Dave Lane  🇳🇿Feb 21, 2023
It makes me sad to hear 'tech commentators' on RNZ effectively endorsing WhatsApp rather than something better, like Signal, Matrix, or something XMPPy. Surely if they're an expert, their knowledge will sway the tech choices of those in their neighbourhood... makes me question their credibility (certainly with regard to security & privacy!) if they look no further than the #FrightfulFive's poisoned offerings and accept the massive compromises their use requires. Makes them seem oblivious.
Show threadDave Lane  🇳🇿Feb 15, 2023

@msw I would appreciate understanding how you justify your position.

The caveat, of course, is that I've had a number of quite close friends - a couple very principled #FOSS adherents - who've taken roles with several of the #FrightfulFive and have become ardent corporate apologists & hardened cynics capable of rationalising their lost idealism as necessary 'in the real world'... which I've always found their succumbing to expedience a major disappointment.

@alcinnz @downey @skyfaller

Show threadDave Lane  🇳🇿Feb 15, 2023

@msw I can only judge that advocacy based on what I can see and know about. I"m pleased to hear the assertion, though, and look forward to seeing it come to pass over time - will observe with interest.

That said, as a #FOSS advocate, I would not accept a role with AWS or any other of the #FrightfulFive corporations and those many who aspire to be among them (I have rejected offers from other anti-#FOSS mega-corporations in the past) @alcinnz @downey @skyfaller

Show threadDave Lane  🇳🇿Jan 28, 2023
@DrAli Oh yes, AWS is just as bad - they're also one of the #FrightfulFive after all (https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/10/technology/techs-frightful-five-theyve-got-us.html Smart businesses should know that allowing a complete functional dependence on a 3rd party (esp a foreign 3rd party that's as big as a nation state) is plain negligence.
Tech’s Frightful Five: They’ve Got Us

Amazon, Apple, Microsoft, Facebook and Google dominate our day-to-day activities. Imagining being forced to give up some of them could lead to hard choices.

The New York Times
Show threadDave Lane  🇳🇿Jan 26, 2023
@michael @anildash for the record, I've managed to divorce myself from just about all of the #FrightfulFive. I've never owned an Apple product, and use zero Microsoft anything, even closing my LinkedIn acct. Shifted off Github to my own Gitlabs. Don't use AWS or use Amazon. I have a Facebook account, but mostly use it to encourage people to move to the #Fediverse... I use LineageOS for my mobile devices & interactions with Google. Still use Google Maps (alongside OpenStreetMap.org). That's it.
Show threadDave Lane  🇳🇿Jan 26, 2023
@michael @anildash true - especially for people in the US, it appears (the rest of us aren't quite as completely pwned). Have you seen this? https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/10/technology/techs-frightful-five-theyve-got-us.html It's why I tend to refer to the #FrightfulFive - that we've allowed ourselves to get to this point is pretty terrifying. Here in Aotearoa NZ, the FF have a stranglehold on our gov't IT systems. They could literally shut the country down if they thought we were misbehaving: https://davelane.nz/mshostage Escape is a matter of principle.
Tech’s Frightful Five: They’ve Got Us

Amazon, Apple, Microsoft, Facebook and Google dominate our day-to-day activities. Imagining being forced to give up some of them could lead to hard choices.

The New York Times
Dave Lane  🇳🇿Dec 30, 2022
Huh - what do you know... the #FrightfulFive all feature... https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2022/12/big-tech-fall-twitter-meta-amazon/672598/ but it's paywalled. Haven't read the whole article, but guessing it's relevant to a big discussion from a few days ago...
The End of the Silicon Valley Myth

The companies that define our digital lives have hit a wall.

The Atlantic
Justin (koavf)🌻🍉🇪🇭🌿Jan 27, 2022
Washington shuts down an Amazon price-fixing scheme: https://www.atg.wa.gov/news/news-releases/ag-ferguson-investigation-shuts-down-amazon-price-fixing-program-nationwide #trustbusting #populism #amazon #bigtech #frightfulfive #faang #pricefixing #whitecollarcrime
AG Ferguson investigation shuts down Amazon price-fixing program nationwide | Washington State

Amazon will pay $2.25 million, stop its “Sold by Amazon” third-party seller program SEATTLE — Attorney General Bob Ferguson today announced that, as a result of his office’s price-fixing investigation, Amazon will shut down the “Sold by Amazon” program nationwide. The Attorney General’s Office simultaneously filed a lawsuit and a legally binding resolution in King County

Show threadDave Lane  🇳🇿Jun 16, 2021
@resist1984 my main reason for using #FrightfulFive is that there's a handy article which explains it and why they're frightful in a (relatively) credible neatly packaged (if sorta-paywalled) form. It's an imperfect label for a despicable group.
Show threadresist1984Jun 16, 2021
@lightweight It's disturbing that the #FrightfulFive excludes #Cloudflare. It's easy to give up Apple & Google compared to CF. A boycott on CF would mean giving up the right to vote for Americans in 10% of the country. How many other tech giants stand in the way of something as basic and essential as voting in elections?