GAFAM and "MATA"
The image on the right is the latest from analognowhere.com, a site that describes the mythical "METACORP" (sounds like Meta/GAFAM) as follows:
MATA was originally founded by a Slovakian entrepreneur in the 21st century. The company then specialized in drop-shipping mint tea from Sri Lanka. Following its unprecendented financial success, it branched out into the tech world.MATA played a major role in restructualizing the theatre of global politics. Throughout its existence, through armed conflict and vast economic gains, it acquired every country in the world, beginning the era of a unified global GovCorp governance. Its final rival were the UCSEAA - the rivalry would spark a World-Corp-War.
After the World-Corp-War, which resulted in a major destruction of the planet, albeit with MATA as the sole ruler of Earth, MATACORP retreated into gigantic Metacities spread about the world, while the ravaged land outside became home to people and liberated machines seeking freedom.
Step by step, the GovCorp banned the use of free software, development of open hardware and slowly took steps towards removal of all knowledge of computing from its subjects' minds. This resulted in what is only known as the Corpo-Foss war. A last ditch effort of the proponets of machine freedom to maintain their independence. While the war ended inconclusively, it further diminished the free people's will to oppose the global corporate power.
We live in a repressive society and oppressed world. Those things aren't sold to "as such". False comparisons are being used to manipulate/incite us [1, 2]. We're being told that purchasing more gadgets will solve issues, even if in many cases that only crates additional issues. I was reminded of this last night when I read about becoming "a better Techtember", citing this post. Quoting what Ruben was touched by: "I think we should make use of ‘Techtember’, but instead of getting some new crap we don’t need, take the opportunity to go over our existing tech stack and get rid of some stuff that has accumulated over the years which we no longer need, and maybe slim down the amount of tech that we use in the first place."
Going back to analognowhere.com, which under "Products" from "METACORP" lists the following:
MATABOT
Matabots currently form the bulk of MATA's military and police force. The semi-sentient bi-pedal automatons are considered desecration of the machine spirit, but often hold valuable components to the crafty techno-mages.
MATAMAID
Matamaids are semi-sentient companions produced for the consumer market.
MATABROWSER
Matabrowser is an internet browser. It is the only official way of accessing the internet in MATA controlled regions and Metacities. Made a de-facto standard through conquest.
MATAMATE
A wearable semi-sentient AI companion built into a necklace.
MATA Jack2Head
A commercial adaptation of Mata_Brain_Bus for the masses. As opposed to its military counterpart, Jack2Head's foremost advertised features were the ease of access and interconnectivity with other MATA products.
While it was never made mandatory, many work opportunities in MATA regions require job applicants to have Jack2Head installed.
In recent years, MATA has released an addon to Jack2Head, named Jack2Head Visor, offering Jack2Head users a Heads-up-Display. A feature which has existed with OpenWellington a century prior.
The use of dark humour there hopefully helps illuminate what a lot of "modern" technology became like and how it interacts with human civilisation (to what ends and whose gain). 2 days ago I realised that my stereo, which I use right now to listen to music, turns 30 in a few months. It predates DRM. █