How Elon Musk Shot Down the Bird
Published in Frankfurter Rundschau
(Germany) on 19 November 2022
by Jana Ballweber (link to original)
It‘s time to reclaim the internet with the common good and anti-capitalism in mind — using free software and decentralization.
Now that Elon Musk has come bounding into Twitter like a bull in a china shop, many people who use the platform as an essential tool for staying connected and communicating have been left to pick up the pieces of Musk’s hubris. With his deluded belief that he always knows best, he is squandering not only his money but also opportunities for participation in public debate, which is what Twitter has provided for many marginalized individuals.
The Utopia of the Internet: For the Common Good and against Capitalism
The goings-on at Twitter are just one manifestation of the developments that have taken place on the internet in the last few decades. Not much is left of the utopia where knowledge is made accessible to all and powerless individuals are given a voice.
Extremely wealthy oligarchs stake claims to the most promising online opportunities and are responsible for the internet’s deterioration into nothing more than an advertising outlet. Companies track and monetize every click, while governments spy on their citizens.
It is time to reclaim the internet with the common good and anti-capitalism in mind — using free software and decentralization, as well as considerate moderation that does not involve censorship, but nevertheless works to counter hate and rabble-rousing. Because a better internet is possible — and desperately needed.
Now that Elon Musk has come bounding into Twitter like a bull in a china shop, many people who use the platform as an essential tool for staying connected and communicating have been left to pick up the pieces of Musk’s hubris. With his deluded belief that he always knows best, he is squandering not only his money but also opportunities for participation in public debate, which is what Twitter has provided for many marginalized individuals.
The Utopia of the Internet: For the Common Good and against Capitalism
The goings-on at Twitter are just one manifestation of the developments that have taken place on the internet in the last few decades. Not much is left of the utopia where knowledge is made accessible to all and powerless individuals are given a voice.
Extremely wealthy oligarchs stake claims to the most promising online opportunities and are responsible for the internet’s deterioration into nothing more than an advertising outlet. Companies track and monetize every click, while governments spy on their citizens.
It is time to reclaim the internet with the common good and anti-capitalism in mind — using free software and decentralization, as well as considerate moderation that does not involve censorship, but nevertheless works to counter hate and rabble-rousing. Because a better internet is possible — and desperately needed.
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