Comment by nonrandomstring | Hacker News Reader

Comment by nonrandomstring | Hacker News Reader

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nonrandomstring

> What makes you think that all of a sudden they would pivot from chasing profits to defending those users,

You're putting YC into the same box as Meta? I'm probably very naive, but I think it's necessary to defend your users if your business model depends on them. What is YC's business model? It's "innovation". HN is a forum cultivated to encourage free exchange of disruptive ideas. That is not possible under conditions of technofascism. I expect the creators of this forum understand that, are worried, but have maybe convinced themselves it's safe to play along at ideology for now. If I thought there were not a significant cohort of humanist/anti-fascist technologists here I would not stay or contribute and I expect I speak for many others.

> You're putting YC into the same box as Meta?

Only in the sense that their primary interest is making money and they'll do what it takes to keep making money, whether that's in education, crypto, social media, or the euphemistically called "defense" industry.

> I think it's necessary to defend your users if your business model depends on them

As a user of Big Tech I'm having a hard time coming up with too many situations when I was "defended" by them. Rather exploited just short of losing me (and occasionally past that).

> HN is a forum cultivated to encourage free exchange of disruptive ideas. That is not possible under conditions of technofascism.

HN is just a place for people to talk. The actions are where the checks are written, and that's YC. For YC the best bet is to keep playing ball and not endanger the money stream. Almost none of these companies are actively fighting what's going on now. They're trying to straddle the line between playing ball with the power while looking moral about it.

Yes, most spineless. Community is shared interests worth standing up for together all the same, so it's not always a watering-hole around money. But I get your drift.

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