Content-type: text/html Downes.ca ~ Stephen's Web ~ Tech Monopolies and the Insufficient Necessity of Interoperability

Stephen Downes

Knowledge, Learning, Community

I attended Cory Dotorow's talk (in person!) at the CIRA annual general meeting yesterday and this article essentially summarizes what he said at the meeting. "Here's the amazing thing that makes tech the poster child for a new anti-monopoly movement: interoperability... Why can't you switch from Facebook to a rival and still stay in touch with your friend on Facebook? It's not because of the technical limitations of networked computers. It's because Facebook won't let you." While I agree that monopoly is a problem, I don't think it ends there. I think the business model where companies are required to prioritize shareholder profit over all other concerns creates a harmful set of incentives to bend or even break the law, reduce employee wages and well-being, and contribute to wider social harms.

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Stephen Downes Stephen Downes, Casselman, Canada
stephen@downes.ca

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Last Updated: Apr 28, 2024 9:47 p.m.

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