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  • River 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️riverpunk@defcon.social
    Oct 28, 2026, 12:59 AM

    Doing a presentation soon for a group of progressive/lefty types at my college on the topic of enshittification and the internet more broadly.

    The audience is non-technical, and I have no interest in convincing them to learn anything new, or make them switch their tech (real change requires collective organizing, not just consumption choices).

    Any specific topics or ideas I should make a point about emphasizing? I'm thinking of going over
    - network effects
    - walled gardens
    - surveillance pricing
    - lack of privacy laws
    - anti-trust

    I've basically got the go ahead to talk about anything computer + political really, though. Anything else yall feel like the non-technical audience really ought to be hearing more of?

    #enshittification #leftism #askFedi

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Replies

  • Ryanfullywoolly@mastodon.social
    Oct 28, 2026, 1:12 AM

    @riverpunk the relationship between ads and data brokers, ask your school librarian if they have access to business development databases which is basically a front end to data brokers. You can do things like give me all people that live in this neighborhood, that are 20-25, have good credit, and have a cat. Should tell you percentage population and likely names and addresses ... All fueled by ads and credit cards pretty much.

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  • Ryanfullywoolly@mastodon.social
    Oct 28, 2026, 1:13 AM

    @riverpunk it also ties into your surveillance pricing because they'd use that info to figure how they can squeeze you

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  • Ryanfullywoolly@mastodon.social
    Oct 28, 2026, 1:19 AM

    @riverpunk Data Axle Reference Solutions
    Look up individuals and businesses in this extensive database covering U.S. and Canada. For business planning, use this database to identify competitors, prospects, suppliers, and partners by business type and geography. Also available via app.

    SimplyAnalytics
    Use targeted demographic, business, health, and marketing data to create detailed maps and tables. Analyze markets, find customers, and study competition throughout the US and Canada.

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  • Jennifer Moore 😷unchartedworlds@scicomm.xyz
    Oct 29, 2026, 12:38 PM

    @riverpunk

    What came to mind isn't really topics, it's format - though might help you with fine-tuning topic selection on the day.

    What I might do is give two or three examples of computer frustrations, get a show of hands for who's experienced those ones, and then invite the audience to name frustrations they've had themselves (or where they've tried to help a relative). Like "think of a time when you were trying to do something on your phone or on a web site and you couldn't get it to work".

    I would gather the crowdsourced examples on a flip chart or similar, and refer back to those examples to illustrate principles.

    When on enshittification, could also ask for examples of "this used to be easier than it is now" or "just as I'd got used to it, they put the price up".

    It's harder to prep for that semi-crowdsourced format than if you know exactly what you're saying in advance, but has the advantage that you get a sample early on of what they've already noticed / where their level of understanding is. Then you have a chance to adjust your level of complexity on the fly, & know yr not talking over people's heads.

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  • Rob Carlsonvees@jawns.club
    Oct 29, 2026, 3:22 PM

    @riverpunk Cathy O'Neil's WMD book about how algorithms reinforce statistical anti-patterns against marginalized groups

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  • Tom Stonehamtomstoneham@dair-community.social
    Oct 29, 2026, 3:29 PM

    @riverpunk Even if changing consumer behaviour is not your goal, it is a good side effect. So I always make sure I name check a few alternatives to what they currently use.

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