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The Internet Con: How to Seize the Means of Computation

Hey hey! Has anyone here read "The Internet Con: How to Seize the Means of Computation" by Cory Doctorow? I highly recommend it. It's about how allowing interoperability in tech would allow us to be able to free ourselves from the claws that mainstream social media has on us.

If you didn't know (because I didn't before reading this,) "interoperability" means the ability to use or create something that will work with something else. EG you can use any brands AAA batteries in your remote. You can plug any plug into any wall socket. You can run any program you want on your computer.

Tech unfortunately has some unique and wildly restrictive laws on interoperability found in the DMCA. You can't make a program or website that pulls your Facebook messages and allows you to quit the platform while still talking to your Facebook friends. You can't make an unapproved app or your own app store for an Apple device. You can't bypass the digital locks on your John Deere tractor in order to make your own repairs to it. Not because it's difficult to, but because it's illegal.

Anyways, have you read the book? If not, did this thread make you interested in it? Please tell me what you think :D I really adore this book and would like to get as many people to read it as possible.


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Reply by ☆Spacehey artist☆

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Thx for the reccomendation-i'll try and see if I can get my hands on it


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