# Pluralistic: Tiktok’s enshittification (21 Jan 2023)

<https://pluralistic.net/2023/01/21/potemkin-ai/#hey-guys>

- Host: [pluralistic.net](https://links.thingelstad.xyz/hosts/pluralistic.net/)
- Saved: February 2, 2023 (2023-02-02T15:37:12Z)
- Record: https://links.thingelstad.xyz/links/253b752a1fd1/
- JSON: https://links.thingelstad.xyz/links/253b752a1fd1.json

## What Jamie wrote

Super interesting post from Doctorow describing a pattern of value shift over many, many platforms.

> This is enshittification: surpluses are first directed to users; then, once they're locked in, surpluses go to suppliers; then once they're locked in, the surplus is handed to shareholders and the platform becomes a useless pile of shit. From mobile app stores to Steam, from Facebook to Twitter, this is the enshittification lifecycle.

The pattern he describes has definitely played out many times. And I like his approach that the best remedy isn't to protect these platforms (err companies) but instead make it easy to get your data out. The ability to hold user data hostage is the thing to fix. Doctorow includes crypto in his thesis here. Certainly the pattern he describes with crypto has happened, but I disagree that it makes the entire domain worthless.

## Facts

- Kind: [Page](https://links.thingelstad.xyz/kinds/page/)

## Appears in

- [WT240: Weekly Thing #240 / Shapes, Tags, Ubiquity](https://weekly.thingelstad.com/archive/240/), Notable

## Same host

- [How I got scammed (05 Feb 2024) – Pluralistic: Daily links from Cory Doctorow](https://links.thingelstad.xyz/links/c39fbb54075d/) (pluralistic.net, February 12, 2024)
- [Pluralistic: You should be using an RSS reader – Cory Doctorow](https://links.thingelstad.xyz/links/b3f22e5a9e0e/) (pluralistic.net, October 21, 2024)

## Saved the same week

- [Inside CNET’s AI-powered SEO money machine - The Verge](https://links.thingelstad.xyz/links/b758688f457b/) (theverge.com, February 2, 2023)
- [Crypto Theses for 2023 | Gravity Fund](https://links.thingelstad.xyz/links/af266f040f72/) (gravityfund.vc, February 2, 2023)
- [The generative AI revolution has begun—how did we get here? | Ars Technica](https://links.thingelstad.xyz/links/69f0665574cf/) (arstechnica.com, February 2, 2023)
- [The Magic of Small Databases](https://links.thingelstad.xyz/links/020efaa3df94/) (tomcritchlow.com, February 2, 2023)
- [Tag Systems](https://links.thingelstad.xyz/links/5708ec15d35b/) (buttondown.email, February 2, 2023)

## Elsewhere

- Wayback Machine: https://web.archive.org/web/*/https://pluralistic.net/2023/01/21/potemkin-ai/#hey-guys