this post was submitted on 15 Aug 2025
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Enshittification

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What is enshittification?

The phenomenon of online platforms gradually degrading the quality of their services, often by promoting advertisements and sponsored content, in order to increase profits. (Cory Doctorow, 2022, extracted from Wikitionary) source

The lifecycle of Big Internet

We discuss how predatory big tech platforms live and die by luring people in and then decaying for profit.

Embrace, extend and extinguish

We also discuss how naturally open technologies like the Fediverse can be susceptible to corporate takeovers, rugpulls and subsequent enshittification.

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Forget Netflix, Volkswagen locks horsepower behind paid subscription (www.autoexpress.co.uk)
submitted 1 day ago by nemeski@mander.xyz to c/enshittification@lemmy.world
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[–] pinheadednightmare@lemmy.world 27 points 1 day ago (2 children)

Well, I was planning on buying the new electric van they have, but this article has changed my mind. Same reason I won’t buy a Tesla or any other company that hides features of a fully purchased car behind a paywall. Fuck that mess and I will never support it.

[–] Semi_Hemi_Demigod@lemmy.world 11 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I don’t know why they made a minivan with only two cup holders.

[–] BlueLineBae@midwest.social 15 points 1 day ago (2 children)

My husband and I had looked at VW as one of their cars matched our criteria. When we went to look at it I was like "what do you mean this car only has 1 cup holder?!?!" Like that wasn't even on our list of needs to consider because... You know... I assumed every car had at least 2.

[–] spankmonkey@lemmy.world 7 points 1 day ago

It's like having pants with only one pocket!

[–] BakerBagel@midwest.social 3 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Yeah, honestly I will never own a German car again. They are way over engineered while also lacking the creature comforts i expect as an American. My 20 year old beetle has 2 cup holders, but they are underneath the radio and can't hold anything wider than a soda can, and only have about 8 inches of clearance.

[–] Skunk@jlai.lu 4 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Europoor here, we never used the cup holder for holding cups in my life time.

The only acceptable usage was throwing coins that you don’t know where to put, usually for paying the motorway tolls in France (but this has also disappeared in favor of cards).

But on the same cultural differences, I bet I’ve seen the cigarette lighter and ashtray being more used than you had (during the 80 and 90s when cars still had them).

[–] BakerBagel@midwest.social 3 points 1 day ago

On a long American commute, you gotta have a large coffee so sip on. In fact, anytime i am in a car longee than 30 minutes i feel like i NEED a coffee or a drink. It's a pavlovian response at this point.