The Dropbox Foundation • Hacker News Board

Re: The Dropbox Foundation

#131

Post by fiatjaf » Wed, Feb 21, 2018, 11:25 PM UTC

mmjaa wrote: post #109

fiatjaf wrote: post #74

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Dropbox is a company that hosts your files. If it was a feature of the operating system, who would host the files?

There are no good reasons I couldn't host my own files, with my own bandwidth, on my perfectly cromulant server/mobile device. The only issue is, it hasn't been considered of any importance to maintain user agency; better we steal the users agency over their data/computers, put it out 'in the cloud', and get them addicted/dependent on third parties, than to make the operating system deliver similar levels of service,…

No, they can't.

Also, the battery can't handle your laptop open 24/7 just to serve a couple of files you _might_ need someday in your phone or other computer.

Re: The Dropbox Foundation

#132

Post by Nomentatus » Thu, Feb 22, 2018, 1:20 AM UTC

shaki-dora wrote: post #85

frabbit wrote: post #79

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Do these types of PR lines from companies that make productivity tools actually resonate with folks? In the case of Dropbox, for me, it comes across as cynical virtue signalling. If Dropbox were funding the EFF or the FSF or even dropping some funding to CCC or FOSDEM then I could start to overlook their ties with the sort of people¹ that create clients for Warchild. As it is this stuff comes across as pretty horri…

"Virtue Signalling" was a stupid concept to begin with.[0] But if you insist on using it, at least use it according to its actual meaning : proclaiming some supposed virtue without costs. In this case, it doesn't apply because they are, actually, spending $20 million. [0]: Because it's a cheap way to disparage anyone, cynically using the perceived virtue of their stated opinion against them.

Sometimes people or institutions signal virtue because it's cheaper than being virtuous (actually benefiting someone), true. But often virtue signalling is cultural, a first-mover's dilemma (subspecies of prisoner's dilemma) and horribly expensive. Re higher education and the virtue of conformity that's sought by corporations, see:

http://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-caplan-education-...

Re: The Dropbox Foundation

#133

Post by mmjaa » Thu, Feb 22, 2018, 8:26 AM UTC

fiatjaf wrote: post #131

mmjaa wrote: post #109

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There are no good reasons I couldn't host my own files, with my own bandwidth, on my perfectly cromulant server/mobile device. The only issue is, it hasn't been considered of any importance to maintain user agency; better we steal the users agency over their data/computers, put it out 'in the cloud', and get them addicted/dependent on third parties, than to make the operating system deliver similar levels of service,…

No, they can't. Also, the battery can't handle your laptop open 24/7 just to serve a couple of files you _might_ need someday in your phone or other computer.

My systems can certainly handle the load I would impose upon them by sharing content to my personal social network.

What they can't handle is the load imposed on them by the farming of data by third-parties from my feed. But thats okay - because thats exactly what I want to get rid of.

Re: The Dropbox Foundation

#134

Post by rkangel » Thu, Feb 22, 2018, 9:49 AM UTC

privacypoller wrote: post #107

vinay427 wrote: post #97

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Many US universities seem to be major offenders (or victims, I suppose). There are far too many buildings being renovated or entirely replaced that are already one of the newer buildings on campus, and they're of course named after some donor.

It's pretty hard to put your foundation or key donor's name on "janitorial operating budget for 2018-2020"

There is a selection bias here: you only hear about the self-aggrandising donors. A lot of people want to donate for the sake of it, not for the reputational value. They will be more likely to give to the boring every day things, and don't want their name attached anyway.