I think the cure is identifying that it’s all bullshit every time (especially nowadays!) and so not putting any hope in their tech any more. See it for what it is, just another corporate distraction among infinity of such.
I guess this is how I arrived at calling myself an “anti-technology technologist”, because new technology is so reliably the promise that never delivers, an exercise in frustration, disappointment and being ripped-off for shit I don’t even need. Of course I still enjoy tech things but I’m so fuckin over any “next big thing” because it’s invariably such hype, and I’m middle aged and so wasn’t born yesterday like I used to be.
I’d rather be staring at the hills and the river, VR got nothing compared to magic mushrooms anyway so I just don’t care for it. Gimme a joint, a musical instrument and a couple of friends over that, any day! I don’t want to inhabit virtual (or any) corporate spaces even for money, it has nothing at all that I want, and very many things I don’t want.
All encounters with corporations are designed to sap our life-force and pump up their stock prices. Best to limit exposure!
I think the cure is identifying that it’s all bullshit every time
I mean that’s great but it doesn’t stop everyone else from falling for it, and you having to pay the price accordingly.
I guess this is how I arrived at calling myself an “anti-technology technologist”
I just call myself a Luddite at this point. Any technology developed outside of FOSS just completely disinterests me. Everything else is assumed to be malware.
I got into cycling a few years’ back. But of course technology is coming for bicycles too and all my riding buddies are just so amped about it and can’t understand why I want absolutely nothing to do with it.
That makes it sound like these startups have no choice in the matter. The funny thing is, you don’t have to sell your company to an enormous evil corporation if you don’t want to.
Depends on who your initial investors are and the contract you signed with them. They can and will force a sale if their RoI isn’t met in a specific time-frame, or if the buyout price reaches a certain valuation.
Partly true but Amazon has been known to make dupes of a product and sell it at a loss to drive the competitor out of business. I’m sure that threat lingers in some peoples’ minds.
They probably also promise the management team “you’ll still have creative control after we buy you”. Then turn around and replace each of them one by one
Yeah, I worked for an amazing company for 13 years, a big corporation bought it, and now I have my own business and my soul back. Same shit, “you’ll still have full operating control” and then they moved everything to India.
This has been such a depressing trend over the last few decades.
Fresh bright-eyed startup with a passionate creator develops some interesting and innovative product.
Gets bought out by FAANG, turns to shit and stops working properly or gets discontinued, and primarily functions as a spyware device.
That’s just the inevitable endgame in a capitalistic society. Most startups’ end goals at inception are to sell out to a corporation.
I think the cure is identifying that it’s all bullshit every time (especially nowadays!) and so not putting any hope in their tech any more. See it for what it is, just another corporate distraction among infinity of such.
I guess this is how I arrived at calling myself an “anti-technology technologist”, because new technology is so reliably the promise that never delivers, an exercise in frustration, disappointment and being ripped-off for shit I don’t even need. Of course I still enjoy tech things but I’m so fuckin over any “next big thing” because it’s invariably such hype, and I’m middle aged and so wasn’t born yesterday like I used to be.
I’d rather be staring at the hills and the river, VR got nothing compared to magic mushrooms anyway so I just don’t care for it. Gimme a joint, a musical instrument and a couple of friends over that, any day! I don’t want to inhabit virtual (or any) corporate spaces even for money, it has nothing at all that I want, and very many things I don’t want.
All encounters with corporations are designed to sap our life-force and pump up their stock prices. Best to limit exposure!
I mean that’s great but it doesn’t stop everyone else from falling for it, and you having to pay the price accordingly.
I just call myself a Luddite at this point. Any technology developed outside of FOSS just completely disinterests me. Everything else is assumed to be malware.
I got into cycling a few years’ back. But of course technology is coming for bicycles too and all my riding buddies are just so amped about it and can’t understand why I want absolutely nothing to do with it.
That makes it sound like these startups have no choice in the matter. The funny thing is, you don’t have to sell your company to an enormous evil corporation if you don’t want to.
Depends on who your initial investors are and the contract you signed with them. They can and will force a sale if their RoI isn’t met in a specific time-frame, or if the buyout price reaches a certain valuation.
Partly true but Amazon has been known to make dupes of a product and sell it at a loss to drive the competitor out of business. I’m sure that threat lingers in some peoples’ minds.
They probably also promise the management team “you’ll still have creative control after we buy you”. Then turn around and replace each of them one by one
Yeah, I worked for an amazing company for 13 years, a big corporation bought it, and now I have my own business and my soul back. Same shit, “you’ll still have full operating control” and then they moved everything to India.
In capitalism you do. Society demands it.
No, not really. But if you don’t sell you don’t get a lot of money and mostly that’s what people want, that’s why the startup exists.