iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Replies

By Cory Doctorow (GPG 0xBF3D9110957E5F4C) @doctorow.pluralistic.net · 04/09/2026

Amazon's own balance sheet presents the most compelling evidence that we are stuck in the Enshittocene, the era in which everything is turning into a pile of shit, because the worst ideas of the worst people now make the most money. 1/

Hieronymus Bosch's 'The Conjuror,' a painting depicting a medieval con artist playing a shell game for an audience of astonished peasant rubes. The image has been altered: the conman now has Jeff Bezos's grinning head, and the mouths of all the peasants have been replaced with inverted Amazon 'Smile' logos, so they are now frowning.

Image:
Steve Jurvestson (modified)
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Jeff_Bezos%27_iconic_laugh_crop.jpg

CC BY 2.0
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/deed.en

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By Cory Doctorow (GPG 0xBF3D9110957E5F4C) @doctorow.pluralistic.net · 04/09/2026

If you'd like an essay-formatted version of this thread to read or share, here's a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog: pluralistic.net/2026/09/04/c... 2/

pluralistic.net

Pluralistic: Daily links from Cory Doctorow – No trackers, no ads. Black type, white background. Privacy policy: we don't collect or retain any data at all ever period.

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Clarissa Oakes 🇺🇦 @clarissaoakes.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

Impossible to read Enshittification and *not* believe that greedflation is not only real, but a key design point of enshittified e-commerce systems. Yet economists & economy commentators insist it's not happening and inflation is just accumulation of rising costs. The costs are rigged! Cos Greed! 😡

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yeldnal.bsky.social @yeldnal.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

"Tax the rat farms." - Lord Vetinari

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⛧ 💛💙 🌻🚜Madeleine - the 12th home of my parents 💛💙 🌻🚜⛧ @weltenbrandt.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

the worst ideas of the worst people yup. And we have to live with that shit because the alternative is a flip phone a satellite dish and 20 acres of undeveloped land in the woods of New Hampshire or Montana.

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Deeg-oh @digochak.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

Thank you for this insightful article. So amazon ist driving up prices even in non-amazon online shops. Cross-enshittification! Ingenious.

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Papakila (Chief Chief Antifa) @papakila.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

it's No Country for Old Men and Javier Bardem is AI

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Moley𝕋𝕙𝕖𝕄𝕠𝕝𝕖 @moleymole.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

Until now I’d assumed enshittification was just the first phase of the Oligarcene, but I think you’re right - Enshiittocene (two ‘t’s) best defines the entire epoch. bsky.app/profile/mole...

Moley𝕋𝕙𝕖𝕄𝕠𝕝𝕖@moleymole.bsky.social

Updated Oligarcene - with drones

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PopeRocketFist III @poperocketfistiii.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

@jadettman.bsky.social

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Cats and Mangoes 🥭 @catsandmangoes.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

…whoah, I thought I understood how Amazon is ripping us off. I did not. Eric Boehlert wrote some excellent articles explaining payola (quaint) and second generation payola. I found one at Salon but I remember others. www.salon.com/2001/03/14/p...

salon.com

Pay for play - Salon.com

Why does radio suck? Because most stations play only the songs the record companies pay them to. And things are going to get worse.

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Oldladymd says ABOLISH ICE @oldladymd.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

Enshittocene! Love it. Also Enshittosphere, Enshittospace, and Enshittopalooza.

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Raptor @raptornx01.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

the simplest thing in the world to end this would be for people to just stop shopping at amazon. so yeah, we're stuck here.

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Gripes of Wraith @gripesofwraith.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

How much of that balance sheet is Hallucinated Wealth?

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Davey Wilbury @daveishere.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

i appreciate your recent work but let’s be real, tech evangelists like you helped bring us here

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I was on TV once... @myjobaretables.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

Also they are all Epstein Island guests

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Zvyozdochka 🇦🇺 🇨🇦 🇵🇸 🇺🇦 🇬🇱 @zvyozdochka.bsky.social · 05/09/2026

Enshittocene: global Idiocracene: USA-only

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Whistling Batter @whistlingbatter.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

rooting for Ipswich against the Liverpool Bezos today

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the-eff.bsky.social @the-eff.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

this is especially intersting if you're trying to oppose amazon because many people just aren't open to the ethical side of the argument, but amazon using its power to rip them off might help you reach them

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joelakeview @joelakeview.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

This is an absolutely fascinating thread providing insight into the business models of Amazon. Highly recommended ! When going for online shopping I always tried - and still try - to avoid ordering via Amazon, whenever possible (normally there is a way). Now I know precisely why ...

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Riha @wandererriha.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

My dad was once what I described as Chief Nerd Wrangler for a tech company back in the early 2000s. His job was to say “that’s cool but how does this apply to Real Life?” Or more often “that is the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard.” Clearly we need to bring this position back.

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reythor.bsky.social @reythor.bsky.social · 05/09/2026

How difficult is adding an extension to your internet navigation software able to reorder the payola search results into what you are actually searching?

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Ordelafo Faledro @ordelafofaledro.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

Bezos knew from day one: nothing in Amazon’s business model would *ever* work without “scale” Did he know then that *only* ads/AWS would become profitable? Debatable. Should US FTC/DOJ ever have allowed Amazon to “scale” enough to let them crush…everyone? Hard no.

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