People vastly overestimate leverage of design and the abilities of companies to actually make emergent behaviors conform to their intentions. Hanlon's razor. If you think the platforms are designed and run by people who are evil masterminds AND incompetent bumblers, think again.https://twitter.com/joeld/status/1125851143580585985 …
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Full disclosure, I have done/do consulting work for tech companies that are often targets of such criticism, and know a few senior execs personally. They aren't saints either. But don't forget, critics ALSO have $ and a careers in the backlash cottage industry to protect
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Most of the people who weigh in on these debates are casual drive-by commenters with no skin in the game. But anyone who consistently, seriously, and diligently argues on one side or the other is coming *from somewhere*. Their views aren't disinterested views from nowhere.
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The NYT, the New Yorker, various people with long-established consulting careers around this stuff. A lot of what they say is solid, credible criticism that should be taken into account. But it's important not to assume they're somehow operating on a higher moral plane.
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In particular, be wary of anyone who presumes to speak for your interests, *but asks for nothing from you in return*. "If you're not paying, you're the product" logic can be applied to non-profit do-gooders as well. Your volunteered outrage is an asset others may be monetizing.
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Again, I want to emphasize: many of the people in the criticism cottage industry are good people, sincere, and acting in pursuit of WYSIWYG intentions in the genuine belief they are doing good. It's just that that doesn't mean they are effective or can be taken at face value.
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Apologies if all this is very obscure. A lot of it is subtweeting from the POV of having seen the other side of several of these actual battles close up, at multiple companies, and I have not been hugely impressed with the ethics/integrity of the backlash crowd.
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This thread is quite good. But here IMO you're missing something. Jack, Zuck, Page/Brin are billionaires many times over. They could care less about $$$: they care about what their social circle says, and we know what they say. And they want to be perceived as Messiahs.
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Why would you think I'm missing that? And have you *met* the people on the other side? They may not have billions (but are often wealthier than you might think) but definitely have equal or stronger messiah complexes.
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Maybe your comment applies to various save the planet initiatives too?
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Yes. I’ve been doing quite a bit of sustainability type work from the corporate side and am underwhelmed by the green grifting protection racketeering on the nonprofit side. When they’re not idiots, they’re gangsters. Maybe 1 in 10 is a worthy, effective activist.
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