from the equal and opposite reactions dept
As is tradition here at Techdirt, my last post of the year is about optimism and how I continue to be optimistic about innovation and the online community, even amidst all the other crap going on around the world. This is now my 16th post. The trend started in 2008 when I had several conversations saying that I seemed too optimistic about innovation, even though I was constantly writing angry screeds about stupid things that happened.
As I told Ed Zitron during a podcast earlier this year, I’ve always been a fundamental believer in innovation that makes the world a better place for everyone, and any anger you see from me is frustration at those who want to delay it. or limit the benefits of such useful innovations. However, as the last message of last year showed, this is not the same as saying “accelerate at all costs,” because if you build without considering the potential for harm, your progress will be short-lived, and the reaction will be. even worse.
I believe in supporting innovation, but with care to build it, so that the results are sustainable.
If you want to see past posts, here is the list:
As of this year, I’ve heard a few people suggest that they wonder how to come up with an optimistic post because of all the crap the world is facing, and the US (in particular) seems to be treading dangerously low. way. I have seen some suggest that it was taken from the White House by most some Silicon Valley’s interest may be good for innovation, but I think it’s just the fringes.
The success of America’s dynamism comes from many sources, but our basic institutions are an important part. And the MAGA/Trump world threatens to tear up some of these institutions while undermining other important norms that lead to an innovative society. Attacks on free speech, grudges against perceived enemy lists, and public openness to corruption certainly do not bode well for building sustainable and meaningful innovation.
In addition, the rush of the big tech and media companies to steal and fund Donald Trump when he returned to the White House also shows that he does not want to push innovation, but instead looks like he is hoping to get a handover.
So why am I still optimistic? Because it actually offers an important alternative (and better) path to innovation. This is not to deny all the horrible shit that will happen in the next few years, or the harm that many will have to deal with, especially the most vulnerable among us.
But it can also start an alternative. Instead of relying on the slow and chaotic antitrust or regulatory process, the chaos that government creates can open up opportunities to build better systems from the ground up. Obviously, I’m very biased, but I think the rapid adoption and growth of Bluesky gives you just a glimpse of what’s to come. And Bluesky is just one example – there are many areas ready to build protocols and systems that empower users.
When other things go bad, it opens up an opportunity to build something basic better, something that starts from a different conception, not just creating “next [fill in the blank enshittified service]” but a technology that is more resistant to enshittification in the first place.
As we saw with Bluesky, some of these changes are difficult. Part of the essential nature of Bluesky is that it is built to give more power to the user, but we often see users demanding that the company abandon these principles in order to achieve the results they like, even though the users have the ability to create those results. himself.
We’ve spent the last two decades fighting over who will protect people online: big bad companies or big bad governments. And hopefully what we learn is neither is it it is the best solution. Providing tools to users (whether on your own or through a third party) will yield better (and more competitive) long-term results.
There will be pain as we all learn (or relearn) this very quickly. But the opportunity is now. People are quite fed up with the way the government handles things and the way the biggest corporations handle things. Rooting for one or the other to be better seems pointless. Let’s focus on making sure nothing matters.
We’ve seen this happen in certain corners of the internet, and there are plenty of other opportunities where it came from. Just today, I talked (on Bluesky) about the possibility of a more “protocol” approach to e-commerce, not just social media. There are many creative ways we can rethink the internet and bring it back to its original, fundamental promise.
I don’t like that we are in a position where the biggest companies and our elected officials are not trustworthy, but if we were there, we might as well use the opportunity to go around both sides and build a better system. not focusing on extraction from the public, but empowering the community.
Actions involving governments and big tech companies, rather than causing despair, can actually push people to build better, more decentralized systems that empower users rather than institutions.
Yes, many things are terrible, but history shows that the greatest innovations are often made in such moments. The need is there, just like a society that doesn’t believe in their previous actions. This has led some to embrace a wrecking ball approach to governance, which may fail in a disastrous way.
A more positive approach is to build a system that surrounds it all, when many people are tired of the old system and are more open to using the new and strengthening it. If we have to deal with so many horrible things, I will dedicate my efforts to getting a better online system that helps empower individuals, and I hope that others will join in the process.
As always, my final thoughts on this post are thanks to all of you, the community around Techdirt, for making this all worthwhile. Community continues to be an amazing thing for me. In the past, I wrote as if I were going to pour my thoughts into the empty void, not expecting anyone to pay attention, and I was always surprised if someone disagreed with me. add some additional insights, challenge my thinking, or even reach out to talk about how to actually move some ideas forward.
I know this community is full of creators, thinkers and advocates who care deeply about using technology to make the world a better place. Let’s use this opportunity to prove that innovation, carefully applied, can overcome institutional failure and corruption. Once again, thank you you for those who read this to make Techdirt a good and special place, and let’s focus on the truly optimistic opportunities in front of us.
Filed Under: decentralization, user empowerment, new year’s message, optimism
