Thread

1. 4chandaily · 1790423618 · focus · HN ↗

   Customer support has gotten so terrible. Now that all big companies have terrible support, none of them are punished for it. You can still occasionally find people who give a shit in small business, but that is it. Google is probably one of the worst offenders of all. I don't know what the solution is, it seems like the only way to get any satisfaction on an issue at a big corp anymore is a social medial call-out like this one.

   If you are here, thank you for Conversations, Daniel, it has been my go-to for years for communicating with friends and family.

   1. utopiah · 1790425016 · focus · HN ↗

      That's because you the user are not the customer of Google and such services. You are actually the product being sold to the customer, namely advertising companies, by Google.

      The farmer take care of his pigs but only to the point they get slaughtered.

      1. Loquebantur · 1790426191 · focus · HN ↗

         Google has captured what really is a public utility and should be either state-owned or heavily regulated.

         (Long) distance communications, just like public roads, breathable air, potable drinking water and so on do not fit into a "free market economy" paradigm.

         They simply don't fulfill the basic requirements that make the "market" idea work.

         Specifically, a free market needs goods from different suppliers to be easily interchangeable. You cannot sensibly build multiple roads parallel to each other, or have multiple water pipes installed and you have only one airway to breath through.

         1. mindslight · 1790441597 · focus · HN ↗

            While I agree with where you're coming from, I think you're overstating it just a little. It only seems like something that should be considered a public utility because Google has anticompetitively bundled what should be several distinct types of products together as one take-it-or-leave-it package. Android (really Google Play Services) should not be tied to the Play Store App (think how MS was forced to include a browser choice screen in the EU). Likewise the Play Store Curation/Hosting Service should not be tied to the Play Store App (ie Aurora store etc should work and be fully supported by Play Store Curation/Hosting Service through the Service having a well-documented open API). Then Play Store Curation/Hosting Service would have to compete on its own merits, rather than anticompetitive tying with two instances of Metcalfe's law (Android users plus app developers).

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