Is centralization (and subsequent control) via technology unavoidable? - Stadia, Office 365, Cloud computing, Self Driving cars, etc

[AN/ALR56]

It seems that we are now going back to the 1970's dumb terminals connected to large mainframes, for instance, our computers are trading computing power for other factors such as portability, power consumption and simple aesthetics, no need for a large and complex CPU when you got a far more powerfull one on the internet doing the job with acceptable input lag, you don't buy office anymore, you rent a cloud version of it.
Even videogames need internet connection to work, heck with stadia and future products, you dont even need the physical box anymore.
This also made me think about how the trend now is against idependence and liberty, from hate speech laws to more and more emphasis on us instead of the I, we have a ressurging support for socialism and politically correct policies (climate change, immigration, gun control,etc) all focus on the impact of those policies on a larger scale than before.
We're also doing something similar to double think and other forms of self opression to avoid being ostracized in a increasingly connected society, loners and outcasts are being attacked constantly (the incel scare, the silencing of what used to be mainstream right wing opinions, people being fired or having livelihoods destroyed by internet mobs,etc)

We're even getting mainstream discussion about banning cars and meat, a mass media propaganda to accept lower living standards using the argument of saving the climate, the "Boss is your friend!" propaganda about working conditions and the infamous scams like co-living,co-working and other new age stuff that led to the wework disaster.
I fear we are in the danger of losing our rights for a totalitarian state, not like the previous ones, but one based on technology and corpocracy that we've seen in our favorite cyberpunk pop culture, packaged as democratic socialism.
The question i ask is: Can we do anything about it?, Can we stop it by non violent means or that will this system colapse on its own due to external events?
My opinion is that Ted was a visionary in his manifesto, and i don't think this will be stopped without something like a war or ecological colapse.
Also automation and the slow decay of labor relations is part of all this, but i don't know really how it will be controlled.

 

[MediocreMilt]

you don't buy office anymore, you rent a cloud version of it.

More like you download LibreOffice for free and when you need something presentable for school/work presentations, make a PDF or import it into Google Docs.

I fear we are in the danger of losing our rights for a totalitarian state

Sure, but we've been in danger of that since before Democracy. And many coups have been attempted and later failed because the people who plot them are often themselves exceptional individuals. Unplug from the internet now and again, be less tinfoil hat and enjoy what you can in life while it's still relatively peaceful.

 

[Krokodil Overdose]

Does it work? Seems important. Back in the 20s, the intelligensia were convinced that they had it all figured out, and that a centrally planned society was the wave of The Future (TM) (or the Superior Future, if you prefer.) That... didn't happen. What we've actually seen from the attempts is a society whose institutions are burning themselves down in order to retain their place in the pecking order, and with no replacements are leading to an increasingly polarized and social order; in terms of social control, the center has to hold in order to "win."

 

[Marco Fucko]

As with a lot of political discussion this feels overly simplified. I feel like I could give point by point counter examples but that would be kind of pointless.

If you're that worried about this stuff OP I'd say do your part in not taking part in products and lifestyle choices involved in this. Things like living in a conservative area (surrounded by another conservative area, not like a red pocket in SoCal or NY or anything), purchasing your goods or services when you can over giving the decision makers more reason to move to models like that. Be active with your community in some way to prevent some of these things happening in the future, like point toward how if a large corp decides to leave a smaller community it very well has the potential to completely fuck that community's future over since it drove competitors out of business with economy of scale and is now leaving former employees with minimal options to turn to.

A lot of the things you're talking about are only getting pushed in their own environments. You go out to the midwest or the south and there are plenty of cheap homes and working class homeowners, over the crowded middle class roommates of the coasts. Now unfortunately these people are moving here, which blows, but who knows some them might convert. Bosses are still bosses, there's minimal hipster bullshit since they aren't in power.

 

[break these cuffs]

Hahahahahahahaha How The Fuck Is Centralization By Technology Unavoidable Hahahaha Nigga Just Walk Away From The Screen Like Nigga Close Your Eyes Haha

 

[Papa Adolfo's Take'n'Bake]

Depends. Are you retarded enough to buy a cloud connected microphone and set it up in your living space? Stop bitching about privacy.

Do you refuse to use linux and free software, and refuse to manage your own use of computers and the internet? Stop bitching about privacy.

Did you sign up for twitter/facebook/youtube and not think of what the terms of service actually mean? Stop bitching about privacy.

Do you refuse to use a VPN? Stop bitching about privacy.

The point is, there are ways to manage your privacy and your life. No one owes it to you to make it convenient. Take responsibility for your own privacy, and by extension your own shit or shut up.

