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The Internet as One Giant Con

posted by LaminatorX on Tuesday February 10 2015, @08:13PM   Printer-friendly
from the everything-is-awesome dept.

Gordon Shure writes:

Veteran author and longtime Silicon Valley resident Andrew Keen has stepped up his criticisms of the Internet. Describing the net as a platform that has devolved from its initial ideals and promise into a vehicle of monopolistic, manipulative and exploitative practices, a Guardian article summarizes views now gaining traction. By using Amazon, Google, Facebook, Airbnb, Uber or any other online giant, are we striking a Faustian pact, behind which lays a mass of suffering, surveillance and ruthless harvesting?

Keen supports his arguments by mentioning that even online businesses that cite individual collaboration, those of the 'sharing' economy, are mere cynical fronts for firms already valued in the billions. As money has been sucked out of retail, transportation, photography, research and other industries into the coffers of new Internet giants, the net result has been losses of jobs and the compromise of working conditions. As for the Internet's much-touted 'individual empowerment', Keen counters with the rise of mob mentality - “Rather than creating more democracy, it’s empowering the rule of the mob. Rather than encouraging tolerance, it’s unleashed such a distasteful war on women that many no longer feel welcome on the network". Keen's book - The Internet is not the Answer - is, a touch ironically, available on Amazon.

 
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  • (Score: 3, Funny) by Foobar Bazbot on Tuesday February 10 2015, @08:44PM

    by Foobar Bazbot (37) on Tuesday February 10 2015, @08:44PM (#143293) Journal

    Man, I hate all these /code-powered "mere cynical fronts for firms already valued in the billions."

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  • (Score: 2) by ikanreed on Tuesday February 10 2015, @08:47PM

    by ikanreed (3164) on Tuesday February 10 2015, @08:47PM (#143295) Journal

    I can't really believe that Dice is valued in the billions. It seems more like a hundreds of millions range at the most.

  • (Score: 2, Disagree) by frojack on Tuesday February 10 2015, @09:10PM

    by frojack (1554) on Tuesday February 10 2015, @09:10PM (#143306) Journal

    I think he manages to throw in just about every cause celeb and buzz-phrase you can come up with, and chooses to have himself photographed which a sneer [guim.co.uk] worthy of a Jeff Dunham's Walter [sodahead.com]

    The man drips with get off my lawn.

    --
    No, you are mistaken. I've always had this sig.

    • (Score: 1) by khallow on Wednesday February 11 2015, @04:34AM

      by khallow (3766) on Wednesday February 11 2015, @04:34AM (#143449) Journal
      Eh, that's more a scowl, but it's got some sneer in there.