We are stuck in BIG BAD TECH TUNNEL VISION, and we need to SNAP OUT OF IT before its too late.
A lot of people gleefully exclaim that they are “against BIG Tech”. Although satisfying, in the long run this protest joy will get us nowhere, it’s too easy, its virtue signaling. We are stuck in the negative spiral of “we don’t want them!”. We should rather/ at the same time focus on what we DO want. Create a positive, reaffirming frame to all the tech! The reason Big Tech was kicked out and why they might be welcome in stead. The (new) manifest.
I know what we NEED and should check, communicate, help create!
We insist on fair tech, lovely tech, beautiful tech, usable tech, civil tech, human centered tech, sustainable tech, empowering tech, social tech, silent tech, respectful tech. All of the above AND MORE!
Because what if, from one moment to the other, the now hated big tech, the digital axis of evil would disappear? No more microsoft, no more oracle, google, meta, palitir, amazon, no more apple. Then what? Did we reach our goals? No! We just removed bad examples without considering what we want in stead, or even IF we wanted something in stead.
We focused on the bad, and granted, we had to, but we also should give the “benign medium tech” and “cute small tech” a heads up that the banishment of big tech does not mean we want all of the other sizes of tech! NO!
We have NEW and reasonable rules for ALL THE TECH. We insist on dignified tech, convivial tech, calm tech, usable tech, interoperable tech, open tech, respectful tech, beautiful tech, contestable tech, lawful tech, flexible tech, listening tech, cute tech, sustainable tech, civil tech, social tech, awesome tech, empowering tech, easy tech, invisible tech, accountable tech, hackable tech, friendly tech, pluggable tech, safe tech, private tech, all of that.
Help each other to break free from the negative tech tunnel vision and move to empowering and informing ALL TECH what we need to operate as an individual, as a family, as friends, as a neighborhood, as cities, as companies, countries, economies and of course as the stewards of our planet.
Insist on the the stuff that you need, want and like. Create energy. 🧡
Example? Replacing Windows with Linux only means we exercised our power to choose. It does not mean we are free at last. Same goes for office software, AI, phones, cloud and all other tech.
If we want to be free, we should assert how said freedom looks like. Not just the sales pitch, nor the tender, but a sustainable line into the future towards safety, reliability, transparency, usability, speed, support, all the things we wish from any company, government, maker and each other.