It’s our fault.
OK, let me rephrase that to be less confrontational and antagonistic. The situation we face with Big Tech is partly the result of our own poor short-term choices and neglect of our children’s future interest. We have lost control over our virtual identities, our intimate data, and our freedom to access the information resources of our preference.
It’s our choice.
Things are in the process of changing, and in an epic manner. Nevertheless, it isn’t enough for the forces of good — be they military or civilian — to rescue us from criminality and enslavement. We too must consistently reject the bruising shackles and unjust diktats of tyranny. And by “we”, I mean you and me. Personally. Even if it costs us.
It’s our moment.
I have written before about why I am leaving ConvertKit as my bulk email service provider, having previously been deplatformed by the censorious scumbags at Mailchimp. (You are receiving this via Active Campaign who so far seem committed to doing things right.) I thought I would share with you my departing customer service chat.
This is not meant to pick on ConvertKit — their sins are mild compared to most — but to make a more general point. Simply departing isn’t enough; you need to tell them it is not OK to support criminal or extremist causes. When it is done in the name of the brand it is done on behalf of all its stakeholders, including employees, investors, suppliers, and customers.
As a parting message they asked me…
I’m so sorry to hear that you are looking to cancel your ConvertKit account. Is there anything we could do to continue to support you and your business? Our mission is to help creators earn a living, and we take that very seriously. Could you tell me a little more about why you’re looking to cancel?
Here is my response (lightly edited):
I am leaving for two reasons. First, you silently 404d [i.e. blocked] the PayPal links in my emails including a charity fundraiser for homeless veterans. That’s inexcusable. But the dealbreaker was that you put support for Black Lives Matter (actually a neo-Marxist front involved in charity fraud and extortion) ahead of your own customers on social media.
Oh, and when I went to get support for the 404 errors the support form didn’t work. So combined with brand alignment to a front for organised crime and radical politics, it was game over. Your values and mine are not in sync; please feel free to campaign for violent extremist groups on your own time and money.
This is not fixable; my trust in you is gone. I have departed for Active Campaign. Events in the next few weeks and months should give you great pause to reconsider your business ethics. Please put my account into dormant mode. I do not wish to pay any more fees to you.
It is sad, because you have a competent product. Not perfect, but totally usable.
The market of the future is for FREE SPEECH (unlike say Mailchimp who deplatform you for pointing out corruption in Silicon Valley). Your support for BLM is very naive; a lot of people are going to prison for insurrection and election fraud, and you’ve attached your brand to that movement. Not smart.
Hope that helps. My departing gift to you is to be brutally truthful.
You’re fired! And you can check for yourself why: they tell you explicitly how they view the relative importance of political posturing for cancel culture versus empowerment of creative customers…
Our silent collusion with such “Bad Tech” makes us enablers and accomplices. Saying nothing, refusing to make a fuss, and avoiding the switching cost is cowardly — and ultimately unkind to all concerned. Until we both move our money and explain why we will only get more of the same insufferable wokeness and weak excuses for unconscionably bad behaviour.
That all has to stop.
We pay their wages. They do not get to tell us what to think or do. Our priorities have to become their priorities, not the other way around. We must use the harsh force of denying them cash if necessary. Just don’t forget to tell them why they are going hungry, so they know what to change if they want a better outcome.
It’s our responsibility.
Read It Now
