This is just a question of semantics. If valve wanted to commit to anticompetitive practices they easily could (e.g. make it so that games published on steam can’t be published on other desktop storefronts as well, I think most publishers would be forced to stick with Steam). The only difference between our arguments is that what you call a “monopoly” is a company that actually commits to and controls the market with such practices and what I call a “monopoly” is a company that has enough market power to do so. (And I think both are totally sensible definitions of the word “monopoly”)

I don’t understand why people do that when writing rust by yourself is so much fun!

Hmm, that’s an interesting question. I don’t think splitting up steam makes sense, since they still provide a good service for everyone.

Maybe change the steam license (and everyone else’s) such that users are closer to actually owning copies of the games. Give the consumers some guarantees that go beyond good track record. As it stands, I think Steam would be able to charge you money per download of a game or require a subscription fee for you to be able to access your library or some shit like that, and most consumers would be effectively forced to pay up.

I don’t know though, perhaps it would be smarter to leave them alone and punish them only if they abuse their monopoly power, because leaving them alone has thus far resulted in a pretty healthy and thriving market.

Yeah enterprise windows is significantly less awful than personal windows, though i still hate it with a passion.

My own take is that many lemmings hold companies, their products and the people behind them to way too high of a moral standard. I see a lot of “oh this company sent a dev kit to this one guy once but it turns out that that guy tweeted some bad stuff at some point, I’m never buying from that company again”. (Yes, I am also talking about Proton, but pre-AI-tailspin Proton, what’s happening now is too much I think)

Their overwhelmingly large market share.

The only thing they used to get there is the advanced technique of providing a good service, though is still call them a monopoly. They hold a lot of market power and could probably screw over the desktop gaming industry in some pretty significant ways in the short term if they wanted to.

That one took me a second, but it’s a good one

I’m the complete opposite omg I love humans so much

Pretty decent in Switzerland. The cost of living has always been very high here, but so have the wages and inflation hasn’t been as bad here as in other places over the past few years.

Edit: Also, the fuel prices don’t really affect me at all, or at least only very indirectly. Now, more than ever, I am grateful for the awesome trains we have.

About 100 years ago, the situation was similar to how it is today. The rich were rich and only getting richer and the workers were being exploited mercilessly. The people were fed up and so there was an unprecedented general strike. This caused Parliament to introduce a max 48h work week, social security for old people among many other things. This was followed by a period of general prosperity for working people.

Now the pendulum is swinging the other way again, the way of the rich and powerful, but it will swing back in our favour in due time, further than it ever has. As long as we are living in a democracy, the government is ultimately beholden to the people and at some point the people will get fed up and the times will change again. Be a part of that!

ALL OF THE CHEESE

SO MUCH FUCKING CHEESE

SO MUCH FUCKING CHEESE

Oh no :(

Huh, where I live (Zürich), voting by mail has been a thing since before I can remember, but voting at the urn has also been frictionless every time. I’ve never had to wait for more than 30s after getting to the municipal office and it also only takes about 30s. These waiting times and laws are insane you’re telling me about sound insane. Voting at the booth doesn’t have to be this horrible.

Swiss politics are generally way less people-focussed. Heck, I don’t even know who our president is currently. So this would be very ridiculous here.