Profit & Service

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I used to write reviews for Google, Amazon, and other services, but don't any more.

Writing reviews seemed like doing good and giving myself practice as a writer. I reviewed local shops and services so others would benefit from my experience. I said more than "It's nice. I like it." It felt good to be of service to others, but I've stopped for three reasons:

1. Lords Don't Pay Serfs
My administration claims all work I produce as belonging to them. I copyright my stuff because they only pay for my working not my creative work product. I don't give things away to my employer and I'm not about to give away creative work to Google and Amazon. Indenturing myself to corporate internet platforms is bad business.

2. Serfs Have A Bad Gig
Even if reviews were good work from which I profited, the gig economy is bad for us serfs. People drive their own cars as taxis without unions, benefits, or employee status all for a small sum of money. It's not worth it. I don't even want to ride in those cars. I don't want to write for the profit of these companies. Lords don't pay to set serfs free.

3. Not All Serfs Are People
I wrote reviews to serve others and many reviewers do the same, but I'm sure that many reviews are paid for or written by the companies under review. Leaving reviews to chance is bad business. I bet companies also pay to insure the best reviews are seen more often. It's like Vegas: the companies always win.

It comes down to this: I'm not sure that profit and service are at all compatible.

For-profit colleges have almost all failed. For-profit hospitals are disasters. Privatizing Social Security and other safety nets doesn't work. Business isn't in the business of serving people so much as making profit. That's okay. Business is supposed to be about making money. We just have to stop thinking big business serves us other than to stay in business. Service is a means to their profitable end.

I want some profit and to be of service. I want my service to profit my fellow human beings more than the lords of the internet. Amazon, Google, and the rest can get along without my reviews. I'll find another way to serve others, hone my craft, and earn a reasonable profit. We serfs have to find our own ways, the lords be damned.