Dave T-W @davoloid@qoto.org

Women Who Code (WWC), a U.S.-based organization of 360,000 people supporting women who work in the tech sector, is shutting down due to a lack of funding: https://slashdot.org/story/427440

TFW you can't afford a GF who codes :marseysigh:

Anyone who says "If you're not paying for the product, you're the product" has been suckered in by Big Tech, whose cargo-cult version of markets and the discipline they impose on companies.

--

If you'd like an essay-formatted version of this thread to read or share, here's a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/04/22/kargo-kult-kaptialism/#dont-buy-it

1/

The more *any* platform's stakeholder stands to lose by leaving, the worse the platform can treat them without risking their departure. Thus the beneficent face that tech turn to its most cherished tech workers, and the hierarchy of progressively more-abusive conditions for others - worse for those whose work-visas are tied to their employment, and the very worst treatment for contractors testing the code, writing the documentation, labelling the data or cleaning the toilets.

23/

This is the economists' "collective action problem" - a phenomenon with a much better evidentiary basis than the hypothetical, far-fetched "dopamine loop" theory.

To understand whom a platform treats well and whom it abuses, look not to who pays it and who doesn't. Instead, ask yourself: who has the platform managed to lock in?

22/

Because *all* capitalists are surveillance capitalists...when they can get away with it. Sure, Apple blocked Facebook from spying on Ios users...and then started illegally, secretly spying on those users and lying about it, in order to target ads to those users:

https://pluralistic.net/2022/11/14/luxury-surveillance/#liar-liar

17/

This theory is great for tech companies: it elevates giving them money to a democracy-preserving virtue. It reframes handing your cash over to a multi-trillion dollar tech monopolist as good civics. It's easy to see why those tech giants would like that story, but boy, are you a sap if you buy it.

16/

This fall, we return to Bubble City for the most important comic book election of your life.

JUSTICE WARRIORS: VOTE HARDER

An original graphic novel out 9/10/24 —Check out some preview pages here:
https://comicbook.com/comics/news/matt-bors-ahoy-comics-justice-warriors-vote-harder-exclusive/#4

I’m my own worst enemy but the enemy of my enemy is my friend so I’m also my own best friend it’s just basic math

A new community for women software architects: https://www.architecther.co.uk/ 👏 (via @ahl)

Today i learned in Thailand they use a totally different way to measure what year it is.

I always thought itnwas odd different coubtries didnt coubt years differently. Seems they do.

Fuck AD i am using BE from now on no matter what coubtry im in!

Sunak exposes his weakness by making up ‘honorific title’ of ‘Deputy’ Foreign Secretary. It is meaningless & does nothing to address outrageous fact that he appointed an unelected Foreign Secretary who MPs can’t question in Commons & all at time of grave international instability

[2024-04-12 16:28 UTC]

Shocking news today that Dictionary.com has laid off all its lexicographers.

I already had a line in next week's podcast about dictionaries being a tough industry, and now it's even more true.

Some great company should hire them all; they're a real dream team

Check out @korystamper, @grantbarrett, John Kelly and more.

They're posting at LinkedIn. https://www.linkedin.com/posts/john-kelly-content_dictionarycom-meanings-definitions-of-activity-7184630769942695936-r6Vr?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop