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As expected, an excellent read: TLDR: Scammers cloned a restaurant website. Amex gave them a merchant account despite fake address and fake phone number. Googl

As expected, an excellent read: TLDR: Scammers cloned a restaurant website. Amex gave them a merchant account despite fake address and fake phone number. Google let them advertise the fake restaurant despite none of the data matching Google's knowledge box. And I just love the quote, here in context: "Doug @Rushkoff says that the ethic of today's "entrepreneur" is to #GoMeta - don't provide a product or a service, simply find a way to be a predatory squatter on a chokepoint between people who do useful things and people who use those things." https://twitter.com/doctorow/status/1628948931710451712 https://twitter.com/doctorow/status/1628948931710451712 (which sadly mirrors my impression with all those #Entrepreneurs that like to tag #Hustle on everything they do, like those: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=34921099 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=34921099 )

deleted 4y ago
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readthenotes1 4y ago
I am pretty sure that doctorow how has a better imagination than to believe that "Holy shit do we live in the worst of all possible timelines." We actually live in a pretty good timeline when we complain about ordering Thai food over the internet and the worst that happens is we get our food delivered with some trouble.
- JanneVee 4y ago
  Wait what? You don't seem to realize the Cyberpunk dystopia we are living in? Yes it is amazing that we can order online! But having a company that is a near monopoly search and decides what is 'true' benefits by an otiose 15% markup that steals from the local economy is not! These are two different things... It is amazing that I can watch videos on youtube for free but it is not awesome that they freely present alcohol ads to alcoholics and it is near impossible to get rid of them unless you are savvy enough to block them and/or pay for youtube premium. It is not okay to have predatory get-rich-quick-schemes categorized in the ads for creators that they can opt out of. It is nice that creators have that option not to advertise something that is designed pray upon vulnerable people, but what the fuck.... if youtube categorize the ads then they should be able to say no to them wholesale and not benefit from that. There are videos get-rich-quick-schemes uploaded that you need to search for that is another ballgame, it is easier to report them and having them removed because they are not giving them money.
  - deleted 4y ago
    [deleted]
- urbandw311er 4y ago
  Yes there’s an element of “first world problems” to all this. But, equally, do you enjoy your paradise when you’re dimly aware you might be living in The Matrix?
- BLKNSLVR 4y ago
  If you're OK with the timeline that's moving towards owning nothing and pretending to be happy for the photo.
  - readthenotes1 4y ago
    There's a vast difference between the timeline we are living in and the worst possible one. We could all not be here now, for instance. That would be the worst for me.
1vuio0pswjnm7 4y ago
It really seems to be true. I believe Doctorow now has a book called "Chokepoint Capitalism". Is it not true that so-called "tech" companies operate as chokepoints on the web. No matter what "services" they purport to provide, usually for "free", they will never get out of the way. They are always surveilling others for profit.

deleted 4y ago

[deleted]

readthenotes1 4y ago

I am pretty sure that doctorow how has a better imagination than to believe that "Holy shit do we live in the worst of all possible timelines." We actually live in a pretty good timeline when we complain about ordering Thai food over the internet and the worst that happens is we get our food delivered with some trouble.

JanneVee 4y ago
Wait what? You don't seem to realize the Cyberpunk dystopia we are living in? Yes it is amazing that we can order online! But having a company that is a near monopoly search and decides what is 'true' benefits by an otiose 15% markup that steals from the local economy is not! These are two different things... It is amazing that I can watch videos on youtube for free but it is not awesome that they freely present alcohol ads to alcoholics and it is near impossible to get rid of them unless you are savvy enough to block them and/or pay for youtube premium. It is not okay to have predatory get-rich-quick-schemes categorized in the ads for creators that they can opt out of. It is nice that creators have that option not to advertise something that is designed pray upon vulnerable people, but what the fuck.... if youtube categorize the ads then they should be able to say no to them wholesale and not benefit from that. There are videos get-rich-quick-schemes uploaded that you need to search for that is another ballgame, it is easier to report them and having them removed because they are not giving them money.
- deleted 4y ago
  [deleted]
urbandw311er 4y ago
Yes there’s an element of “first world problems” to all this. But, equally, do you enjoy your paradise when you’re dimly aware you might be living in The Matrix?
BLKNSLVR 4y ago
If you're OK with the timeline that's moving towards owning nothing and pretending to be happy for the photo.
- readthenotes1 4y ago
  There's a vast difference between the timeline we are living in and the worst possible one. We could all not be here now, for instance. That would be the worst for me.

1vuio0pswjnm7 4y ago

It really seems to be true. I believe Doctorow now has a book called "Chokepoint Capitalism". Is it not true that so-called "tech" companies operate as chokepoints on the web. No matter what "services" they purport to provide, usually for "free", they will never get out of the way. They are always surveilling others for profit.