Enshittification

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What is enshittification?

The phenomenon of online platforms gradually degrading the quality of their services, often by promoting advertisements and sponsored content, in order to increase profits. (Cory Doctorow, 2022, extracted from Wikitionary) source

The lifecycle of Big Internet

We discuss how predatory big tech platforms live and die by luring people in and then decaying for profit.

Embrace, extend and extinguish

We also discuss how naturally open technologies like the Fediverse can be susceptible to corporate takeovers, rugpulls and subsequent enshittification.

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Netflix Windows app is set to remove its downloads feature, while introducing ads (www.techradar.com)

submitted 5 months ago by Blaze@reddthat.com to c/enshittification@lemmy.world

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cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/15542273

Netflix has managed to annoy a good number of its users with an announcement about an upcoming update to its Windows 11 (and Windows 10) app: support for adverts and live events will be added, but the ability to download content is being taken away.

Netflix must realize that it's a huge frustration for people who relied on offline downloads to watch content without internet access: on planes, trains, and campsites, and anywhere else where Wi-Fi is unavailable or unreliable.

There's a small chance that Netflix will change its mind if it gets enough complaints, but the streaming service seems determined to add as many money-making features as possible, while taking away genuinely useful ones.

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[–] Arghblarg@lemmy.ca 32 points 5 months ago (2 children)

Back to the high seas, mates. Yarrr.

[–] KillerTofu@lemmy.world 10 points 5 months ago

Back to? Never left!

[–] Schorsch@feddit.de 7 points 5 months ago

The ultimate hack to get the download feature back for free. Without Netflix!

[–] southernbrewer@lemmy.world 22 points 5 months ago (1 children)

What's the point of installing the app then? Just use netflix in a browser if you're going to use netflix. The only reason you even needed the stupid app was to use the download feature

[–] nehal3m@sh.itjust.works 18 points 5 months ago

I think the app allows for a higher quality stream because non-native browsers don't support the DRM required for higher quality streaming. It's bullshit but here we are.

[–] stevestevesteve@lemmy.world 20 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Absolutely unacceptable. Glad I got rid of Netflix a long time ago

[–] stevedidwhat_infosec@infosec.pub 6 points 5 months ago

Can confirm

[–] Zachariah@lemmy.world 8 points 5 months ago

Highly subsidized by my phone carrier and watched by my whole family.

But this is the antepenultimate straw.

[–] Broken_Monitor@lemmy.world 7 points 5 months ago

Ah gee wizz seems like every time they annoy the shit out of people they make more money cause people keep signing up.

[–] CareHare@sh.itjust.works 2 points 5 months ago

[–] DirkMcCallahan@lemmy.world 1 points 5 months ago

Netflix is really pushing the "boil a frog" theory to its limits...and sadly, so far, it seems as if its users are fine with it.