Enshittification: Difference between revisions
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===Social media=== | ===Social media=== | ||
'''[[Facebook]]''' | '''[[Facebook]]:''' | ||
Facebook has shifted from a network for personal connection to a platform dominated by advertising and algorithmic manipulation. User data is monetised at the expense of privacy, while the quality of organic content has steadily declined. | Facebook has shifted from a network for personal connection to a platform dominated by advertising and algorithmic manipulation. User data is monetised at the expense of privacy, while the quality of organic content has steadily declined. | ||
'''[[Instagram]]''' | '''[[Instagram]]:''' | ||
Once centred on creativity and social sharing, Instagram now prioritises sponsored posts, shopping features, and influencer marketing. Users’ ability to control their feeds has been reduced, reflecting the platform’s focus on profit over consumer experience. | Once centred on creativity and social sharing, Instagram now prioritises sponsored posts, shopping features, and influencer marketing. Users’ ability to control their feeds has been reduced, reflecting the platform’s focus on profit over consumer experience. | ||
'''[[Reddit]]''' | '''[[Reddit]]:''' | ||
Reddit’s 2023 API changes exemplify enshitification, undermining community tools and third-party apps in favour of advertising revenue. This has eroded user autonomy and restricted consumer choice. | Reddit’s 2023 API changes exemplify enshitification, undermining community tools and third-party apps in favour of advertising revenue. This has eroded user autonomy and restricted consumer choice. | ||
'''[[X Corp|Twitter/X]]''' | '''[[X Corp|Twitter/X]]:''' | ||
Following its acquisition and rebrand, Twitter/X introduced paywalls for basic features, weakened moderation, and increased promoted content. The result has been a degraded service and a diminished consumer experience. | Following its acquisition and rebrand, Twitter/X introduced paywalls for basic features, weakened moderation, and increased promoted content. The result has been a degraded service and a diminished consumer experience. | ||
'''[[TikTok]]''' | '''[[TikTok]]:''' | ||
TikTok’s powerful recommendation algorithm drives engagement but also funnels users into repetitive content while saturating feeds with advertising. Concerns over data exploitation further highlight the imbalance between corporate gain and consumer rights. | TikTok’s powerful recommendation algorithm drives engagement but also funnels users into repetitive content while saturating feeds with advertising. Concerns over data exploitation further highlight the imbalance between corporate gain and consumer rights. | ||
'''[[YouTube]]''' | '''[[YouTube]]:''' | ||
YouTube has expanded ad loads and aggressively promoted subscriptions, while algorithmic changes often disadvantage independent creators. Consumers face reduced choice and increased intrusion, hallmarks of enshitification. | YouTube has expanded ad loads and aggressively promoted subscriptions, while algorithmic changes often disadvantage independent creators. Consumers face reduced choice and increased intrusion, hallmarks of enshitification. | ||
'''[[Discord]]''' | '''[[Discord]]:''' | ||
Discord's primary selling point is that it is the most-used method of communication, especially for communities, online.{{Citation needed}} Because of this dominance, it has caused barriers for users intending to switch to alternative platforms such as Stoat or Matrix, as a lack of common users between platforms makes it difficult for more users to transfer over.{{Citation needed}} This fact has been abused by Discord with its infrastructure showing signs of decay,{{Citation needed}} the introduction of advertisements in the format of "quests",{{Citation needed}} and the degradation of free perks.{{Citation needed}} | Discord's primary selling point is that it is the most-used method of communication, especially for communities, online.{{Citation needed}} Because of this dominance, it has caused barriers for users intending to switch to alternative platforms such as Stoat or Matrix, as a lack of common users between platforms makes it difficult for more users to transfer over.{{Citation needed}} This fact has been abused by Discord with its infrastructure showing signs of decay,{{Citation needed}} the introduction of advertisements in the format of "quests",{{Citation needed}} and the degradation of free perks.{{Citation needed}} | ||
===Software=== | ===Software=== | ||
'''[[Adobe]]... | '''[[Adobe]]:''' | ||
... | |||
