I feel like I’ve thoroughly debunked the “Google killed Usenet” narrative.
The problem with these “embrace, extend, extinguish” (EEE) narratives is that, facts be damned, the myth is too compelling.
Never mind that #EEE has never worked against open source. Never mind that open source projects like Linux, Git, and the Web itself continue to thrive. Never mind that the entire world is populated by open projects that killed their proprietary equivalents—rather than vice versa.
If a story sounds good, people won’t just believe it, they’ll double down even when you show them facts.
The problem is that it’s the supposed “fans” of open source—in this case, the #Fediverse—that believe in the EEE narrative the most. They’re the architects of their own fear, uncertainty, and doubt. They’re the ones trumpeting doom and gloom, telling all newcomers that they should cower in fear. Again, facts be damned, the narrative of EEE is too compelling for them.
Microsoft, Google, and Meta don’t have to say anything to make people scared for the future of the Fediverse. Fans of the Fediverse do that for them.
