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The Coming Enshittification of Public Libraries (open.substack.com)

submitted 1 year ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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Global investment vampires have positioned themselves to suck our libraries dry

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[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (3 children)

Looks like the enshittification of op-eds/essays is in full swing here.

The author continually undermines her own points (via parenthesis! Because it’s so quirky!) and repeatedly uses a buzzword that does not apply to the scenario she’s describing.

This isn’t the same process of enshittification that happened to Amazon et al, this is just corporate takeover of our public services, which goes back way further than a few websites. It’s straight-up capitalist cronyism. But I guess that wouldn’t get as many clicks from edgy teenagers who think Cory Doctorow is a literal prophet.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 year ago (2 children)

I feel like I'm not reading the same article as you are. Can you share an example of where they undermine their own argument? This seems like a pretty well researched and thought out article.

They clearly state their interpretation of enshitification and it seems to me like a valid generalisation and to be applied correctly.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

That’s because OverDrive, a private corporation, has a monopoly on managing the availability and distribution of ebooks and audiobooks for government-funded public libraries in North America. (I looked for exact current numbers, but turns out that would require the time and resources of a professional journalist.)

We’re reading the same article. you’re allowed to like it, but that doesn’t make it well-researched or even good. i like lots of crap too.

Also what is everybody’s obsession with YoU nEeD tO PrOvIdE eXaMpLeS any time somebody gives their thoughts on an article? It’s fucking childish and entitled behavior.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

I'm sorry if I upset you, I was just trying to understand your position better. Personally I don't feel like this example undermines the whole argument, its an acknowledgment of a limitation of the writers perspective. It also looks to have been updated.

"That’s because OverDrive, a private corporation, has a monopoly on managing the availability and distribution of ebooks and audiobooks for government-funded public libraries in North America. (I looked for exact current numbers, but turns out that would require the time and resources of a professional journalist.1 Best I could do: as of December 2019, OverDrive controlled digital lending for “more than 95% of public libraries in the US and Canada”.2)"