I saw this on a Finnish post, so let me reformulate it a bit and post it in English.
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@anttipeltola exactly. It is also absurd how the public sector believes it is ok to pay hundreds of millions of euros to U.S. companies instead of probably spending a fraction of that money build their own solution based on existing open source code and open standard.
@funambolo @anttipeltola „it’s not that simple! if it was so simple then why would they charge so much money for it??“
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@funambolo @anttipeltola „it’s not that simple! if it was so simple then why would they charge so much money for it??“
@uint8_t @funambolo @anttipeltola
Yeah, it’s not like WhatsApp is built on a foundation of open standards and free software or anything like that. *side-eyes at ejabberd*
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I saw this on a Finnish post, so let me reformulate it a bit and post it in English.
Finnish universities 1996:
"Here's an operating system we created for you. Here's a chat network we created you can use with the operating system."
Finnish universities 2026:
"We don't know how to replace Facebook for public communications."
Learned helplessness.
Here's a similar toot with some good takes on the situation (though not specifically aimed towards Finland):
Eloy. (@eloy@hsnl.social)
universities in the 1980s: writing the majority of internet standard RFCs and their implementations universities now: moving away from Microsoft cloud is really hard okay? 🥺
HSNL Social (hsnl.social)
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I saw this on a Finnish post, so let me reformulate it a bit and post it in English.
Finnish universities 1996:
"Here's an operating system we created for you. Here's a chat network we created you can use with the operating system."
Finnish universities 2026:
"We don't know how to replace Facebook for public communications."
Learned helplessness.
@anttipeltola I'm guessing in the intervening 30 years the MBA set came in and stripped all that "thinking" nonsense because it wasn't profitable and you could outsource it for cheap. It's not only learned helplessness, it's decimating institutional knowledge because some beancounters thought it cost too much to maintain it, happens frequently with many social pillars that are hollowed out by capitalists.
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I saw this on a Finnish post, so let me reformulate it a bit and post it in English.
Finnish universities 1996:
"Here's an operating system we created for you. Here's a chat network we created you can use with the operating system."
Finnish universities 2026:
"We don't know how to replace Facebook for public communications."
Learned helplessness.
Creating a successful Facebook replacement has little to do with underlying technology or university education system. Success depends far more on access to deep, liquid capital markets and a large domestic market that can serve as a launching pad for international growth.
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I saw this on a Finnish post, so let me reformulate it a bit and post it in English.
Finnish universities 1996:
"Here's an operating system we created for you. Here's a chat network we created you can use with the operating system."
Finnish universities 2026:
"We don't know how to replace Facebook for public communications."
Learned helplessness.
@anttipeltola sounds like complacency and laziness to me, but I am lazy and complacent.
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@funambolo @anttipeltola „it’s not that simple! if it was so simple then why would they charge so much money for it??“
@uint8_t most of these services are overcharged for what you get and they are built on top of free labor. @funambolo @anttipeltola
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I saw this on a Finnish post, so let me reformulate it a bit and post it in English.
Finnish universities 1996:
"Here's an operating system we created for you. Here's a chat network we created you can use with the operating system."
Finnish universities 2026:
"We don't know how to replace Facebook for public communications."
Learned helplessness.
@anttipeltola come on Europe, I believe you can do that.
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@uint8_t most of these services are overcharged for what you get and they are built on top of free labor. @funambolo @anttipeltola
@Mellivora @uint8_t @funambolo
The age-old Silicon Valley trick of freeloading on others' free labour and making huge profits out of enshittification while calling themselves "innovators".
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@anttipeltola exactly. It is also absurd how the public sector believes it is ok to pay hundreds of millions of euros to U.S. companies instead of probably spending a fraction of that money build their own solution based on existing open source code and open standard.
@funambolo @anttipeltola in many cases totally illegally and in ignorance of EU privacy laws
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I saw this on a Finnish post, so let me reformulate it a bit and post it in English.
Finnish universities 1996:
"Here's an operating system we created for you. Here's a chat network we created you can use with the operating system."
Finnish universities 2026:
"We don't know how to replace Facebook for public communications."
