Pluralistic: Understaffing as a form of enshittification (23 Mar 2026)

Today's links

Understaffing as a form of enshittification: A way to shift value from workers, patients and shoppers to investors.
Hey look at this: Delights to delectate.
Object permanence: Marvel v "superhero"; What's a photocopier?; "Up Against It"; "Medusa's Web"; AI can't do your job; Coping with plenty; "The Shakedown"; Chickenized reverse-centaurs; France v iTunes; Copyfight discipline; Mystery lobbyists; "Where the Axe is Buried"; Free/open microprocessor; Folk models of computer security; Bug-eyed steampunk mask; Academics embracing Wikipedia.
Upcoming appearances: Berkeley, Montreal, London, Berlin, Hay-on-Wye.
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Upcoming books: Like I said, I'll keep writin' 'em.
Colophon: All the rest.

Where did the money go? Turning a mountain of (their) money into a pile of (your) money.
Hey look at this: Delights to delectate.
Object permanence: Revolutionary Colossus; T-Mobile CEO v EFF; Broadband isn't gasoline.
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.

Break up bad companies; replace bad union bosses: Labor should be fixed, capital should be vanquished.
Hey look at this: Delights to delectate.
Object permanence: "Star Island"; "Mediactive"; Afraid of solar; Well-Armed Peasants; Dumpster fire exits; Wikipedia v Brittanica; Pentagon v Quakers; Stealing whole houses; "Situation Normal."
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.

Google steers Americans looking for health care into "junk insurance" : An enshittified search monopolist meets the worst health care system imaginable.
Hey look at this: Delights to delectate.
Object permanence: Disaster fantasies; "Sea to Sea"; Veronica Belmont on surviving memeification; Email carcinization.
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.

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.

Apple threatens to stop selling iPhones in the EU: Yeah, right.
Hey look at this: Delights to delectate.
Object permanence: Thomas Ligotti's anhedonic philosophy; Catalan elections; Molly Crabapple's Syria.
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.

The worst possible antitrust outcome: Hope you like enshittification.
Hey look at this: Delights to delectate.
Object permanence: Amazon drivers hang phones from trees; DVD Jon v Windows DRM; Chevron's dirty tricks.
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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.

By all means, tread on those people: We know you love freedom, we just wish you'd share.
Hey look at this: Delights to delectate.
Object permanence: The right to bear cameras; GOP wants slavery for undocumented migrants; Telepresence Nazi-punching.
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.

Antitrust defies politics' law of gravity: Anything that can't go on forever eventually stops.
Hey look at this: Delights to delectate.
Object permanence: 2005, 2010, 2020, 2024
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.

Surveillance pricing lets corporations decide what your dollar is worth: From each according his ability (to pay).
Hey look at this: Delights to delectate.
Object permanence: 2005, 2010, 2015, 2020, 2024
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.