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I'm generally on board with the sentiment, but some of this rhetoric is a bit much, even for me. > The Big Web has “users” – a term Silicon Valley has borrowed
by imgabe 6y ago
I'm generally on board with the sentiment, but some of this rhetoric is a bit much, even for me.
> The Big Web has “users” – a term Silicon Valley has borrowed from drug dealers to describe the people they addict to their services and exploit.
Come on now, "user" as in "computer user" was a term in use since long before the web.
- zhte415 6y agoAges ago I ran a small local community forum, very much small web and way before FAANG, and one 'user' was very upset having the tag 'user'. They requested their account deleted. I deleted it. The article is entirely confusing. The web is intrinsically 'small' - anyone can register a domain name and run a server. And link to Github, arguably more 'big' than 'Big Web' as defined in the article. iOS apps? Centralising around site.js? Makes no sense. As an independent owner of a few web properties, this provides a solution, and not much of a solution, to a problem that's entirely self-prescribed. I also noted, as there's nothing like a needle in a haystack, small-tech.org is registered via 1api.net, never heard of them before despite > 1API GmbH is one of Europe's s leading domain name registrars and is recognized as a preeminent developer of world-class domain name platforms. 1API currently manages more than 3,000,000 Domains. Yet Terms of Service notes > Prices. The prices charged to you for the Services are published on the Website (“Pricing Schedule”) and are subject to modifications at 1API’s sole discretion. Unless otherwise specified, all amounts are stated herein are in Canadian Dollars. German-Canadian registrar. Interesting.
- deleted 6y ago[deleted]
- kgraves 6y ago> Come on now, "user" as in "computer user" was a term in use since long before the web. The "computer user" term was true back then, but I am on board with Aral's definition. But now in today's world, those "computer users" are: + Addicted to social media whilst those companies control information and spread fake news. + Continuously pay for products like Netflix, YouTube and Amazon whilst those companies continue to 'recommend' you stuff you don't need. + Having companies spying on them and implementing dark UX patterns by A/B testing; all for sake of keeping you 'hooked' onto their products. This type of behaviour can only be summed up as treating and addicting customers like drug users. Aral's comparison is apt.
- kanox 6y ago> Continuously pay for products like Netflix, YouTube and Amazon whilst those companies continue to 'recommend' you stuff you don't need. > Having companies spying on them and implementing dark UX patterns by A/B testing; all for sake of keeping you 'hooked' onto their products. This applies to all commercial products.
- kgraves 6y agoThat don't care about your privacy.
- DiggyJohnson 6y agoI completely disagree. A vast majority of commercial products don't do anything in the way of recommending additional goods and services to their users. The sale of the original good or service would be the only profit-seeking component.
- kanox 6y agoThis is just not true, most companies try to make customers to come back, even if all they can do is put their logo and website on the packaging.
- tokai 6y agoI have never met or heard of a drug dealer calling their customers for users. Even if that was the case, is "(drug) user" a nice term compared to what else is used - like addicts, fiends, junkie, tweaker, etc. It kind of recognize the agency of addicts, instead of the dehumanisation following the other terms.
- kgraves 6y agoThe 'addicting' aspect of what the tech companies have created and the behaviours they are willing to go to get their 'users' hooked is why the 'user' comparison to 'drug users' makes sense.
- tokai 6y agoNo it really doesn't. Are library users called users because the library preys of their patrons addiction to literature? This is a very weak wordgame, that at best muddies the point about tech companies.
- kgraves 6y agoThere are multiple instances of tech companies exhibiting this 'drug user' behaviour on their customers, I am sure you don't have any examples for your false comparison.
- ppod 6y agoAbsolutely. I'm totally on board with what they're trying to do, sounds like a great idea, but >The mass surveillance and factory farming of human beings on a global scale is the business model of people farmers like Facebook and Google. It is the primary driver of the socioeconomic system we call surveillance capitalism. This puts me off right away. I probably partially agree, but this kind of simplistic resentment is just a turn-off for the service.
- dafoex 6y agoFurthermore, "user" doesn't imply addiction. I hung a picture the other day, I used a screwdriver to do it. I'm not addicted to screwdrivers or hanging pictures, I'm just a user of a tool.
- rrrrrrrrrrrryan 6y agoThe term "user" didn't become ubiquitous until after the people using the software were no longer "customers." Implying that Silicon Valley borrowed this term from drug dealers is kind of silly, but the tech industry's adoption of this strange term does tie into the author's main point.