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Fraud, causing 3rd-parties to insert themselves between companies and freelancers. And then, of course, comes the VC attempt to monopolize this arbitrage, givin

Fraud, causing 3rd-parties to insert themselves between companies and freelancers. And then, of course, comes the VC attempt to monopolize this arbitrage, giving way to fewer and fewer options for freelancers to work through. The entire world is undergoing a shift because of the internet, but I don't see people talking about it. We've had a social system of personal ethics and credibility up till now, but "platforms" create this many-to-many relationship between everyone, none of whom know anything about the other, really. So everyone hides behind legal protections that are becoming more and more onerous. All of this only favors the bigger pockets. So it's a trend right up and past the point the OP is talking about, and will -- can -- only get worse. I'm sure there's a term for all of the de-personalization, but I don't know what it is. I'm also sure that it's responsible for massive, widespread decline of mental health in society, but I digress. And I say all of this after having dipped my toe into the consulting racket 25 years ago, working with a boss of a friend who turned out to be a giant asshat. (To wit: He embezzled all the company money on boats and trips.) I have ideas on some software that would greatly benefit some big companies in a particular market, but I know I'd have to work through someone else to make it happen, and I just don't have the energy to do that.

radu_floricica 4y ago
I don't know. Maybe there was a sweet spot a few years back, but 20+ years ago you only had your personal network to count on, none of those fancy marketplaces. And it was a slow grind. And there were intermediaries which did give you a constant flow of work but took a large cut, and you often ended up being the 5th or 6th contracted party on a project. It's, TBH, more or less the same - except now you actually do have the fancy marketplaces and VCs that give you an alternative.
- ravagat 4y ago
  That's true but it's important to note that back then there wasn't as much exposure and connectivity so the number of options was limited in a good way. We're now living in a largely connected world with equal opportunity yet very unequal results. Those with leverage use it and those without are left to scavange
erksa 4y ago
> We've had a social system of personal ethics and credibility up till now, but "platforms" create this many-to-many relationship between everyone, none of whom know anything about the other, really. I agree with this, without maybe being able to put it in words my self. Reputation and credibility will be the two things at odds when one can just change platform/network/"area of the internet" if they don't get what they want from those around them.
la64710 4y ago
I think this has also to do with the fact that there is also no platform that caters to business with things like automatic background check , contract negotiation and signing etc for freelancers. Companies are wary of signing a new contract individually with every freelancer as it takes a lot of overhead to go through legal anyway.
deleted 4y ago
[deleted]
tqwhite 4y ago
Good news is on the way: AI is going to make it so that nobody will every trust anything that doesn't involve seeing a flesh person. The whole internet effect is about to be reversed because it is going to be easy to fake literally anything on it.
- Gigachad 4y ago
  The more likely scenario is that no one will trust anything that isn’t verified with your government provided digital ID.
  - welshwelsh 4y ago
    The more likely scenario is that people will just trust whatever the AI says and end up believing a bunch of bullshit
    - softsound 4y ago
      The most likely scenario is all three, government Id, in person and really bad ai. I highly doubt we will truly ever lose one of these options between humans, government paperwork and automation that likely sucks.
    - pfoof 4y ago
      I would trust AI more than a lot of people
      - iExploder 4y ago
        you just pwned yourself Sir: AI was programmed and trained by a lot of people
vram22 4y ago
>I'm sure there's a term for all of the de-personalization, but I don't know what it is. Let's see ... marginalisation? disenfranchisement? alienation? Just throwing some words out there to see what will stick ... like the big Jee ... oops (covers mouth, runs away)
- marcosdumay 4y ago
  It's a generalized loss of personal relations, so... Those words would fit it if it was about a single person, but it's generalized. So there's nothing to get marginalized from. I do favor "community dissolution" or on the extreme "society dissolution". You can find similar things in history to take lessons from (it doesn't end well), but you will need to go way further than what you are trying.
  - gilmore606 4y ago
    Atomization.
quetzthecoatl 4y ago
>I'm sure there's a term for all of the de-personalization, but I don't know what it is. deracination?
ravagat 4y ago
Great comment. Frankly, the best summary is-- in the pursuit to get rid of middlemen, the middlemen arose in different clothing. Everyone wants arbitrage and leverage their into a better life.

radu_floricica 4y ago

I don't know. Maybe there was a sweet spot a few years back, but 20+ years ago you only had your personal network to count on, none of those fancy marketplaces. And it was a slow grind. And there were intermediaries which did give you a constant flow of work but took a large cut, and you often ended up being the 5th or 6th contracted party on a project. It's, TBH, more or less the same - except now you actually do have the fancy marketplaces and VCs that give you an alternative.

ravagat 4y ago
That's true but it's important to note that back then there wasn't as much exposure and connectivity so the number of options was limited in a good way. We're now living in a largely connected world with equal opportunity yet very unequal results. Those with leverage use it and those without are left to scavange

erksa 4y ago

> We've had a social system of personal ethics and credibility up till now, but "platforms" create this many-to-many relationship between everyone, none of whom know anything about the other, really. I agree with this, without maybe being able to put it in words my self. Reputation and credibility will be the two things at odds when one can just change platform/network/"area of the internet" if they don't get what they want from those around them.

la64710 4y ago

I think this has also to do with the fact that there is also no platform that caters to business with things like automatic background check , contract negotiation and signing etc for freelancers. Companies are wary of signing a new contract individually with every freelancer as it takes a lot of overhead to go through legal anyway.

deleted 4y ago

[deleted]

tqwhite 4y ago

Good news is on the way: AI is going to make it so that nobody will every trust anything that doesn't involve seeing a flesh person. The whole internet effect is about to be reversed because it is going to be easy to fake literally anything on it.

Gigachad 4y ago
The more likely scenario is that no one will trust anything that isn’t verified with your government provided digital ID.
- welshwelsh 4y ago
  The more likely scenario is that people will just trust whatever the AI says and end up believing a bunch of bullshit
  - softsound 4y ago
    The most likely scenario is all three, government Id, in person and really bad ai. I highly doubt we will truly ever lose one of these options between humans, government paperwork and automation that likely sucks.
  - pfoof 4y ago
    I would trust AI more than a lot of people
    - iExploder 4y ago
      you just pwned yourself Sir: AI was programmed and trained by a lot of people

vram22 4y ago

>I'm sure there's a term for all of the de-personalization, but I don't know what it is. Let's see ... marginalisation? disenfranchisement? alienation? Just throwing some words out there to see what will stick ... like the big Jee ... oops (covers mouth, runs away)

marcosdumay 4y ago
It's a generalized loss of personal relations, so... Those words would fit it if it was about a single person, but it's generalized. So there's nothing to get marginalized from. I do favor "community dissolution" or on the extreme "society dissolution". You can find similar things in history to take lessons from (it doesn't end well), but you will need to go way further than what you are trying.
- gilmore606 4y ago
  Atomization.

quetzthecoatl 4y ago

>I'm sure there's a term for all of the de-personalization, but I don't know what it is. deracination?

ravagat 4y ago

Great comment. Frankly, the best summary is-- in the pursuit to get rid of middlemen, the middlemen arose in different clothing. Everyone wants arbitrage and leverage their into a better life.