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Ever wonder why so many digital services you rely on seem to be getting simultaneously worse and more expensive? More ads. Sponsored search results. Subscription creep. Auto‑renew traps. Dubious 'surge' charges. Sneaky fees. Forced sign-ins. Cancel buttons hidden. There's a term for this phenomenon: enshittification — the gradual degradation of platforms that once seemed like technological miracles offering us convenience, connection, and democratisation.

But enshittification is just the surface symptom of something far more corrosive. Beneath the declining user experience lies a fundamental reshaping of our economy where a handful of tech platforms have positioned themselves as inescapable gatekeepers, extracting unprecedented wealth from workers, businesses, and consumers while accumulating dangerous concentrations of power — what some are now calling technofeudalism. What happened to the internet's promise of widespread prosperity and a stronger democracy? How did we end up locked into systems that seem designed to serve everyone except us? And most importantly: what can we do about it? Come join us for a vital conversation about reclaiming our digital future and building an economy that works for everyone, not just the platform owners.

Book: Enshittification – Why Everything Suddenly Got Worse and What to Do About It (2025) by Cory Doctorow

Book (Alternative): The Age of Extraction – How Tech Platforms Conquered the Economy and Threaten Our Future Prosperity (2025) by Tim Wu

Pdf Resource: Infographics and Summary Tables
(A prepared document of selected ideas from the two books)

This month you have two options to read depending on your preference towards the level of analysis, style of writing, and your ease in accessing the book.

Enshittification: Why Everything Suddenly Got Worse and What to Do About It by Cory Doctorow is a punchy, provocative, and highly readable take on why so many digital platforms seem to decline over time. Doctorow, who coined the term ‘enshittification’, argues that platforms follow a predictable lifecycle—starting out user-focused, then shifting to business customers, and finally extracting for themselves—in each stage squeezing the group it previously courted. The book is fast-paced, example-rich, and written in an accessible, almost conversational style, making it ideal if you enjoy sharp arguments, memorable concepts, and contemporary tech critique. It’s particularly appealing for readers who like books that spark immediate reactions and connect directly to everyday experiences online.

The Age of Extraction by Tim Wu takes a broader, more analytical approach. Wu situates the problems of digital platforms within a larger historical and economic pattern, arguing that we are living in an “age of extraction” where powerful actors systematically draw value from users, workers, and society. The tone is more measured and reflective, with a focus on big-picture thinking and long-term trends. This book will appeal to readers who enjoy connecting ideas across economics, history, and politics, and who prefer a more structured, conceptual framework over a punchy polemic.

Please read one (or both), depending on your interests. The Age of Extraction is 226 pages (or 6 hours) and Enshittification is 340 pages (or 10 hours, not available on Audible but is available on other platforms).

Join us for a drink (and optional meal) at 6:30pm on Monday, 6th July, on the 2nd floor of the Keg & Brew Hotel in Surrey Hills (i.e. up two flights of stairs). The venue is conveniently located near Central Station and the Light Rail.

Bring along an example of an app or digital service you used to really like that has since become enshittified—something you can have a quick rant about to kick off the conversation! 😊

Hope to see you there!

P.S. Please adjust your RSVP if you have indicated that you will come but are no longer able to do so. This is courteous to other people if there is a waitlist.

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These are just optional links to consider to supplement the reading of the books. Feel free to pass on other useful links in the discussion section.

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