Twiddler

Configurability for Me, But Not For Thee.

A mandala made from a knob and button-covered control panel.
Stephen Drake/CC BY 2.0 (modified)
  1. Platforms were able to create vertical monopolies by buying their competitors and suppliers, so users have nowhere to go;
  2. Platforms were able to block regulation that would give users more power, and encourage regulation that prevents new companies from entering the market and competing for users by giving them a better deal;
  3. Platforms were able twiddle their own rules constantly, staying ahead of attempts by business customers (performers, media companies, marketplace sellers, advertisers) and end-users to claim more value for themselves.

If you operate a server, you have an obligation to give any user — including a user you kick off the server — their data, including the data they need to get set up on another server.

That’s a rule that’s both easy to administer and easy to comply with.

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Writer, blogger, activist. Blog: https://pluralistic.net; Mailing list: https://pluralistic.net/plura-list; Mastodon: @pluralistic@mamot.fr

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