# Against Platforms w/ Mike Pepi

Source: https://joshuacitarella.substack.com/p/against-platforms-w-mike-pepi
Kiwi News: https://news.kiwistand.com/stories/Against-Platforms-w-Mike-Pepi?index=0x678e3e8731a49d51a758fa4f60e4f71753805efc48f12a4ee60d0dfd2f7a89719e74c66e
Submitted by misha on 2025-01-20 UTC, 1 upvote, 2 comments

## Summary

Mike Pepi's book "Against Platforms" argues that digital technologies are not neutral tools but carry hidden ideology that must be dismantled before technology can serve the fullest expression of humanity, according to a quoted passage from Pepi. The episode, hosted by the article's author, discusses a new institutionalist critique of emerging technologies and platforms that the host and Pepi have developed together since the 2010s. It argues that the rapid expansion of platforms during that decade, which now encompass nearly all aspects of social life, was a blind spot for the political left, and traces this to 1960s counter-culture and the New Left's embrace of libertarian philosophies.

## Article

Mike Pepi is the author of “Against Platforms”, a bold critique of the hidden costs of digital life – and a manifesto for a better future. He is also one of my best friends and someone I have been in conversation with for over a decade.

In this episode, we discuss our shared history in working to develop a new institutionalist critique of emerging technologies and platforms. The vast expansion of platforms during the 2010’s, which now encompass nearly all aspects of social life, represented a blindspot for the political left. To understand how this happened, we need to retrace the history of the 60’s counter-culture and the embrace of libertarian philosophies amongst the New Left.

Since 2011, Mike Pepi, Brad Troemel, myself and other artists and writers have been engaged in an on-going dialogue that explores the ideological roots and design of platform technologies. Mike writes:

“We have been taught that digital technologies are neutral tools, transparent, easily understood, and here to serve us. The reality, is that they are laden with assumptions and collateral consequences – ideology, in other words. And it is this hidden ideology that must be dismantled if we are to harness technology for the fullest expression of our humanity.”

Get the book: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/761644/against-platforms-by-mike-pepi/

If you’re all caught up on last week’s episode of Doomscroll, there is a subscribers only episode that can tide you over until next week. Below you can watch part 2 of my conversation with Dasha Nekrasova:

Doomscroll

Doomscroll: Dasha Nekrasova II

This is a subscriber’s only episode. My guest is Dasha Nekrasova. We discuss Trump’s historic victory, counter elites, the class interest of precarious freelancers and the state of creative industries today.

We’re already moving full speed ahead, shooting and editing new episodes. You can expect to hear a lot from us in the coming weeks and months.

## Comments

**tim**: Not a great way of interviewing. I‘m 5mins in, and so far Joshua Citarella is still just quoting some arcane Academic papers that him and the guest have in common or whatever. Very boring and self promotional. I’m genuiely curious about the content here, but I dislike framing remarks. I honestly would like to remove this because this is not Hacker content, but I‘m open to argue about it

**misha**: I curated it bc Against Platforms is a new book that people are reading. Blockchain stuff is also discussed and new creator economy, post-intertnet, etc, so I think it is on topic. Mike Pepi has been a long time critic of platforms and big tech. What is quoted is art magazines, not academic papers, and I would not directly call Rhizome, Spike Art, DIS magazine and e-flux arcane, but yes they have been around some time. I agree that it is not a really critical sharp cutting edge interview since obviously Joshua Citarella is a long time friend. Indeed the introduction is a bit lenghty and boring, maybe hard to get in. But it is independent and I do not think it is self promotion, but of course it is promoting Mike Pepi's book. Anyway it is quite informative about the book and the ideas of Mike Pepi, if you're interested in that of course.

But if you'd want to remove it, fine to me!