Introduction
A new kind of feudalism has taken hold in the vast digital landscape of the twenty-first century—not in the earth, but in the Silicon Valley of our gadgets. Welcome to the age of tech feudalism, in which the titans of Silicon Valley rule supremely, controlling users and data instead of territories and peasants. Let’s take a satirical tour of the kingdom where likes are money and entrance is based on your privacy.
The Coronation of the Tech Lords
The first Tech Lord was crowned once, in a garage far, far away, amid the glow of neon lights and the hum of servers. “Let there be data!” they exclaimed, brandishing an algorithmic scepter. And so it did.
The growing digital world consumed every aspect of human existence, from communication to cat videos. With the rise of the Lords of Silicon Valley came the birth of a new empire.
Fealty and Serfdom in the Digital Age
The common people, referred to as “users,” in the land of digital feudalism pledge allegiance to their preferred Lords, which may be the Empire of Googleth, the Duchy of Tweetland, or the Kingdom of FaceScroll.
Protected from the savage territories of “Offline,” the serfs surrendered their most valuable resource: personal information. Nothing is too small for the tech lords’ treasure troves, from the actions people do to the ideas they tweet.
The Great Data Harvest
The Lords meet annually in TechEd’s high council to participate in the Great Data Harvest. Here, they demonstrate their skill at obtaining, enhancing, and profiting from their unsuspecting vassals’ private information.
The power exercised in the digital dominion increases with the amount of data collected. As they come up with fresh strategies to keep the serfs interested and, more importantly, sharing, the Lords sing, “To know all is to control all.”
The Rebellion of the Blocked
Not everyone who lives in the digital world accepts their lot in life in silence. In the shadowiest reaches of the web, there are murmurs of revolt, spearheaded by the fearsome and dreaded group known as “The Blocked.” By promoting radical ideas like data sovereignty and privacy rights, these digital dissidents dare to challenge the Tech Lords’ divine authority. “What do we want?” is their rallying cry.
The encryption process! When is the desired time? The call “Now!” reverberates through private messages and forums, instilling fear in the hearts of Silicon Valley’s elite.