Personal Computing 2.0: It's time for a personal computing revolution
The author reflects on the evolution of personal computing, contrasting the open, creative nature of the 1990s with the current era of 'enshittified' digital platforms and closed AI models. The piece critiques how Big Tech has monetized and restricted the digital commons.
Why it matters
It captures a growing sentiment among tech enthusiasts regarding the loss of user agency and the negative impacts of corporate control over the internet.
In halcyon days of yore (circa 1995), computers always did what you told them. They were a delight to use. Ever since I was a kid and my parents brought home our first Mac, I’ve loved personal computing and the idea that I could create anything I could imagine.
There were no subscriptions, no login screens, no cookie banners, no notifications, no pop-ups, no up-sells, no ads, no rage-bait, and none of the crap to which we have grudgingly grown accustomed.
Source: Wikimedia But Personal Computing 1.0 was far from perfect. It was clunky. It was under-powered. Your computer couldn’t really talk to my computer (except by literally calling on the phone and making noises at each other). Information had to be accessed by finding the right floppy disk for the correct Encyclopedia Britannica volume.
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