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You can’t deny that these platforms are in an emergent self-winner-takes-all oligarchy of sorts. Take LinkedIn and Google for instance. LinkedIn allows Google t

You can’t deny that these platforms are in an emergent self-winner-takes-all oligarchy of sorts. Take LinkedIn and Google for instance. LinkedIn allows Google to have full search access to the site and that’s beneficial to both LinkedIn and Google. However, if I want to spider LinkedIn to MVP my way to a new application they’ll lock me out. In effect, Google has monopoly as does LinkedIn, which owns the data. Because LinkedIn is already free and ubiquitous it benefits from network effects that create a strong competitive moat from new threats. Both companies have a kind of without either engaging in explicit anti-trust behavior and they even reinforce one another’s monopoly.

owens99 9y ago
Don't forget LinkedIn is Microsoft. The power is in even fewer hands.
- humanrebar 9y ago
  Also, the business plan for many startups is getting acquired by a tech giant. So, best case scenario, certain classes of startups are destined for consolation as well.
  - chrisweekly 9y ago
    “consolation” > consolidation, right?
    - jkestner 9y ago
      As part of consolidation, you lose your ID.
    - humanrebar 9y ago
      Yes. Thanks.
base 9y ago
I see exactly the same with Facebook, certain APIs they only provide access to Partners and if you fill all the requirements and try to apply they just reject with a different excuse each time.
DannyBee 9y ago
"However, if I want to spider LinkedIn to MVP my way to a new application they’ll lock me out." Can you explain how this is different than how it has always been in the non-tech world? For example: Home depot has deals with various partners to display their inventory and sell their products. But if i want to go into the stores and track the inventory and scan prices myself, they'll kick me out of the store. You can even make this purely physical if you like, too. If i start a store that doesn't even compete with costco (different target markets), but start recording their prices/etc, they'll also kick me out. The usual response is "well, linkedin collected a bunch of data from users that they don't own and is now using it to make a business, and won't let me reuse it". So? That's also a thing that has happened since time immemorial, it's not like databases of this nature are new. They just got easier. Before you couldn't even make a product at all! What you are saying applies, IMHO, everywhere. It's basically a complaint that existing businesses won't let you co-opt them to get ahead, and may not be willing to partner with you. That's not special to any of the tech companies, or tech, or, well, anything.
- philipov 9y ago
  Yes, and tech giants used to be seen as 'saviors' from that, is the point. Now they have been revealed to be just like every other business.
  - mistermann 9y ago
    Meet the new boss, same as the old boss (but with an extra serving of self-righteousness).
- fragmede 9y ago
  Attitudes like this is why the promise of the Internet since the early days, limited to academic purposes only, has been lost. Because you're right - secret backroom deals and corruption are so common as to be assumed in the physical world to the point of non-competitiveness. Say I want to start a home improvement supply store. Well there's already Home Depot, Lowes, and OSH, so unless I have a secret and exclusive source for free lumber, I'd be crazy to even try, given all the deals that Home Depot has that guarantees it'll never die. So? Is moving non-digital collusion between big businesses to the Internet really the best we can achieve? Strive for better. Stagnation is bad, tech or non-tech. Everyone's noticed how Google searching's gotten less useful, or that Facebook (for the "olds" that still use it) is more annoying than useful these days. The Internet should be enabling better businesses by promoting competition, not stifling it. Naive? Intentionally so. (Every freemium startup has an enterprise "contact us" plan, but I choose to believe that's because enterprise customers want someone to talk to over the phone.) Hopeful? In spades, not bought from Home Depot.
crdoconnor 9y ago
Without the anti-trust enforcement against Microsoft in the late 90s, tech, the American startup ecosystem and developer wages would probably all be a lot more stagnant. Unfortunately this time around the DoJ appears to have zero appetite for anti-trust enforcement. Only the EU does.

owens99 9y ago

Don't forget LinkedIn is Microsoft. The power is in even fewer hands.

humanrebar 9y ago
Also, the business plan for many startups is getting acquired by a tech giant. So, best case scenario, certain classes of startups are destined for consolation as well.
- chrisweekly 9y ago
  “consolation” > consolidation, right?
  - jkestner 9y ago
    As part of consolidation, you lose your ID.
  - humanrebar 9y ago
    Yes. Thanks.

base 9y ago

I see exactly the same with Facebook, certain APIs they only provide access to Partners and if you fill all the requirements and try to apply they just reject with a different excuse each time.

DannyBee 9y ago

"However, if I want to spider LinkedIn to MVP my way to a new application they’ll lock me out." Can you explain how this is different than how it has always been in the non-tech world? For example: Home depot has deals with various partners to display their inventory and sell their products. But if i want to go into the stores and track the inventory and scan prices myself, they'll kick me out of the store. You can even make this purely physical if you like, too. If i start a store that doesn't even compete with costco (different target markets), but start recording their prices/etc, they'll also kick me out. The usual response is "well, linkedin collected a bunch of data from users that they don't own and is now using it to make a business, and won't let me reuse it". So? That's also a thing that has happened since time immemorial, it's not like databases of this nature are new. They just got easier. Before you couldn't even make a product at all! What you are saying applies, IMHO, everywhere. It's basically a complaint that existing businesses won't let you co-opt them to get ahead, and may not be willing to partner with you. That's not special to any of the tech companies, or tech, or, well, anything.

philipov 9y ago
Yes, and tech giants used to be seen as 'saviors' from that, is the point. Now they have been revealed to be just like every other business.
- mistermann 9y ago
  Meet the new boss, same as the old boss (but with an extra serving of self-righteousness).
fragmede 9y ago
Attitudes like this is why the promise of the Internet since the early days, limited to academic purposes only, has been lost. Because you're right - secret backroom deals and corruption are so common as to be assumed in the physical world to the point of non-competitiveness. Say I want to start a home improvement supply store. Well there's already Home Depot, Lowes, and OSH, so unless I have a secret and exclusive source for free lumber, I'd be crazy to even try, given all the deals that Home Depot has that guarantees it'll never die. So? Is moving non-digital collusion between big businesses to the Internet really the best we can achieve? Strive for better. Stagnation is bad, tech or non-tech. Everyone's noticed how Google searching's gotten less useful, or that Facebook (for the "olds" that still use it) is more annoying than useful these days. The Internet should be enabling better businesses by promoting competition, not stifling it. Naive? Intentionally so. (Every freemium startup has an enterprise "contact us" plan, but I choose to believe that's because enterprise customers want someone to talk to over the phone.) Hopeful? In spades, not bought from Home Depot.

crdoconnor 9y ago

Without the anti-trust enforcement against Microsoft in the late 90s, tech, the American startup ecosystem and developer wages would probably all be a lot more stagnant. Unfortunately this time around the DoJ appears to have zero appetite for anti-trust enforcement. Only the EU does.