4 ms·

I think the only analogy that works now is "if you aren't in control, you're the product", ala free software and self hosting

• ZeroGravitas 5y ago
  Or in theory at least, well regulated small businesses in a competitive market.
  • umanwizard 5y ago
    That’s only assuming a large enough fraction of possible customers care.
    • ZeroGravitas 5y ago
      That probably applies to the free software option too and may be unavoidable. Reducing the number of people who have to care and how much they have to care are both achievable goals though and snallwr businesses working with some free software is a workable synergy to some degree. Many of the free software success stories involve a bunch of compeitors trying to dethrone a monopolist. Since the other conpanies are already excluded from being the king, they work together to avoid veing totally crushed. Regulation could encourage this too.
• tonyedgecombe 5y ago
  >free software Well maybe, if this whole sorry ediface wasn't built on top of free software.
  • epicide 5y ago
    Not OP, but I assume they meant "free as in speech, not as in beer". AKA FOSS.
    • tonyedgecombe 5y ago
      It doesn't really make much difference in this case though does it.
  • inkblotuniverse 5y ago
    Free software gives control to the user, that being the person running the software. If you're not running the software, but instead using an API to the server where I'm running it, then of course you're not in control; you're trusting my word I'm actually running the software!