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Whoever you think is in the wrong here, the real takeaway is a reminder that when you use a VC-funded for-profit service, you don't "own" anything.
by lazerwalker 13y ago
Whoever you think is in the wrong here, the real takeaway is a reminder that when you use a VC-funded for-profit service, you don't "own" anything.
- TezzellEnt 13y agoI was going to comment along the same lines. While there may be a social contract that you may "own" a name once you register it on an online service, if it's not something you paid for then it's truly not yours (this notwithstanding any TOS saying otherwise). With free online services, users are the product, not the customer.
- vijayr 13y agoWhat is the importance of "VC-funded" here? What you are saying is true for any for-profit service (specifically those that we use for free), isn't it?
- w1ntermute 13y agoThe importance is that the VC funding allows the service to offer its service free of charge to users until it can scale enough to either land a cushy acquisition based on connections the VC firm has or (much more rarely) monetize via a method that isn't viable until they've already scaled up. In either case, you are not the customer, since you are not paying them. In the absence of VC funding, however, companies are much more likely to be forced to charge their users, meaning they have a more vested interest in customer service.
- fleitz 13y agoIf you think the private sector is bad, try dealing with a sovereign like the feds. There's a lot more of this kind of crap and it affects your life in a much more serious way than having your username changed. Do you really think you 'own' your house? Might want to ask the residents of New London. Indeed when you get services like a school system for free, you are the product.