by liberal japonicus
I have, as I’m sure you all have, seen Doctorow’s writing about enshittification, but I guess he’s teeing up a book tour, so he’s doing the round of podcasts. He’s got his soundbites, which there is nothing wrong with, except for the fact that it gives me a sinking feeling in my stomach that we have reached a point where an argument can only cut thru if it is only accompanied with cutting soundbites. They haven’t reached the escape velocity of being incorporated in memes, but I wait with bated breath for an picture of HP printer ink cartridge to appear with the phrase ‘more valuable that the Kentucky Derby winner’s semen!’ (Finding the other bon mots is left as an exercise for the reader)
This is the PoliticsJoe podcast, but if you want the full spread, check out the two part Prospect podcast here and here.
Entertaining to be sure, but in the Prospect podcast, he goes into a bit more detail about what is needed and how it might be possible to take things back, though it sounds hopelessly optimistic to me. Anyway, feel free to share your own enshittification stories.
once upon a time everybody needed a telephone because it was the fastest and most reliable way to communicate with anyone in the world.
today, a telephone is a device that primarily gives advertisers and scammers a direct line to your attention.
Here’s a big one.
https://www.war.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/4354916/the-war-department-unleashes-ai-on-new-genaimil-platform/
…
All things 2025 are 2005 again. This is Rumsfeld’s Revolution in Military Affairs v2.0. Find “Networked” and replace with “AI.” Find “Iraq,” and replace with “Venezuela.” They will bring the Shock And Awe again, and then falter on the lack of HUMINT and any plan for what comes after that might bring stability and hope to a population that no one in the administration gives a single damn about.
Complete Charlie Foxtrot in the making once again, but the techbros are ready at the trough.
I am thinking that they are going to end up using chinese tech, and at some point, the Chinese will flip a kill switch and none of our stuff will work.
Grok’s take on Doctorow’s arguments.
Doctorow’s AI Critique: Hype vs. Reality
ironically, Doctorow used to be an editor for boingboing.com, which was once a great tech-nerd site. now, it’s an ad-encrusted nightmare.