[HN Gopher] The End of Ownership
       ___________________________________________________________________
        
       The End of Ownership
        
       Author : wowtip
       Score  : 33 points
       Date   : 2021-06-21 16:26 UTC (6 hours ago)
        
 (HTM) web link (www.datagubbe.se)
 (TXT) w3m dump (www.datagubbe.se)
        
       | doggodaddo78 wrote:
       | Yes. The bigger picture is a gradient towards ubiquitous rent-
       | seeking. Imagine all of your essential possessions being leased
       | and unownable. Water, oxygen, food, clothing, transportation,
       | housing, and even organs and implants being leased from monopoly
       | conglomerates who could literally end your life whenever they
       | choose. They already have cameras and microphones installed in
       | millions of homes.
       | 
       | Also, on all of those possessions and services, what happens when
       | the API goes down, they discontinue support, they get hacked, or
       | they decide to remotely brick what you have?
        
         | Noumenon72 wrote:
         | Monopoly conglomerates want your money, not your life. It's
         | going to be governments cutting people off. For example,
         | Pakistan cutting your cell service if you don't get vaccinated.
         | https://www.cbsnews.com/news/pakistan-covid-vaccine-punjab-t...
        
           | HWR_14 wrote:
           | Monopoly conglomerates what your money _and are indifferent
           | to your life._ See cigarette companies or the recent Texas
           | power issues. Or health insurers.
           | 
           | It's going to be businesses cutting people off if they don't
           | fit a mold. Because being outside the mold costs extra upkeep
           | they don't want.
        
       | api wrote:
       | It is way, way past time for a new tech-individualist project.
       | The PC revolution was not merely a product of market forces or of
       | legislation. It was the product of a movement that included
       | things like the Homebrew Computer Club and the Whole Earth
       | Catalog.
       | 
       | One of the biggest rocks we need to move is to push against this
       | tide of cynicism, futility, and crazy conspiracy mumbo-jumbo. All
       | these things keep people from doing anything by either making
       | them give up before they started or by channeling their effort
       | toward dead ends. You can't struggle for a better future if all
       | your effort is being channeled into fighting reptilian shape
       | shifting space aliens hepped up on adrenochrome or some other
       | piece of fantasy bullshit.
        
         | adamrezich wrote:
         | I completely agree with your first paragraph but struggle to
         | make any connection between it and your second paragraph
        
           | zepto wrote:
           | In many ways it makes little difference whether the
           | conspirators are lizard aliens, or a cabal of capitalists in
           | a smoke filled room.
        
           | api wrote:
           | The relationship is definitely tangential, but the idea is
           | that people need to start doing actual things instead of
           | imaginary things to fight for their autonomy.
        
       | c22 wrote:
       | If you're paying rent then it's not the end of _ownership_. If
       | anything it 's a doubling-down on the concept.
        
       | topkai22 wrote:
       | This article is talking about electronics and integrated digital-
       | mechanical systems, but right now there is also a big financial
       | premium on ownership in real estate as well. Not sure if these
       | are linked, but I wonder if long term low inflation and interest
       | rates makes subscription revenue more attractive than in a more
       | volatile environment. Seems like probably.
        
       | literallyaduck wrote:
       | Taxing SaaS and tying it to funding open source alternatives
       | would be a solution to corporate colonization.
        
       ___________________________________________________________________
       (page generated 2021-06-21 23:02 UTC)