David Cheezem, Herb Bischoff, and Judy Donegan discuss the book Enshittification. There was a question of whether the FCC would allow that word to be aired, so they were looking for substitutes. Enpoopification, Enscatification, and Ensitification were considered. The book’s subtitle is “Why Everything Suddenly Got Worse and What to Do About It, which seemed appropriate, given the “names” being discussed.
Enshittification examines the internet and tech landscape, where platforms like TikTok, Facebook, and Google start great but, over time, squeeze profits at the cost of user experience. Herb and Judy both agreed that if they had a higher level of technical understanding of the internet and how these platforms work, they would have gotten more from the book. All three felt empowered to see these platforms differently and to identify the actions they can take.