This might be an unpopular and ignorant take.
Services like Reddit, Twitter and Youtube needs to make money somehow. They provide a service that the users enjoy, and it is fair that they want componsation for those services. Aslong as they are upfront with how and what you are paying with I think it is fine, and the user can themself choose not to use the service if they feel like the payment is too high.
It seems like we are whining about not being able to watch quality content for free. Even Lemmy needs donations or kind souls to keep running.
The DRM and Chrome changes might be worse… But in the end it is the same base argument, we need more competition to reduce the price or stop using services we don’t like / want to pay for.
I wouldn’t say its unpopular, but I do agree its a bit ignorant but not in the probably negative way you mean.
I think its your acceptance that its fundamental that “Business MUST profit and we MUST suffer to allow them to profit”
You’re making a huge leap that we need to suffer through all of the internet getting worse just because a corporation wants to profit. Fuck Google, Fuck Reddit, fuck all businesses that fail. Who cares? We owe them nothing.
I guess they don’t have to profit, but I believe they do have to cover their expenses (salary, hosting, etc). This is needed with capatalism or any other model (yes I know they have huge profits sadly)
I do agree that the market is failing, where we have way to little competition. Or that maybe a alternative to capatilism would solve the issue.
But in every thread here I feel like most people just expect to use everything on the internet for free, which is absurd to me. Why would anyone host a service like youtube if you didnt get any income from the users? The server costs alone must be huge.
Why would people write articles if they do not get any money from it?
Why would people write articles if they do not get any money from it?
Ever heard of Wikipedia?
Or blogs?
Weren’t loads of people quitting reddit because they refused to have their free content contributions monetised?
Capitalism makes you think many things that aren’t true: people only being motivated by money is one, humans being naturally selfish and greedy is another, and the notion that it is the best and only viable system. Are you starting to see a thread there?
It’s all about maintaining the illusions it needs to continue to exist, but you can learn how to see beyond, and unlearn all these lies, you just have to be willing to.
