Whether it happens on purpose or by accident, user domestication almost always follows the same three steps:
- A high level of dependence given from users to a software vendor
- An inability for users to control their software, through at least one of the following methods:
- Preventing modification of the software
- Preventing migration onto a different platform
- The exploitation of now-captive users who are unable to resist
The completion of the first two steps left WhatsApp users vulnerable to user domestication. With investors to answer to, they had every incentive to implement user-hostile features without consequence.
So, of course, they did.
Under new draft laws, the eSafety Commissioner could order your nude selfies, sex education or slash fiction to be taken down from the internet with just 24 hours notice.
The Australian Government seems to be on quite a roll with insanely bad internet policies, hey.
Even though a compromise seems to be emerging, Australian media is still abuzz with the possibility (or threat) that Google will block our country from using their search engine. Now, if you’re a small business currently relying on Google to refer customers to you, I could see that being a real but short-term problem (until you figure out how to optimise your ranking in whatever search …
Here’s a great TechDirt article on the importance of online anonymity. As it points out, the only people claiming that real-name policies will fix online abuse are those with power in society. Not only is it not true (apparently users are more likely to post abuse when using their real names, not less), but requiring the use of real names can act as a gag order on many people – and …
Today I’ve been metaphorically running around, changing the listed email address on my online accounts to one of the new ProtonMail ones I made. I still have many yet to change, but it’s interesting the wildly different experiences I’ve had. Some scattered thoughts:
As for why I’ve finally bothered to make this change, I found this blog post a very relatable read. I, too, first got a Gmail account when you needed an invitation and the amount of storage they offered seemed revolutionary. These days, I realise that the cost of me having my email there is Google mining my data, and I’d prefer the cost of a small sum of money to maintain more privacy. (Acknowledging that this is not a choice open to everyone – although ProtonMail does offer 500MB storage with a free plan, which would do for some things.) If anyone else is thinking of making the switch, this is not a bad how-to with some points to consider.
I came across an excellent (if disturbing) article today on the hidden algorithms that trap people in poverty. The examples given are US-specific, but the issues raised would be relevant in many other countries. It talks about two major types of algorithms that screw people over:
Jessica Smith is a left-wing feminist who loves animals, books, gaming, and cooking; she’s also very interested in linguistics, history, technology and society.