'''[[Microsoft Windows]]:''' | '''[[Microsoft Windows]]:''' | ||
* Forced Microsoft account sign-in. Starting with Windows 10 and further enforced in Windows 11, preventing offline use and increase the telemetry data collection. | *Forced Microsoft account sign-in. Starting with Windows 10 and further enforced in Windows 11, preventing offline use and increase the telemetry data collection. | ||
* Built-in advertisements. Despite Windows being a paid-for software, the OS will contain advertisements in the start menu, lock screen, notifications about Microsoft 365, OneDrive, Edge, and more. Even if disabled, ads will reappear with the following OS update. | *Built-in advertisements. Despite Windows being a paid-for software, the OS will contain advertisements in the start menu, lock screen, notifications about Microsoft 365, OneDrive, Edge, and more. Even if disabled, ads will reappear with the following OS update. | ||
* Dark patterns in applications. Edge will always ask to become the default browser, warnings about switching away. OneDrive prompts dialogues to "protect your files" which require a upload to the cloud with a OneDrive account. Applications often do not have a "never ask again" button, only "Try for free" or "maybe later" such as in Microsoft365. | *Dark patterns in applications. Edge will always ask to become the default browser, warnings about switching away. OneDrive prompts dialogues to "protect your files" which require a upload to the cloud with a OneDrive account. Applications often do not have a "never ask again" button, only "Try for free" or "maybe later" such as in Microsoft365. | ||
* Increased telemetry. Telemetry settings are always enabled by default and they provide limited ability to disable them. | *Increased telemetry. Telemetry settings are always enabled by default and they provide limited ability to disable them. | ||
* Forced updates. Updates cannot be permanently disabled, you can only disable them for up to 4 weeks. The OS will force the download as soon as possible when the countdown timer has expired. | *Forced updates. Updates cannot be permanently disabled, you can only disable them for up to 4 weeks. The OS will force the download as soon as possible when the countdown timer has expired. | ||
* Bundled software bloat. Preinstalled Microsoft applications that aren't vital to the functionalities of the OS and do not request the user if they should be added. | *Bundled software bloat. Preinstalled Microsoft applications that aren't vital to the functionalities of the OS and do not request the user if they should be added. | ||
* Search degradation. The search files menu has degraded over the years in favor of searching online with Bing to provide more advertisements as web results. | *Search degradation. The search files menu has degraded over the years in favor of searching online with Bing to provide more advertisements as web results. | ||
===Video Games=== | ===Video Games=== | ||
'''[[Unity Engine runtime fee|Unity]] | '''[[Unity Engine runtime fee|Unity]]:''' | ||
Unity Software Inc. implemented sweeping changes to its pricing model for Unity that would affect all users of the engine, forcing users to either adopt their per-download fee or de-list their games. | |||
A lot of mobile games have fell into enshittifed experiences. A lot of mobile games were paid in the early days of the [[Apple App Store]], but then became [[Free to Play]] with users being bombarded with ads, [[Microtransactions|micro-transactions]], [[Battle passes|battle-passes]], energy-systems and more, to extract as much money out of the player's pocket, while making the experience less fun. The video game Angry-Brid is a good example of this. What started as a very simple game now has all of the aforementioned tactics baked into it, rendering the playing experience tedious and unpleasant. | '''Mobile Games:'''A lot of mobile games have fell into enshittifed experiences. A lot of mobile games were paid in the early days of the [[Apple App Store]], but then became [[Free to Play]] with users being bombarded with ads, [[Microtransactions|micro-transactions]], [[Battle passes|battle-passes]], energy-systems and more, to extract as much money out of the player's pocket, while making the experience less fun. The video game Angry-Brid is a good example of this. What started as a very simple game now has all of the aforementioned tactics baked into it, rendering the playing experience tedious and unpleasant. | ||
===Learning Applications=== | ===Learning Applications=== | ||
'''[[Duolingo]]''' | '''[[Duolingo]]:''' | ||
... | |||
==Further reading== | ==Further reading== | ||