this post was submitted on 02 Jul 2023
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Technology
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I think there is value in coining a term for a specific process like "enshittification" as rent seeking doesn't describe the entire process. From how they get users, to how they get vendors/advertisers their forsaking the users and finally the vendors then all that's left is a husk that survives because it's a monopoly. While I understand the term is used to describe the second half imo the first half is integral because those are the steps that set up the monopoly, starving the market of competition.
Oh wait, hmm, no rent seeking adds nothing of value to the market where someone like amazon added value at one point but that took resources from aws to make it not operate at a loss, unless you see that as rent seeking
I guess my point was just that it seems counterproductive to focus on one hyper-specific market (tech), when this is a massive problem everywhere in one way or another.
Many people seem like they're able to recognize this in the specific market they're familiar with due to their work, or whatever, without being able to connect it to the bigger picture that this is everywhere, and not just a localized phenomenon. They don't take the next logical step that, "maybe there's something fundamentally wrong with capitalism," because it seems like it's just the failure of one market.
I see what you mean, i thought 'enshittification' was a universal term coined out of a more easily observable atmosphere.
Tech is just the sort of lightning rod that everyone is watching, if people read about a phenomenon in tech and recognize it in their personal lives then maybe they start to question the system of profit that is capitalism.
I agree, rent seeking doesn't always cause enshittification, it can just be inflated prices. Rent seeking is also a process to try to create a "home" for your financial leeching, while Enshittification is more like bait users in with a product, entice businesses, screw over everyone and cash out.