For those who choose to read my work, you may have noticed a trend as of late; I have dedicated many words to technological creep, the ubiquity of technology for tech’s sake, and the like.
This is a really good topic. Most people don't know any other way to live sadly. I lived through the creation of the internet and smart everything. I have a smart phone, but still use it like the old answering machines. It never leaves my home either. I recently got a new vehicle and had my phone with me then for information that might be needed during the purchase. They pressured me to do the pairing which I kindly pushed back that I didn't want to do. The sad part is people don't know the difference when that is the way that life has always been for them. Even school has changed. I took typing in school on a typewriter. I learned in books. There weren't computers in school. I read books growing up and I still do. Actual books, not digital.
I have my own website. I at one point tried setting up to sell my products on Amazon as well. The issues I had with my store with them was just like you described. There was no help to be had and this was with a business account. Google with their free merchandise account you can create for your products they want to control it all the way. They decide what you can put in it. Easy example I would create products for Breast Cancer Awareness month. They wouldn't let me add them because they were medical products according to them. I finally said forget it. SEO and website ranking is a bit of a joke as well. I refuse to change my website to what google wants to rank better. It is my website and I will have it how I want. I had a business account on Pinterest for a very long time and they just blocked it. They weren't happy with my About Me section, Contact Section. My About Me section is totally original that I wrote, but they said it wasn't original enough. My contact section is a typical contact section like any website. It reminded me of what google does. I said goodbye to them. TikTok the same way with my business account controlling what I can put in my store, but look at the content they allow. I fought Meta for awhile before we came to a happy place. I basically just use them for advertising to get people to my website. If I sell in those stores, Meta gets a cut of the money. It didn't used to be that way. Even from the business perspective you can see how the control factor is there.
I am reading, and recommend, a stunningly prescient book from 1992. The title and subtitle say it all: TECHNOPOLY: The Surrender of Culture to Technology. By Neil Postman.
I killed my LinkedIn account about six months back. It was a pain in the ass, but not as difficult as your experience. I had to do a search in Kagi, then using Safari go in and then follow the instructions provided in a separate window to close the account. About 8 years ago Facebook decided I was under the age of 13 and suspended my account. I thought I’d simply wait until my birthday and log in again, but when I tried it said that my account had been suspended for six months so I had to send a copy of my drivers license or passport to them for verification. This was right after a data breach at Meta that gave up the credentials for 6 million accounts so I decided to pass. I haven’t had Facebook for 8 years now. In a world that has become so dependent on the internet of everything, where everything has a connected app, I’m becoming increasingly more of a Luddite. The absence of human connection, the reliance on AI and automation seems to be driving me back to the 1980s. Unfortunately anything that involves customer service is now so dependent on automated systems, it’s impossible to completely remove myself.
This is a really good topic. Most people don't know any other way to live sadly. I lived through the creation of the internet and smart everything. I have a smart phone, but still use it like the old answering machines. It never leaves my home either. I recently got a new vehicle and had my phone with me then for information that might be needed during the purchase. They pressured me to do the pairing which I kindly pushed back that I didn't want to do. The sad part is people don't know the difference when that is the way that life has always been for them. Even school has changed. I took typing in school on a typewriter. I learned in books. There weren't computers in school. I read books growing up and I still do. Actual books, not digital.
I have my own website. I at one point tried setting up to sell my products on Amazon as well. The issues I had with my store with them was just like you described. There was no help to be had and this was with a business account. Google with their free merchandise account you can create for your products they want to control it all the way. They decide what you can put in it. Easy example I would create products for Breast Cancer Awareness month. They wouldn't let me add them because they were medical products according to them. I finally said forget it. SEO and website ranking is a bit of a joke as well. I refuse to change my website to what google wants to rank better. It is my website and I will have it how I want. I had a business account on Pinterest for a very long time and they just blocked it. They weren't happy with my About Me section, Contact Section. My About Me section is totally original that I wrote, but they said it wasn't original enough. My contact section is a typical contact section like any website. It reminded me of what google does. I said goodbye to them. TikTok the same way with my business account controlling what I can put in my store, but look at the content they allow. I fought Meta for awhile before we came to a happy place. I basically just use them for advertising to get people to my website. If I sell in those stores, Meta gets a cut of the money. It didn't used to be that way. Even from the business perspective you can see how the control factor is there.
Where’s Kafka when we need him?
I am reading, and recommend, a stunningly prescient book from 1992. The title and subtitle say it all: TECHNOPOLY: The Surrender of Culture to Technology. By Neil Postman.
That is pretty good for 1992! Jeez, what was he complaining about, Smart calculators? Ha...
No, but seriously, prescient, indeed..
I killed my LinkedIn account about six months back. It was a pain in the ass, but not as difficult as your experience. I had to do a search in Kagi, then using Safari go in and then follow the instructions provided in a separate window to close the account. About 8 years ago Facebook decided I was under the age of 13 and suspended my account. I thought I’d simply wait until my birthday and log in again, but when I tried it said that my account had been suspended for six months so I had to send a copy of my drivers license or passport to them for verification. This was right after a data breach at Meta that gave up the credentials for 6 million accounts so I decided to pass. I haven’t had Facebook for 8 years now. In a world that has become so dependent on the internet of everything, where everything has a connected app, I’m becoming increasingly more of a Luddite. The absence of human connection, the reliance on AI and automation seems to be driving me back to the 1980s. Unfortunately anything that involves customer service is now so dependent on automated systems, it’s impossible to completely remove myself.