation without representation.
I love this idea of taking "taxation without representation" and using it at a lens for companies which are often as powerful as governments in some ways. I'm not sure what a good solution would be, but something like the BBB with more power seems like it's be useful so people can report companies and have them fined proportionally to their income so it's an effective deterrent.
Re: Autoenshittification. How the computer killed capitalism. – by Cory Doctorow
#108Earlier quoted context omitted.
I really dislike the trash service we have. Its the same deal. They aren't taking it off site, just the onsite trash bin that we would have to take it to anyways, and its ~35 a month for the privilege. Can't opt out at all. They also have onerous rules: - Can't have more than one trash bag per night - Trash and recycling must be taken on different nights (I think largely as a result of the above) - they don't service…
When I was a kid, the city garbage men used to walk behind our house, grab the metal garbage bins that weren't lined with plastic bags, carry them back to the truck, dump them, and then return them empty back to where they were found. And they did that for every house in a city of 200,000 people. Granted, I'm an ancient relic, but oh my how things have "improved" in my lifetime.
And these garbage men used to have a decent job with good benefits and a salary that was enough to support a family. Contrast that to the people picking up the garbage bags in the hallways that are probably gig workers.
Re: Autoenshittification. How the computer killed capitalism. – by Cory Doctorow
#109>Yanis Varoufakis proposes that capitalism has died — but it wasn’t replaced by socialism. Rather, capitalism has given way to feudalism: This to me is what is really happening. A good symbol of this is income inequality and to a lesser extent, no real action on climate change. Eventually, the "lords" will be in their castles were we most people bake. The "knights" could be the tech people.
Capitalism is not dead, then. The destination of unregulated capitalism has always been feudalism. Unfortunately the lords think they will be able to survive in little mansions and that climate change will never make them miserable personally. So they have spent small amounts of capital brainwashing rubes against taking any action so they can continue raking in large amounts of capital with destructive practices.
Aren't they kind of right?
If you are a rich dude living in an airconditioned mansion even big climate changes won't affect you that while they can seriously ruin a poor farmer or cause a significant loss of bio diversity.
If it gets bad for them they plan to dim the sun.
Re: Autoenshittification. How the computer killed capitalism. – by Cory Doctorow
#110While I dislike the elecronification trend, cars are definitely better than they were 30-40 years ago, in a completely different league when it comes to reliability. Plenty of people also like the touchscreens or seemingly superflous features like Tesla's dog mode. Not gearheads but many normies genuinely do. To the extent that cars did get worse, it was mostly to meet stringent emissions regulations, not computers o…
Kids these days have no idea what cars were like in the 1970's. Starting a cold car in the winter typically went something like this:
1. The door keylock is frozen over with ice. Chisel way at the lock with your metal car key until you can unlock it (15-20 mins)
2. Put key in ignition lock, turn and
3. rrr-rrr-rrr-rrr-rrr
4. rrr-rrr-rrr-rrr-rrr
...
5. wroorwr-wroorwr-wroo, @#%!
6. get jumper calbes and running car from family member/friend/stranger
7. remove the air filter cover (big round disk on top of the engine back then), and spray starter fluid directly into the carburetor.
7. start car
8. car immediately stalls as soon as you let off the gas
9. start car again, this time hold at 3000 rpm until engine heats up
10. Enjoy the sweet sweet smell of tetraethyl lead in the copious exhaust while you wait
11. Start driving
12. After about 10 mins steam starts to appear under the hood and temperature gauge maxes out as improper water/coolant mix (sometimes just 100% water) boils
13. Wait 30 mins for radiator to cool enough that you can open it safely and put proper mixture of antifreeze/water (you carry several gallons of each in the trunk)