notes

Here’s a worthwhile post from @[email protected] on the topic of ‘Enshittification’. The economic reasons for enshittification Under capitalism, a company’s ultimate goal is to increase profits. Most people realize that there are 3 basic ways of doing this: Increase revenue (develop better products, acquire more customers). Decrease costs (improve production technology). A combination of the above. What most people don’t realize, is that this is a naïve, outdated view that applies only to young industries (it applied pretty much to everyone in the early stages of capitalism, because most industries were young - and this is why it is an established, widespread view). ...

Sebastian Klovig Skelton writes in “Microsoft hides key data flow information in plain sight” for computerweekly.com All in all, an analysis of Microsoft’s distributed documentation – conducted by independent security consultant Owen Sayers and shared with Computer Weekly – suggests that Microsoft personnel or contractors can remotely access the data from 105 different countries, using 148 different sub-processors. ...

Hidde de Vries writes in »The writer, the text and the audience« for hidde.blog What the artist puts in and what the audience experiences could amount to a lot or to very little. Either side could pretend. And surely, just not all art is made or enjoyed with a lot of care. But when it is, art can be truly special. And impossible to compute. ...

This photo, taken by me, shows an impressive sculpture made from colorful, stacked shipping containers forming an arch. In the background, a cloudy sky and a nearby port with visible cruise ships can be seen. The vibrant colors and industrial theme create a visually striking scene. You can download this and more photos for free and in full resolution at unsplash.com. Hier geht es zum Foto ...

On September 23, 2025, several open-source organizations published the open letter »Open Infrastructure is Not Free: A Joint Statement on Sustainable Stewardship«. The message is that public software infrastructure is fundamental to the digital economy, but it is not free. What’s at stake Public package registries like Maven Central, PyPI, crates.io, or Packagist underpin the software supply chains Running them requires people, hosting, and security — costs that have so far often been borne by a few organizations or volunteers Expectations are rising, for example around availability, signing, compliance, and protection against abuse What’s being called for are models where large users contribute more, without restricting openness I can empathize with the pain described and at the same time see the dilemma. Those who invest time or money take on responsibility, but by doing so also put themselves at a competitive disadvantage compared with those who use everything for free. That’s manageable for large companies, but barely feasible for small firms in fierce competition. Still, it remains indisputable that the infrastructure — and the ecosystem — will not be sustainable in the long run without contributions. ...