Distinguishing Internet Infrastructure from Big Tech Platforms: Why We Should Target Corporate Practices, Not the Internet Itself
By
cratermoon
Master baker tier. Every paragraph earns its place on the tray.
Summary
A computer science student reflects on the evolution of the internet and social media, arguing that the problems people associate with 'the internet' are actually caused by specific Big Tech companies and their business models. The author distinguishes between the foundational internet infrastructure and the commercial platforms built on top of it, suggesting that blaming 'the internet' as a whole is misguided when the real issues stem from corporate decisions about engagement algorithms, data collection, and platform design. The piece calls for more nuanced criticism that targets specific companies and their practices rather than condemning the entire internet ecosystem.
Key quotes
· 5 pulledI think about social media a lot. I'm a computer science student at an undergraduate college, and I also happen to have an intense interest in political science and some of the humanities.
Back when computers were just a footnote in our everyday lives, back when only your more well-off friends had smartphones, I could forgive you for seeing the internet as this monolithic thing.
The problem isn't 'the internet' - it's the specific companies that have built their empires on top of it, and the specific decisions they've made about how to design their platforms.
We need to stop saying 'the internet sucks' and start saying 'Facebook's engagement algorithms suck' or 'TikTok's data collection practices suck' or 'Twitter's moderation policies suck'.
The internet is just infrastructure - it's what we build on top of it that matters.
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