I mean, sure, you can always not talk about or suggest them, but so much of what you’re dealing with day to day is probably from some big business. Also I am aware of the concept of universal basic income, but I’ve not really seen it framed/discussed from this sort of perspective, which imo at least is morbidly funnier.
At any rate, capitalists made this market where time’s money and ya always gotta be hustling, so if they think they’re owed free word o’ mouth, well, who’s all entitled then, eh?
Things only have a price if they have to. Price is, to some degree, an indication of power exchange. If they wanted or needed you to talk about it then there would be a price. As it happens you do it for nothing.
As it happens, you pay for the privilege. . .
Worrying about being “caught up in capitalism” on the one hand, and then later in the same sentence wanting to be paid for idle conversation with your fellow man?
I’m really starting to get a bit worried about this seemingly increasing assumption that every single little particle of our lives needs to be monetized. People fret about how a few words the write on some random social media site might end up being used to train an AI, that might end up being used to do some little task, that ends up being worth a pittance to someone. “Where’s the fraction of a pittance that I am entitled to?” People demand. “I’m going to use scripts to delete all my old comments, I’m going to switch to different social media platforms, I’ll quit posting on the Internet entirely if I can’t get my fraction of a pittance!”
Whatever happened to just doing stuff because it was fun, or because being helpful was the right thing to do, and not worrying about how to prevent other people from somehow making a sliver of a penny off of it without recompense? Why care that someone might be able to find some way to make a tiny little bit of money off of it?
In abstract, that is a very valid way to look at it. But the “someone else” making money in these situations is often making billions, not some tiny amount.
Specifically for the AI stuff, i would be perfectly happy giving away my “work”, if I knew the obscene amounts of money generated were going to actually flow (flow, not trickle) back to the broader community (via taxes, welfare programs etc). Instead I suspect a few more billionaires will be minted, and life for the rest of us wont improve much if at all.
The concept of equivalent exchange is non existent in modern capitalism*, so to the best of my abilities I only spend my money in ways where the balance is in my favor (e.g. spending $20 for something that provides more than $20 subjective value to me)
If the balance is in my favor, I have (in theory) already been paid to promote the product. If I choose to spread the word, it’s to enrich my friends, not the company providing the product.
*Will elaborate if requested
Sounds like you have chosen to do the work for free. Sign a contract then live out your influencer dreams!
What if we all started billing the big businesses under influencer services any time we discussed or mentioned them explicitly? 🤪
Gotta do the leg work and get the contract!
