Apps that offer to "do it all" will subject users to even more exploitation and surveillance, while large tech companies profit.

Apps that offer to “do it all” will subject users to even more exploitation and surveillance, while large tech companies profit.

  • chris@l.roofo.ccEnglish
    64·
    1 year ago

    Maybe the “do one thing and do it well” paradigm was not a bad idea after all.

    • jmcs@discuss.tchncs.de
      23·
      1 year ago

      And if you make the apps composable then you get all the benefits of an everything app and still have the benefits of competition and specialization. Unfortunately even apps built on open protocols fall on the trap of trying to do everything on their own (look at how Mastodon implemented DMs in the worst possible way instead of delegating it to a chat app and how people keep requesting video hosting on Lemmy).

      • smileyhead@discuss.tchncs.de
        3·
        1 year ago

        Mastodon do not have chats and DMs are just a side effect of selecting post visibilty. Thankfully, I much prefer just creating a link to proper chat in bio.

    • Hundun@beehaw.org
      13·
      1 year ago

      Was just about to comment the same thing. Unix philosophy should be taught in schools. Every high schooler that doesn’t experience education-induced gag reflex when they see Windows is failed by the system.

    • fuzzzerd@programming.dev
      4·
      1 year ago

      I think the issue is that on mobile especially, switching contexts between apps is incredibly difficult compared to desktop and as such it’s easier for one app maker to include everything so it can contest switch more easily. The “share” mechanisms on Android and iOS are great for the common use cases but harder for more nuanced things.

      That and keeping you within their ecosystem drives engagement which increases profit.

    • yum13241@lemm.ee
      2·
      1 year ago

      Depends. Web browser? Absolutely not. Small directory listing utility (ls)? Of course.