The Slow Death of the Power User
6 hours ago
- #corporate-control
- #digital-autonomy
- #technical-literacy
- The article discusses the decline of technical literacy among users and developers, attributing it to deliberate efforts by major tech companies to simplify and control user experiences.
- Modern users, especially those who grew up with smartphones, often lack understanding of fundamental computing concepts like filesystems, networking, and debugging, relying instead on managed abstractions.
- Mobile platforms like iOS and Android have intentionally restricted user control, promoting dependency on app stores and curated experiences under the guise of safety and convenience.
- The culture of technical curiosity and self-reliance, once prevalent in early computing communities, has eroded due to the rise of passive consumption platforms like YouTube and TikTok.
- The article highlights the loss of critical skills such as auditing software behavior, resilience against platform changes, and the ability to hold tech companies accountable.
- Regulators and educators are failing to address these issues, leaving individuals to take responsibility for maintaining their technical literacy and autonomy.
- The author advocates for individual efforts to learn and use open protocols, self-host services, and understand underlying technologies to resist corporate control over digital experiences.