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The Internet Con

How to Seize the Means of Computation
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( 893 ratings, 129 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
The Internet Con by Cory Doctorow delves into the complexities of the modern internet landscape, examining issues like monopolistic control by tech giants, digital rights, and online freedom. Doctorow offers insights into how these dynamics affect politics, culture, and society, proposing ways to reclaim a more open and equitable internet for all.
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Format: Hardback
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

You might enjoy this book if you're interested in the politics and ethics of the digital age. It explores the pitfalls of monopolistic tech giants and offers insights into building a fairer, more open internet. Perfect for those passionate about technology, regulation, and the future of online freedom.

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The Internet Con

This isn't a book for people who want to fix Big Tech. It's a detailed disassembly manual for people who want to dismantle it.

This isn't a book for people who want to fix Big Tech. It's a detailed disassembly manual for people who want to dismantle it.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

When the tech platforms promised a future of "connection," they were lying. They said their "walled gardens" would keep us safe, but those were prison walls.

The platforms locked us into their systems and made us easy pickings, ripe for extraction. Twitter, Facebook, and other Big Tech platforms are hard to leave by design. They hold hostage the people we love, the communities that matter to us, the audiences and customers we rely on. The impossibility of staying connected to these people after you delete your account has nothing to do with technological limitations: it's a business strategy in service to commodifying your personal life and relationships.

We can — we must — dismantle the tech platforms. In The Internet Con, Cory Doctorow explains how to seize the means of computation by forcing Silicon Valley to do the thing it fears most: interoperate. Interoperability will tear down the walls between technologies, allowing users to leave platforms, remix their media, and reconfigure their devices without corporate permission.

Interoperability is the only route to the rapid and enduring annihilation of the platforms. The Internet Con is the disassembly manual we need to take back our internet.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

The Internet Con by Cory Doctorow is lauded as an insightful and impassioned critique of Big Tech’s monopolistic practices. Reviews highlight its thorough explanation of how the internet's potential was compromised by corporate greed and suggest actionable strategies to reclaim digital autonomy. With sharp criticism and clear vision, Doctorow provides a compelling roadmap for enhancing digital interoperability and democracy.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781804291245

Publisher: Verso Books

Format: Hardback

Date Published: 05 September 2023

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Verso Books

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 17.0mm

Width: 140.0mm

Height: 210.0mm

Weight: 286g

Pages: 192

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About the Author

Cory Doctorow is a science fiction author, activist and journalist. He is the author of many books, most recently RADICALIZED and WALKAWAY, science fiction for adults; HOW TO DESTROY SURVEILLANCE CAPITALISM, nonfiction about monopoly and conspiracy; IN REAL LIFE, a graphic novel; and the picture book POESY THE MONSTER SLAYER. His latest book is ATTACK SURFACE, a standalone adult sequel to LITTLE BROTHER. In 2020, he was inducted into the Canadian Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame. He works for the Electronic Frontier Foundation, is a MIT Media Lab Research Affiliate, is a Visiting Professor of Computer Science at Open University, a Visiting Professor of Practice at the University of North Carolina's School of Library and Information Science and co-founded the UK Open Rights Group.

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