Avoiding Enshittification

Introduction: The landscape of social media has become a battleground for attention, with platforms engaging in a relentless pursuit to retain users. This essay delves into the phenomenon of “enshittification”, a term coined to describe the progressive degradation of user experience on social media platforms. We explore the root causes of this issue and propose innovative solutions to counteract it.

The Problem of Enshittification:

Enshittification in social media arises primarily from two interlinked factors. Firstly, the inherent design of these platforms aims to captivate users, offering an experience that is initially rewarding and potentially addictive. This user engagement is then monetized through advertising, subscriptions, or direct sales, often at the cost of user experience. Secondly, operating social media platforms is a financially intensive endeavor. The significant server costs and overheads render the idea of running such platforms as non-profits impractical.

Proposed Solutions:

1. Open Source Approach:
   Adopting an open-source model, similar to the copyleft principles of the GNU General Public License (GPL), can mitigate the problem of enshittification. This approach encourages community participation, fostering a diverse range of innovations and adaptations tailored to various social media paradigms (e.g., Twitter, Facebook, Instagram).

2. Sustainable Monetization:
   Implementing a pay-per-use system ensures the financial viability of the platform. Each API request could include a proof of payment, covering the costs of server computation, bandwidth, and other operational expenses. This model also prevents the platform from overcharging, as the open-source nature allows for the creation of competitive forks offering the service at a lower cost.

Challenges and Countermeasures:

• Preventing Censorship and Rent-Seeking:
  To avoid censorship and monopolistic practices by incumbents, the platform must facilitate easy replication and competition. The open-source nature enables users to create competing networks effortlessly.

• Community-Based Moderation:
  Addressing issues like overly-promotional content and vandalism requires innovative solutions like open-source filtering, automated moderation, and crowdsourced governance.

Conclusion:

The concept of avoiding enshittification in social media through an open-source, pay-per-use model presents a promising avenue for creating a more sustainable and user-centric online social environment. It empowers communities to innovate and govern their platforms, aligning the interests of users and operators, and paving the way for a new era of social media that prioritizes user experience over profit.