Re:Message from Facebook: this could be war
by pjc50 on Wednesday March 25, 2015 @08:37AM
(#9262499)
Why is there a war for my data with these big companies, who do NOT have our best interests in mind, and never will?
For the same reason as there is a war for your money by big companies. This is how capitalism works. Except with data, it's worse: because people will use free services in preference to paid services, and because network effects are so strong (you can't be the only person you know using your chat service), services have to be "free" and extract value in other, exploitative ways.
Someone has to do the organisation and make it work. IRC makes the users do more of that work. This is true of open systems in general. Proprietary systems end up more convenient but with underhanded ways of paying for it: selling your data, intrusive advertising, etc.
For the same reason as there is a war for your money by big companies. This is how capitalism works. Except with data, it's worse: because people will use free services in preference to paid services, and because network effects are so strong (you can't be the only person you know using your chat service), services have to be "free" and extract value in other, exploitative ways.
Someone has to do the organisation and make it work. IRC makes the users do more of that work. This is true of open systems in general. Proprietary systems end up more convenient but with underhanded ways of paying for it: selling your data, intrusive advertising, etc.