Enshittification Isn't Limited to the Digital World
thenoosphere.substack.com
thenoosphere.substack.com
I once proposed the state takes part ownership of sectors that are profitable and demonstrate a lack of innovation. Things would probably stay shitty but would only slowly shitify further. There should also be a complimentary formula to privatize if it fails to deliver.
A different approach I really like is to gradually require all products and services to supply an increasingly detailed invoice with historic references and gradually require more performance lab tests. Like, you buy a pack of cookies and the label (qr) shows what the seller paid for it, its delivery cost (a different service) broken down to fuel, vehicle, salary, what flour was used, who make it, etc The entire Volgon poetry of it.
- Making chalk mark on generator $1.
- Knowing where to make mark $9,999
Economists have been pretty clear about this, and it makes sense why everything in America is so shit now. You buy an imported smartphone from an American company that pretend to be entitled to recurring revenue. The "value add" of their ecosystem is the software layer, and once they've fixed every problem the only thing left is to make new problems. You need cloud storage since onboard expansion is so inconvenient. And developers can't get away with distributing software for free. Then you'll need a music streaming service, as well as on-demand TV, and probably an internet plan too - can we help bundle that for you?
"Enshittification" was coined because our digital world is so horribly polluted, it's the kind of no mans land that manufacturing-constrained businesses like John Deere envy with all their heart. The best minds of our generation worked tirelessly to get us to click ads, then to lobby congress against regulation, and now to make you subscribe to your car's OEM SiriusXM radio service. It's a living!