Learned helplessness.
@anttipeltola not just Finland. I'd say most of europe?
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I saw this on a Finnish post, so let me reformulate it a bit and post it in English.
Finnish universities 1996:
"Here's an operating system we created for you. Here's a chat network we created you can use with the operating system."
Finnish universities 2026:
"We don't know how to replace Facebook for public communications."
Learned helplessness.
@anttipeltola Learned helplessness = The boring end of authoritarianism. Submission.
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I saw this on a Finnish post, so let me reformulate it a bit and post it in English.
Finnish universities 1996:
"Here's an operating system we created for you. Here's a chat network we created you can use with the operating system."
Finnish universities 2026:
"We don't know how to replace Facebook for public communications."
Learned helplessness.
Unfortunately, this isn't really a technical problem, it's a policy problem.
Organizations certainly have the technical capabilities to replace these tools, but the network effect is hard to break unless you're compelled to do so.
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Creating a successful Facebook replacement has little to do with underlying technology or university education system. Success depends far more on access to deep, liquid capital markets and a large domestic market that can serve as a launching pad for international growth.
@kongakong @anttipeltola The point is that institutions don't need a facebook replacement to be built. Personally I don't see why a simple website isn't enough, but people seem to be less and less able to even create those.
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I saw this on a Finnish post, so let me reformulate it a bit and post it in English.
Finnish universities 1996:
"Here's an operating system we created for you. Here's a chat network we created you can use with the operating system."
Finnish universities 2026:
"We don't know how to replace Facebook for public communications."
Learned helplessness.
@anttipeltola It makes me so sad to see this is true elsewhere... I truly thought it was a local problem for us
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I saw this on a Finnish post, so let me reformulate it a bit and post it in English.
Finnish universities 1996:
"Here's an operating system we created for you. Here's a chat network we created you can use with the operating system."
Finnish universities 2026:
"We don't know how to replace Facebook for public communications."
Learned helplessness.
@anttipeltola There are lots of organizations and businesses that have a website, but refuse to use it:
> For opening hours, please see our instagram
You're lucky to find the address on the web. Anything remotely useful will be locked on a platform where you can't even read it without making an account.
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I saw this on a Finnish post, so let me reformulate it a bit and post it in English.
Finnish universities 1996:
"Here's an operating system we created for you. Here's a chat network we created you can use with the operating system."
Finnish universities 2026:
"We don't know how to replace Facebook for public communications."
Learned helplessness.
@anttipeltola my state government is doing this for everything. Handing ot over to contractors then claing ignorance on issues of medical licensure, license plate renewal, etc
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I saw this on a Finnish post, so let me reformulate it a bit and post it in English.
Finnish universities 1996:
"Here's an operating system we created for you. Here's a chat network we created you can use with the operating system."
Finnish universities 2026:
"We don't know how to replace Facebook for public communications."
Learned helplessness.
@anttipeltola Microsoft DreamsPark/Azure Tools for Teaching.
Let's put it this way: for past 15 years, life science graduates with pretty advanced degrees can't do a non-linear regression unless there is a specific 1000 EUR per year per user software package provided.
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I saw this on a Finnish post, so let me reformulate it a bit and post it in English.
Finnish universities 1996:
"Here's an operating system we created for you. Here's a chat network we created you can use with the operating system."
Finnish universities 2026:
"We don't know how to replace Facebook for public communications."
Learned helplessness.
Also Finland: ( seen in Turku ) a young man in his 20s ordering a coffee with his phone. He is sitting two meters from the counter.
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I saw this on a Finnish post, so let me reformulate it a bit and post it in English.
Finnish universities 1996:
"Here's an operating system we created for you. Here's a chat network we created you can use with the operating system."
Finnish universities 2026:
"We don't know how to replace Facebook for public communications."
Learned helplessness.
@anttipeltola When I've read histories of computers and programming, I was surprised how often Finnish universities were mentioned.
This also sounds like what's happened with universities in the US. In the 90s, a lot of significant software was developed and supported by universities and government-funded research organizations. But universities ended up outsourcing their IT.
