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How about just don't use their services and boycott their tech stacks at work? I know, it requires some brain use and more than just shouting at the cloud, but

How about just don't use their services and boycott their tech stacks at work? I know, it requires some brain use and more than just shouting at the cloud, but it's doable.

Turskarama 1y ago
A few individuals doing that is meaningless. Individual action only matters if you can get a critical mass of people on board. It also ignores the reality of the prisoners dilemma, in that a service can be bad for society over all but within that society it is better to use it than to not. Everyone driving around huge cars is a clear example of this. When a scenario like this is identified the correct thing to do is regulate it with law.
- jamesblonde 1y ago
  Great points. No idea why you are being downvoted.
- YetAnotherNick 1y ago
  Why do you want to be not "meaningless"? If they don't like something that they don't have to use, they are free to do that. How is breaking up big tech going to solve anything. Also big companies are easiest to regulate and all the countries regulate them all the time. If you have 100 different TikToks, they threaten democracy even more as the profit incentive push towards extremism in any case.
- untitled2 1y ago
  Be the change you want to see in the world. And lead by example. And forget the lemmings - you can help only these who want to get helped. Frankly, your call to 'critical mass' reminds me of sjw and leftist propaganda.
  - microtonal 1y ago
    Why not do both, change your own patterns and change the regulatory frameworks to make capitalism benefit society? Though I would go as far as saying: use regulatory frameworks to save capitalism. A market where a small set of winners takes all is not functioning capitalism anymore.
- JoshTriplett 1y ago
  > A few individuals doing that is meaningless. Individual action only matters if you can get a critical mass of people on board. The same should be true of democracy, but unfortunately, in representative democracy, you only need to convince a few representatives, which does not actually require a critical mass of people agreeing.
bilbo0s 1y ago
This is the way. Boycotts are the one democratic practice that hits a company's bottom line. Just ask Target.
heikkilevanto 1y ago
I have been using Linux both home and at work for the last couple of decades. I am thinking of degoogling my life, it is a bit harder, but I think I will get it done some day soon. And meanwhile, at least one Danish ministry has decided to drop Microsoft Office, and more are likely to follow if that goes well. So, there is some movement to the right direction, but big changes take a long time...
- aklemm 1y ago
  This story is exactly where it was 20 years ago, I’m afraid.

How about just don't use their services and boycott their tech stacks at work? I know, it requires some brain use and more than just shouting at the cloud, but it's doable.

Turskarama 1y ago

A few individuals doing that is meaningless. Individual action only matters if you can get a critical mass of people on board. It also ignores the reality of the prisoners dilemma, in that a service can be bad for society over all but within that society it is better to use it than to not. Everyone driving around huge cars is a clear example of this. When a scenario like this is identified the correct thing to do is regulate it with law.

jamesblonde 1y ago
Great points. No idea why you are being downvoted.
YetAnotherNick 1y ago
Why do you want to be not "meaningless"? If they don't like something that they don't have to use, they are free to do that. How is breaking up big tech going to solve anything. Also big companies are easiest to regulate and all the countries regulate them all the time. If you have 100 different TikToks, they threaten democracy even more as the profit incentive push towards extremism in any case.
untitled2 1y ago
Be the change you want to see in the world. And lead by example. And forget the lemmings - you can help only these who want to get helped. Frankly, your call to 'critical mass' reminds me of sjw and leftist propaganda.
- microtonal 1y ago
  Why not do both, change your own patterns and change the regulatory frameworks to make capitalism benefit society? Though I would go as far as saying: use regulatory frameworks to save capitalism. A market where a small set of winners takes all is not functioning capitalism anymore.
JoshTriplett 1y ago
> A few individuals doing that is meaningless. Individual action only matters if you can get a critical mass of people on board. The same should be true of democracy, but unfortunately, in representative democracy, you only need to convince a few representatives, which does not actually require a critical mass of people agreeing.

bilbo0s 1y ago

This is the way. Boycotts are the one democratic practice that hits a company's bottom line. Just ask Target.

heikkilevanto 1y ago

I have been using Linux both home and at work for the last couple of decades. I am thinking of degoogling my life, it is a bit harder, but I think I will get it done some day soon. And meanwhile, at least one Danish ministry has decided to drop Microsoft Office, and more are likely to follow if that goes well. So, there is some movement to the right direction, but big changes take a long time...

aklemm 1y ago
This story is exactly where it was 20 years ago, I’m afraid.