“Enchantment” is coming for all of us – even the cameras – and this is where it begins…

If you’ve checked an online dictionary or read a reputable source like the Financial Times, you’re probably familiar with the term “enshittification,” coined by Cory Doctorow.

If you haven’t heard the term, you’ve certainly experienced it. It’s Doctorow’s way of explaining how customers are getting worse off, especially in the online world, thanks to network effects and the collective action problem.

It was great. At first. In 2011, it was $7.99, and people were able to start switching from much more expensive cable or satellite packages. Then, once Netflix got big enough to have a foothold, it did a few things; it started raising prices. First, premium came in—you had to pay for multiple devices and 4K—and more and more tiers to get more money out of people. Premium is now $23, which is only $1 off the original price to suffer through ads.

Essentially, the company used the network effect to create traction, and then leveraged it once it got through the door to squeeze out every last drop of revenue. Sure, it’s capitalism; they’re legally obligated to do so. Typically, in the same cycle, a young company—perhaps a motivated startup with a desire to make a real difference and run by a few enthusiastic individuals—gives way to the burden of servicing multiple stakeholders.