Pluralistic: The 40-year economic mistake that let Google conquer (and enshittify) the world (06 Nov 2025)

Today's links

The 40-year economic mistake that let Google conquer (and enshittify) the world: If reality doesn't fit the theory, ignore reality.
Hey look at this: Delights to delectate.
Object permanence: The Master Switch; Dueling useless machines; Chrome delists Symantec; Someone tried to buy the UK; "Made to Kill"; #Audiblegate; Sony lies about de-rootkitifier; “Aurora”; Bluesky and enshittification; Polostan; New Zealand's 3 strikes law; Open Kinekt drivers; Co-op platforms vs Uber; Chelsea Manning's surveillance reform bill.
Upcoming appearances: Where to find me.
Recent appearances: Where I've been.
Latest books: You keep readin' em, I'll keep writin' 'em.
Upcoming books: Like I said, I'll keep writin' 'em.
Colophon: All the rest.

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Pluralistic: 01 Oct 2020

Today's links

Witch: Kill Bill meets Thomas Hardy.
Attack Surface on the MMT Podcast: Imagining the first days of a better world.
Private equity's profitable murder: Leonard Green, Prospect Medical Holdings, and the vast fortunes built on the dead.
The Years of Repair: A Message From the Future (II).
Block Google-Fitbit: A merger made in hell.
This day in history: 2005, 2010, 2015, 2019
Colophon: Recent publications, upcoming appearances, current writing projects, current reading

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Pluralistic: 20 May 2020

Today's links

Hackers on Planet Earth, in the cloud: HOPE will not be cancelled.
Climate and machine learning: Machine learning is roasting the planet.
Seeking Fitbit owners' stories: Help EFF explain why the Google takeover is wrong.
Software secrecy: Code is (bad) law.
Grocer won't show employees results from mandatory temp-checks: Coronavirus theater, class war edition.
Bill Clinton sings "Baby Got Back": Speech synthesis is just sublimely weird.
Webinar on Controlled Digital Lending and the pandemic: Talking about the Internet Archive, this Friday.
Google vows no custom AI for oil and gas: Reversing its 2018 position, which was garbage.
Re-positive coronavirus cases are not infectious: Finally, we catch a break.
Ifixit's medtech repair manual trove is full to bursting: Right to Repair, pandemic edition.
This day in history: 2005, 2010, 2015, 2019
Colophon: Recent publications, upcoming appearances, current writing projects, current reading

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Pluralistic: 13 May 2020

Today's links

University requires students to buy nonexistent webcams: Unobtanium vs. cheating.
Gadget that adds steps to your Fitbit: An open source hardware answer to Fitbit-tied insurance programs.
How Marcus Hutchins saved the world and lived to tell the tale: A nuanced portrait.
Red states prep for postal vote: Murdering the elderly won't help them at the ballot box.
Corporate Dems want to bail out lobbyists and dark money orgs: Centrism kills.
Feds want national snitchlines for bosses whose workers don't want to die: Homelessness or coronavirus.
Restaurants, hotels and bars cut the cord: The curse of bigness.
NSO Group tried to sell malware to US law enforcement: Khashoggi killers, doing deals.
Senate Dems want to ban internet disconnection: Broadband is a human right.
This day in history: 2005, 2010, 2015, 2019
Colophon: Recent publications, upcoming appearances, current writing projects, current reading

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