“New media companies look remarkably like the old ones they aspire to replace: male, pale, and privileged.” LooksCompanyMediaMalesPaleAspirePrivilegedNew Media Author:Astra Taylor
“There's also the issue of tech titans throwing their weight around in Washington and lobbying. There was just a Reuters poll that reported that more than half of Americans are concerned that tech companies are "encroaching too much on their lives." That's pretty major, considering these companies were universally loved not that long ago.” LongHalfCompanyIssuesToo MuchMajorsConcernedWeightThrowingLong AgoConsideringPollsTitansLobbying Author:Astra Taylor
“I mean look at all these acquisitions and mergers - WhatsApp and Oculus and et cetera. There's no way that you can envision these tech companies as the underdog anymore. They're always presented as though they were these little guys who you should be championing - Facebook will overthrow the cable television complex, blah blah - but it's more likely they will merge with them.” WayShouldLooksMeanLittlesGuyCompanyTelevisionComplexesCablesAcquisitionUnderdogBlahMergersWhatsapp Author:Astra Taylor
“Technology isn't simply addictive - it's addictive because it's a servant to business incentives. There are huge departments in these companies that are devoted to this and staffed by incredibly talented people who have skills that could be put to socially beneficial projects but who are now trying to find out how to make you click and how to maximize your time on a certain site, or encourage teenagers to "friend" more products and constantly engage with them.” PeopleTryingCertainCompanyTechnologyProductsHugeSkillsProjectsTeenagerServantDepartmentDevotedSiteIncentivesBeneficialClicks Author:Astra Taylor
“Ultimately, the current argument is "not having net neutrality will hurt innovation," and you can make that argument, but I would rather make the public good argument, which is not just about innovation or nurturing new companies that will add to the nation's GDP, it's actually about creating a democratic public sphere.” NationsHurtCompanyCreatingArgumentInnovationAddDemocraticCurrentsSpheresNurturingNeutralityGdpPublic GoodNet NeutralityNew Company Author:Astra Taylor
“It wasn't that people wanted things for free and asked for advertising to fund it - it's that these companies wanted to amass an audience whose "eyeballs" they could sell, and they gave people things for free to do that. Free services and content has been foisted upon us because there wasn't the will power to explore other options.” PeopleHas BeensWantedCompanyAudienceSellsAdvertisingFundWill PowerEyeballs Author:Astra Taylor
