The Slow Death of the Power User
Summary
A provocative opinion piece arguing that the traditional power user—someone who understands systems and can troubleshoot—is being phased out by platform-driven design that favors consumption and control. It criticizes smartphones and major platforms for eroding ownership, diminishing technical literacy, and replacing deep understanding with simplified, closed experiences, and it advocates for reclaiming hands-on skills, open protocols, and self-hosted infrastructure.