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Enshitification
Welcome to Enshitification
A community for everyone who didn't realise it was spelled 'enshittification'.
This is your space to document the decay, demise, and destruction of the tech world as we know it. Share stories, articles, and firsthand experiences that capture the ongoing decline of once-celebrated platforms, services, and companies in the late stage capitalist landscape.
From monopolistic corporate shifts to anti-user updates and the relentless pursuit of profit over quality—if it’s broken, bloated, or just plain bad, it belongs here. We’re here to spotlight the moves that make the tech world worse, one piece of enshittification at a time.
Guidelines
🔹 Stay on Topic: Only post content about the decline of tech products, platforms, or companies.
🔹 Quality Content: Give some context when posting links or articles to drive quality discussions.
🔹 Respectful Discussion: Critique companies, crappy tech, and capital, not community members.
🔹 Positive Monday: The first Monday of every month is reserved for positive content only that shows enshittification isn't inevitable.
Join us to expose the changes that ruin the things we once loved and to discuss what comes next in a tech world gone wrong.
Who makes you upgrade your phone? Does anyone have a case where something bad happened because of outdated security patches? I haven't come across any apps that don't work because of outdated security patches, but a bunch of apps won't run if you have root on your phone.
Running insecure software is a bad idea.
I asked about real cases. And if it's a bad idea, why do banks allow their apps to run on "unprotected" phones?
A lot of hacks are done through browsers. Phones have browsers. When the Chinese make off with Federal Reserve documents because Joe IT logged in with a phone it doesn't make it into the news.
It's just the case that patched security flaws are standard practice for a reason. Hey - use http only, make all your passwords Password1, knock yourself out, but don't expect others to be like "Yeah! Why are we doing all this . . security ???"
It's a bad thought process to ask for proof that security matters. You do not require proof of that as we know that it does. Many identities are stolen every day.
I think that all this hysteria around security updates may be part of a marketing ploy to increase sales of new phones. Why? Because 3 years ago, no one cared how many updates a particular phone model would receive. I also found information that more than 80% of Android smartphones in 2015 had known unpatched vulnerabilities. However, I don't know of a single case where my friends' phones were hacked without their involvement. But I know 1000 cases when my friends clicked on a fake link and entered their passwords/card details. Anyway, I agree that security patches are a necessity, but not a reason to immediately buy a new phone when my old one stops receiving updates.
Do you walk around with your shoes untied because you don't know anyone who tripped over their laces?
This is a reason to stay up to date, not evidence that you don't have to care about it...
If your phone stops receiving updates, it's probably over 5 years old and should be replaced by more modern hardware. I'm all for recycling electronics and not being wasteful but it's really asking for it to base your digital livelihood on the idea that you probably won't be a victim.
My requirements for and definition of "security" differ substantially from my bank's.
Pegasus https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pegasus_(spyware)
Security patches address vulnerabilities that hackers can exploit to do fun stuff like steal your personal data, install malware, or compromise your financial accounts.
While you may not have personally experienced issues, outdated patches leave your device and data exposed. Cyberattacks are often silent, and the consequences - like identity theft or financial loss - can surface long after the breach. Think fucking without a condom and trusting your pull out game, and years later that ONS calls you and asks for money for the one to x children you fathered that night...
So upgrading isn't just about apps working; it's about safeguarding your privacy and security in our connected world.