this post was submitted on 02 May 2024
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I see it referenced constantly here, not quite as much on Reddit. I know what it means, but just wondering why such the popularity over on this side of the fence?

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[โ€“] [email protected] 86 points 8 months ago (1 children)

People here are far more likely to be anti-capitalist, anti-corporate, pro-privacy, etc. those groups all circle the same kind of Cory Doctorow/Matt Stoller/Luddite world where the word enshittification became popular.

[โ€“] [email protected] 8 points 8 months ago (2 children)

How you conflate those other things with Luddite is.... fascinating.

[โ€“] [email protected] 31 points 8 months ago (1 children)

I assume they mean in the original term, that technology should be used to make life better, not to damage peoples employment.

[โ€“] [email protected] 21 points 8 months ago (2 children)

I had no idea the term Luddite had any meaning beyond the colloquial definition of shunning technology in general. Thanks for giving me something to read about today.

[โ€“] [email protected] 10 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago)

the greatest trick the capitalists ever pulled etc etc

[โ€“] Stovetop 0 points 7 months ago

I had no idea myself until just recently. The 99% Invisible podcast had a decent episode about it which I listened to that helped put it all into context.

The short story is that it was a labor movement trying to prevent mill owners from abusing workers by using automation to bleed the maximum productivity out of the fewest people. The Luddites would break into mills and smash the "infringing" machines. Tensions rose, the Luddites were eventually crushed, and the term Luddite was intentionally rebranded by capitalists to be synonymous with ignorant/anti-intellectual so that no one would ever want to associate with them again.

[โ€“] [email protected] 22 points 8 months ago (1 children)
[โ€“] [email protected] 9 points 8 months ago (1 children)

Thank you for clarifying, and the link. I'll check it out!

[โ€“] [email protected] 3 points 8 months ago

Happy to! I can see why someone would be confused ๐Ÿ˜‚