Earlier quoted context omitted.
The problem is impressumspflicht, you have to add your full contact address plus name to a website you host, inviting all sorts of trolls on the internet to ruin your life. No thanks.
You can register domain names anonymously. Sure, you will be asked for contact details (WHOIS), but no one verifies them.
The European Social Stack
71–80 of 139 posts
Re: The European Social Stack
#72Here is an idea for a EU product: Build something that is great, and make it so good, that everyone, including US citizens, will want to use it. Your ethics can still be great, but don't make me feel like your product won't be. If you have to market "Europe" or privacy it probably won't be.
Re: The European Social Stack
#73Earlier quoted context omitted.
Doesn't work. As soon as something great appears, US VCs immediately buy it and move it to the bay area. A fair few of the products you think are US grown probably aren't. If not, a competitor appears that is less constrained by regulations and can move faster, taking over most of the market instead.
US companies obey EU law when working in the EU. And there is a reason VC does not exist in Europe namely capital markets being divided.
Re: The European Social Stack
#74Europe should make a dating app. Here’s why: monetising dating apps is really hard and companies don’t seem to be doing well with it. Having a competitor here to bumble or hinge that is free and doesn’t care about short term monetisation would be a good thing.
Why do you think a government should compete on a market segment? I find it slightly irritating. Let me get a cup of the good EU coffee! I like the "privacy" blend the most! Now let me turn on my EU computer and log-in with my EU id Check my messages on EU social media and then I have to leave for work Oh that's a cute girl that messaged me on EU dating I hope she also likes privacy and democracy Now into my EU car,…
Re: The European Social Stack
#75Here is an idea for a EU product: Build something that is great, and make it so good, that everyone, including US citizens, will want to use it. Your ethics can still be great, but don't make me feel like your product won't be. If you have to market "Europe" or privacy it probably won't be.
Especially with 'Social' there are network externalizations like 'critical mass' - that actually compounds across a lot of things.
No European country given size and language is going to be able to create something that resonates as well as the American variation beyond the critical mass needed, at least naturally.
If 'French Facebook' started at one of the 'Grande Ecoles' it would have grown much more slowly, and maybe never moved out of being French centric and therefore not gone beyond borders.
Without the 'momentum' that doesn't attract investors, doesn't make employees want to work 'late nights for the big IPO payoff' etc..
And there are so many other related conventions, such as capitol markets, public markets, so many issues.
So - in order to overcome those limitations there may have to be a lot of strategic thinking and manoeuvring.
Given that Europe took 4 years to adjust to a nation literally invading it ... well ... I wouldn't hold my breath.
There are some winning opportunities: government procurement is powerful but Euros are afraid to negotiate hard with MS Goog etc..
There's a lot of money involved, forcing issues on privacy is entirely possible.
Same for local content, some degree of decentralization.
Requiring government actors to use 'Euro Mastadon' or whatever - it means school, students, parents come abard and then you have 'critical mass'.
Requiring 'open doc format' means you can break the MS Office monopoly.
Requiring 'Linux First' on every IT procurement decision - or even 'Open Soruce First' so local city council must give an excuse for why they are not using 'Approved Euro-Linux Variations' etc..
Lots of things.
Re: The European Social Stack
#76Earlier quoted context omitted.
Yeah, basically no successful American social media company advertises itself as being American. And its users do not think of it as "an American company," they just think of it as its own thing.
That might be true for social media, but there are 100s of American brands that make a large point of being thought of as an "American company" or "American made" goods.
Re: The European Social Stack
#77Earlier quoted context omitted.
Depending on how hardcore enforcement of the upcoming Cybersecurity Resilience Act is, that might(?) push EU products very slightly towards this luxury pricing power on the margin. But on the whole I think you're dreaming, Ray. I can't imagine a single case of a successful luxury software product. (Apple is premium mediocre at best, doesn't count.)
You’re probably right i’m just thinking out loud. It is interesting that software has resisted quality-based segmentation, something that exists in almost every other type of product.
Re: The European Social Stack
#78Earlier quoted context omitted.
US companies obey EU law when working in the EU. And there is a reason VC does not exist in Europe namely capital markets being divided.
Having spent years working for a VC and having raised rounds from VC's in Europe multiple times over the last 26 years, that it doesn't exist is news to me.
Re: The European Social Stack
#79Re: The European Social Stack
#80Earlier quoted context omitted.
You can register domain names anonymously. Sure, you will be asked for contact details (WHOIS), but no one verifies them.
You can be suite in some European countries if you have a web page without an impressum and latest your domain registration will have your credit card to track you. Obviously, not all cases can be traced back.