 

[Feline Supremacist]

There is only one answer but you're not going to like it

 

[Foxxo]

Stadia & self-driving cars are still unpopular & exceptional to the point of being novelties or extremely-niche tools, so those aren't really good examples. Wait until Microsoft XCloud comes out, or when Tesla finally collapses & a reputable company becomes the face of car AI.

The largest personal data collecting agency in the world is the FaceBook conglomerate ...

So many folks are addicted to 'tech' now-a-days, they will happily give up their freedom in exchange for more social media, streaming media, and/or games media .

This isn't a new phenomenon. According to a random YouTube comment, the phrase "When in Rome" comes from the vast hordes of ancient people who tried to imitate Roman citizenry & customs in order to get the Grain Dole, leading to the "Dole" system spiraling out of control and contributing to Roman decay.

 

[toledo]

Just wait, plan9 is coming to mobile before you know it...

As bandwidth and hardware get cheaper, and surveillance becomes more valuable / feasible, just you wait, you'll be getting free "devices" that connect to 24/7 cloudOS's before you know it. The catch will be that every keystroke and mouse wiggle will be recorded.

 

[Sweet and Savoury]

What used to protect us was the old who watches the watching watcher schitk.

Where the amount of human effort involved quickly become unfeasible buuut with computer automation now incredibly powerful you can almost track everyone who might possibly be of interest to the state with very little manpower.

And as computer algorithms become more effective and efficient I think monitoring your whole population become doable.

I mean just think how much Google knows about you now...and extrapolate another 20 years of development.

Scary times.

 

[AN/ALR56]

More like you download LibreOffice for free and when you need something presentable for school/work presentations, make a PDF or import it into Google Docs.



Sure, but we've been in danger of that since before Democracy. And many coups have been attempted and later failed because the people who plot them are often themselves exceptional individuals. Unplug from the internet now and again, be less tinfoil hat and enjoy what you can in life while it's still relatively peaceful.

i'm afraid, to live in society you can't do that.
I mean, at least here they don't hire people without social network accounts.
Even if you go all luddite and only use Linux and other kinds of pro-privacy hardware and software, there's still a camera on the street registering your every move, your credit card tracking your consumption, your health insurance selling your medical data,etc.

As with a lot of political discussion this feels overly simplified. I feel like I could give point by point counter examples but that would be kind of pointless.

If you're that worried about this stuff OP I'd say do your part in not taking part in products and lifestyle choices involved in this. Things like living in a conservative area (surrounded by another conservative area, not like a red pocket in SoCal or NY or anything), purchasing your goods or services when you can over giving the decision makers more reason to move to models like that. Be active with your community in some way to prevent some of these things happening in the future, like point toward how if a large corp decides to leave a smaller community it very well has the potential to completely fuck that community's future over since it drove competitors out of business with economy of scale and is now leaving former employees with minimal options to turn to.

A lot of the things you're talking about are only getting pushed in their own environments. You go out to the midwest or the south and there are plenty of cheap homes and working class homeowners, over the crowded middle class roommates of the coasts. Now unfortunately these people are moving here, which blows, but who knows some them might convert. Bosses are still bosses, there's minimal hipster bullshit since they aren't in power.

i'm not in America, perhaps i should had made this clear, but i can't opt out of this unless i'm some recluse in a home like several of our lolcows.
Anyway, the point that the others made here that "i should be responsible" although right, are not my point.
I meant the scary fact that society seems to be willing to trade their liberties for feelings of safety, and comformity, backed by subsidized devices and the promises of a "easier" life.
Not only that, but anyone who opposes such things or even just asks questions becomes persona non grata and is targeted.

 

[Manwithn0n0men]

Immoral people will always seek out centralization of authority to make up for the immorality they see in others (as well as the Immorality they know is within themselves)

 

[Large]

i'm afraid, to live in society you can't do that.
I mean, at least here they don't hire people without social network accounts.
Even if you go all luddite and only use Linux and other kinds of pro-privacy hardware and software, there's still a camera on the street registering your every move, your credit card tracking your consumption, your health insurance selling your medical data,etc.

i'm not in America, perhaps i should had made this clear, but i can't opt out of this unless i'm some recluse in a home like several of our lolcows.
Anyway, the point that the others made here that "i should be responsible" although right, are not my point.
I meant the scary fact that society seems to be willing to trade their liberties for feelings of safety, and comformity, backed by subsidized devices and the promises of a "easier" life.
Not only that, but anyone who opposes such things or even just asks questions becomes persona non grata and is targeted.

We live in a society

 

[Recoil]

Boycott the products and services that beget this progression. You ought to be doing this already. Fuck Amazon, fuck social media, fuck your smartphone.

 

[Manwithn0n0men]

We live in a society

We don't

if we lived in a Society none of this would be happening