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By Eric Johnson
Published Feb 20, 2023
Elon Musk seems to be working hard to perfect the Midas Touch of Shit.
Image credit: Mario Breda, Shutterstock
02-20-23: Our Anti-Enshittification Project
“Enshittification” is a new word, first seen online less than a month ago. Google it today and you will discover that it has already found its way onto more than 45,000 websites, used in countless articles describing the multitude of ways the Internet has become so shitty.
The word was coined by Cory Doctorow, a longtime editor at the pioneering blog site bOING bOING. While his piece is focused on the social media giant TikTok, its scathing critique can be applied to practically every major online endeavor today. Sadly.
Recently, of course, Elon Musk has delivered a master class in deploying the Midas Touch of Shit. But he is not the first once-noble tech titan to go to the dark side. As a longtime editor and publisher of online media enterprises, I have been personally fixated on the enshittification of Google since way before the word existed. Google used to help us find all the cool stuff on the web—now Google sends way too much of its traffic to Google, while starving those of us legitimately in the "content" business. I was happy to find these succinct insights in Doctorow’s piece.
Google Search was based on principles set out in founder Larry Page and Sergey Brin's landmark 1998 paper, "Anatomy of a Large-Scale Hypertextual Web Search Engine," in which they wrote, “Advertising-funded search engines will be inherently biased towards the advertisers and away from the needs of consumers.”
Even with that foundational understanding of enshittification, Google has been unable to resist its siren song. Today's Google results are an increasingly useless morass of self-preferencing links to its own products, ads for products that aren't good enough to float to the top of the list on its own, and parasitic SEO junk piggybacking on the former.
Enshittification kills. Google just laid off 12,000 employees …
Word of the Month: 'Enshittification"
“Here is how platforms die: first, they are good to their users; then they abuse their users to make things better for their business customers; finally, they abuse those business customers to claw back all the value for themselves. Then, they die.”
Find more darkly humorous wisdom on the topic from our friend Chris Neklason right here.
Ever wonder why things go wrong in our country and economy? We learned a new word from Cory Doctorow, and found a solution to this menace in the Fediverse.
Has the Shit Finally Hit the Fan?
Speaking of layoffs at Google: The massive hemorrhaging of jobs in the tech sector—and over the hill in Silicon Valley in particular—continues to dominate the news. (Just checked and there are 102 million search results for “tech industry layoffs.")
One can’t help but wonder if we are about to witness the biggest burst bubble in Silicon Valley history. In a piece that packs a nearly comprehensive look at that history into a breezy read, Jon Vankin explains why (sadly?) the answer is probably not.
Silicon Valley Boom and Bust: Why California’s Tech Mecca Always Survives
Silicon Valley has been hit with repeated boom and bust cycles throughout its history, and layoffs are sweeping the tech industry in 2023. Here's why the Valley will survive the latest downturn, as it has all the others.
Is Google Evil?
Some of you saw this article last week, and you’ll understand why I am sharing it here again in a discussion about enshittification and a tech-sector bloodletting.
DOJ Lawsuit Seeks To Force Google to Sell Ad Service
Google may be forced to sell off its $200 billion online advertising service if a new lawsuit by the federal Department of Justice claiming that Google acts as a monopoly succeeds.
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From Our Media Allies |
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Shared e-Bike System to Return to Santa Cruz County |
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Docked bikes expected in Santa Cruz in summer. |
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Vegetation to be Removed from the San Lorenzo River Levee |
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The city of Santa Cruz Public Works has announced plans to remove vegetation from the 2.2-mile urban stretch of the San Lorenzo River—from the Highway 1 bridge to the mouth of the river. |
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Beck’s Shoes Opens Boulder Creek Location |
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For 104 years, the Beck family has been outfitting folks with footwear made to last. Manager Mandy Long is thrilled to be at the helm of the new store, which opened its doors on Feb. 3. |
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Trustees Hear Update From Ocean Grove Charter School |
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While many are aware of the San Lorenzo Valley Unified School District’s own charter school, local residents may be less aware of an independent charter called Ocean Grove. |
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Supervisors Approve Soquel Drive Bike Lane Project |
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The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors opened the bidding process for a project that will add bike lanes and make pedestrian and traffic improvements. |
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Santa Margarita Groundwater Agency and Upcoming Water District Plans |
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Actions taken by the Santa Margarita Groundwater Agency could affect local control and cost of water in the San Lorenzo Valley Water District. |
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Jury to Weigh Verdict in $72M Suit Against Caltrans |
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Closing arguments began Feb. 15 in a lawsuit that seeks to pin the agency with the majority of the blame for the death of a pedestrian along Highway 9. |
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Santa Cruz Police Respond to Auditor’s Call for Timely Investigations |
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Plus, the Santa Cruz City Council approved updates to the city’s sidewalk vending rules. |
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Cabrillo College Housing Proposal Seeks State Money |
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Project would be among the first in California to combine housing for community college and UC students. |
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The Crepe Place Celebrates 50 Years |
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The Santa Cruz staple has quietly become one of the area’s top live music venues and much more. |
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UCSC Astronomers Make Major Discoveries |
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From the most distant galaxies to our own solar system, the James Webb Space Telescope is changing our view of the universe. |
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Recent News |
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• Santa Cruz County Animal Shelter Appoints New General Manager
Amber Rowland will bring 17 years of animal service work to the role.
(Feb. 19, 2023, midnight) → Santa Cruz Sentinel• Officials Detail Plans for Student Wellness Centers
"Our students are in crisis," said Santa Cruz County Superintendent of Schools Faris Sabbah.
(Feb. 17, 2023, midnight) → Santa Cruz Sentinel• Will Tech Layoffs Hit Santa Cruz?
Layoffs in the tech industry have dominated headlines out of Silicon Valley and the Bay Area. With Santa Cruz just over the hill, experts are eyeing whether the county will feel the ripple effects.
(Feb. 16, 2023, midnight) → Lookout Local• Bay Area’s Largest State Park Targeted for Off-Road Activity
Henry W. Coe State Park was named as a possible location as California attempts to find new places where people can ride dirt bikes, dune buggies and ATVs.
(Feb. 16, 2023, midnight) → Santa Cruz Sentinel• Layoffs at UCSC’s Agroecology Center Denounced by Faculty, Students
Seeing five staffers laid off “raised so many alarm bells for people,” one UC Santa Cruz provost said. “It’s been stressful, like I’ve been spirit-murdered,” said one student.
(Feb. 15, 2023, midnight) → Read the full Lookout Local report|
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Upcoming Government Meetings |
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