solomon42069

Pretty sure that's why they invented the stock market in the first place... Faustian deal where innovators and disruptors trade their future potential for a leg up today. In exchange the wealthy slowly seize whatever new technology or IP is created, guaranteeing their position into the future.

Big tech wonder boys like Zuckerberg and others coming out of Y Combinator aren't miracle stories - they are the chosen few handpicked by yesterdays elite to help them close the circle from others.

It scares me that generations before and after millennials are not as proficient with technology. Before makes perfect sense, but younger people being unable to use a computer or tell if they're being scammed really disheartens me. I blame the excesses of capitalism and ignorance of our lawmakers.

The way the web and services are structured is extremely unfair to the consumer. We pay for access to the internet, then we pay for access to premium content sources and to stop ads for showing. So many middle men.. where is the benefit exactly? How is a podcast better than my community radio?

The ownership of digital goods is the worst part of all. Games, music, tv shows.. stuff that is a formative part of your life you should be able to pass onto your kids isn't yours. You own a "license" which is just a record in some database that can be revoked between company acquisitions.

What is the charge? Biting a breast? A succulent Chinese breast?

For once, I agree with this demon.

I was quoting Doctor Who ;)

Don't you think he looks tired?

I like the idea social media is for kids only and adults are banned. If that applies to advertisers and bots too then it could be a winner!

Check out the Mistborn and Wheel of Time series for books that are waaay better than Harry Potter. Anything by Brandon Sanderson and Neil Gaiman is a good time.

Also highly recommend any comics by Moebius and/or Alejandro Jodorowsky, and Neil Gaiman. Some incredible mind altering works to enjoy there like The Incal and Sandman.

I think the games industry will start to use open source tools like Blender and Godot more and more. These options have really matured over the years and compete on features and productivity with commercial options.

From a business POV - open source makes a lot of sense when you need a guarantee your investment won't evaporate because a vendor has cancelled a feature or API your game uses. With open source, if you don't like a path the upstream code is taking you can fork off and make your own!

Part of the dynamic is also how people are inspired and learning skills. You can learn how to do very advanced stuff in Blender for free on Youtube - why would you pay some private college thousands of dollars to learn an expensive program like Maya to do the same thing?

Here are the number of hours I've spent on indie games VS AAA titles, according to my Steam library:

• Indie - Valheim - 435 hours
• Indie - Space Haven - 332 hours
• Indie - Satisfactory - 215 hours
• Indie - Dyson Sphere Program - 203 hours
• AAA - Skyrim - 98 hours
• AAA - Control - 47 hours
• AAA - Far Cry 6 - 29 hours
• AAA - Max Payne 3 - 43 minutes

If we're talking about value - the amount of playtime I've gotten out of games with simpler graphics and unique ideas blows the billions spent by the industry out of the water.

My biggest gripe with big tech is how governments of the world encourage their worst behaviours. Governments and businesses have failed to maintain their own level of expertise and understanding of technology.

Today everything relies on tech but all the solutions are outsourced and rely on "guidance" and free hand outs from vendors like Microsoft. This has caused situations where billions are poured into digital transformation efforts with fuck all to show for it but administrative headaches, ballooning costs and security breaches.

I'm so tired of silicon valley frat boys being the leaders of our industry. We need to go back to an engineer and ideas led industry. Focused on solving problems and making lives better. Not making bullshit unsustainable business monopolies with a huge pile of money. Right now big tech is the embodiment of all of capitalisms worst qualities.

P.s. apologies if my comment is a bit simplistic and vague. didn't want to write a 10 page rant but still wanted to say my 2c about the state of things.

Ah yes, the original unviable silicon valley businesses! I love how they used their VC money to undercut and kill small businesses all over the world.