"Enshittification isn't real", says notorious private equity venture capitalist firm a16z.

Sounds like an Onion headline.

Well, call it "Monetization" then. Most platforms start optimistically, free to use, lots of features, burn VC money. Users love them.

Then you want to make $$, and inevitably this causes the platform to be less good. Even my favourite non-ensh*ttified (so far) social platform, let's just say it has the same orange colour scheme as the HN titlebar, is getting ever more aggressive at promoting its paid plan to the detriment of usability for a free user. But so far hasn't started putting formerly free features behind a paywall (premium features are, of course).

And CD's argument that first you stiff your users to favour your advertisers/vendors, then you start stiffing them to favour yourself. Well, what about Amazon then? Isn't that exactly what they have been doing?*

I think it's one of those "internet phrases" that gets used by people who want other people to see them use it.

It absolutely is.

1 hour minimum wage vs Big Mac price in the US :

1980: $3.10 vs $0.50

2022: $7.25 vs $8.00

That's the whole thing.

What a user insulting horrible bad faith attempt at a hot take on the issue.

Hard to take this self proclaimed cyberethnographer seriously.