Notices by Theodore Painsworth (itty53@mstdn.social)

@HabsFan @aral

Surveillance capitalism is just capitalism now. Every store, every mid to large product, is built to extract your information. That information is sold to data brokers. Governments buy it to circumvent surveillance laws.

Your car? That company that made it isn't an automotive company. Their profits come more from data it collects and sells, they are surveillance capitalists. When Target asks for your phone number? Same thing. Your records are all being sold.

@aral

Simply keeping reminded of that exact pattern of events is helpful to avoid sliding into the existential dread side.

I also think it's really important that when you find yourself right there on that edge, pulling your hair out? Stop what you're doing. Walk away for a couple hours. Come back fresh minded. I refer to that as "letting it stew in my brain", and I tell my coworkers and managers that. It emphasizes that my value isn't just the lines of code, but the level of thought too.