I’ve received many reactions to my latest blog post.
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I’ve received many reactions to my latest blog post. Some constructive, others critical, but all useful to better understand different perspectives.
However, two recurring dynamics emerged in the comments (mostly outside the Fediverse).First: I didn’t mention any names. I understand the disappointment, but naming them wouldn’t have helped anyone. Before publishing, I did my homework - that draft had been ready for over a year - and I even asked some of the people involved.
They took action privately to warn friends and colleagues, with good results, but they didn’t want public exposure. Many years have passed, and that company no longer has the same relevance anyway.
Some understood my choice (naming them could have meant serious legal trouble for me), but others started quoting US laws and amendments to "prove" that I could have safely done it. What many don’t realize is that the world isn’t the United States - not everyone plays by the same legal rules. And even if I won such a case, it would still mean wasted time, energy, and peace of mind. Cui prodest?Second: "Stories like that can only happen in Italy because there are so many small, family-run businesses".
That one annoyed me more - especially because it often came from Italians themselves.
First of all, I’ve worked in several countries, and I never said the story was about an Italian company.
Second, small businesses are not a problem - they’re a strength. My experience taught me that large corporations tend to turn employees into replaceable parts of a giant machine. Customers become faceless numbers, almost subjects rather than clients. At some point, a company’s need for endless growth becomes a trap - not a service that enriches people’s lives, but a "necessary evil".
And that, to me, is the real danger: believing that bigger automatically means better - in tech, and in life.
I wrote about this a few months ago, and I still believe it even more strongly today: https://my-notes.dragas.net/2025/06/09/macbook-pro-vs-car-why-small-businesses-still-win/#ITNotes #BlogPost #TechCulture #SmallBusiness #Writing #Reflections #PersonalThoughts
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I’ve received many reactions to my latest blog post. Some constructive, others critical, but all useful to better understand different perspectives.
However, two recurring dynamics emerged in the comments (mostly outside the Fediverse).First: I didn’t mention any names. I understand the disappointment, but naming them wouldn’t have helped anyone. Before publishing, I did my homework - that draft had been ready for over a year - and I even asked some of the people involved.
They took action privately to warn friends and colleagues, with good results, but they didn’t want public exposure. Many years have passed, and that company no longer has the same relevance anyway.
Some understood my choice (naming them could have meant serious legal trouble for me), but others started quoting US laws and amendments to "prove" that I could have safely done it. What many don’t realize is that the world isn’t the United States - not everyone plays by the same legal rules. And even if I won such a case, it would still mean wasted time, energy, and peace of mind. Cui prodest?Second: "Stories like that can only happen in Italy because there are so many small, family-run businesses".
That one annoyed me more - especially because it often came from Italians themselves.
First of all, I’ve worked in several countries, and I never said the story was about an Italian company.
Second, small businesses are not a problem - they’re a strength. My experience taught me that large corporations tend to turn employees into replaceable parts of a giant machine. Customers become faceless numbers, almost subjects rather than clients. At some point, a company’s need for endless growth becomes a trap - not a service that enriches people’s lives, but a "necessary evil".
And that, to me, is the real danger: believing that bigger automatically means better - in tech, and in life.
I wrote about this a few months ago, and I still believe it even more strongly today: https://my-notes.dragas.net/2025/06/09/macbook-pro-vs-car-why-small-businesses-still-win/#ITNotes #BlogPost #TechCulture #SmallBusiness #Writing #Reflections #PersonalThoughts
@stefano excellent post, I wholeheartedly agree. When we buy from small businesses we:
- talk directly to the owner, always someone who cares, put their hearts at work, are proud about doing it well, and have their lives dependent on it
- do not pay for unexplainable overheads and time-lags, and will definitely not been led by the nose into nonsensical labyrints of buzzwords, lingo, meetings, powerpoint, and bureaucracy
- contribute to the local economyLong live small businesses 🙂 !
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undefined Stefano Marinelli ha condiviso questa discussione
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@stefano excellent post, I wholeheartedly agree. When we buy from small businesses we:
- talk directly to the owner, always someone who cares, put their hearts at work, are proud about doing it well, and have their lives dependent on it
- do not pay for unexplainable overheads and time-lags, and will definitely not been led by the nose into nonsensical labyrints of buzzwords, lingo, meetings, powerpoint, and bureaucracy
- contribute to the local economyLong live small businesses 🙂 !
@hdeangelis exactly!
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I’ve received many reactions to my latest blog post. Some constructive, others critical, but all useful to better understand different perspectives.
However, two recurring dynamics emerged in the comments (mostly outside the Fediverse).First: I didn’t mention any names. I understand the disappointment, but naming them wouldn’t have helped anyone. Before publishing, I did my homework - that draft had been ready for over a year - and I even asked some of the people involved.
They took action privately to warn friends and colleagues, with good results, but they didn’t want public exposure. Many years have passed, and that company no longer has the same relevance anyway.
Some understood my choice (naming them could have meant serious legal trouble for me), but others started quoting US laws and amendments to "prove" that I could have safely done it. What many don’t realize is that the world isn’t the United States - not everyone plays by the same legal rules. And even if I won such a case, it would still mean wasted time, energy, and peace of mind. Cui prodest?Second: "Stories like that can only happen in Italy because there are so many small, family-run businesses".
That one annoyed me more - especially because it often came from Italians themselves.
First of all, I’ve worked in several countries, and I never said the story was about an Italian company.
Second, small businesses are not a problem - they’re a strength. My experience taught me that large corporations tend to turn employees into replaceable parts of a giant machine. Customers become faceless numbers, almost subjects rather than clients. At some point, a company’s need for endless growth becomes a trap - not a service that enriches people’s lives, but a "necessary evil".
And that, to me, is the real danger: believing that bigger automatically means better - in tech, and in life.
I wrote about this a few months ago, and I still believe it even more strongly today: https://my-notes.dragas.net/2025/06/09/macbook-pro-vs-car-why-small-businesses-still-win/#ITNotes #BlogPost #TechCulture #SmallBusiness #Writing #Reflections #PersonalThoughts
Hi @stefano, this story and the way you depicted it immediately remind me the Register.com "OnCall" stories (you should try to send them one or two :p ).
The Reg also don't put names or countries on their stories, and nobody blame them for that or say gibberish about Brit companies.
So, to me, none of those remarks are relevant.
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I’ve received many reactions to my latest blog post. Some constructive, others critical, but all useful to better understand different perspectives.
However, two recurring dynamics emerged in the comments (mostly outside the Fediverse).First: I didn’t mention any names. I understand the disappointment, but naming them wouldn’t have helped anyone. Before publishing, I did my homework - that draft had been ready for over a year - and I even asked some of the people involved.
They took action privately to warn friends and colleagues, with good results, but they didn’t want public exposure. Many years have passed, and that company no longer has the same relevance anyway.
Some understood my choice (naming them could have meant serious legal trouble for me), but others started quoting US laws and amendments to "prove" that I could have safely done it. What many don’t realize is that the world isn’t the United States - not everyone plays by the same legal rules. And even if I won such a case, it would still mean wasted time, energy, and peace of mind. Cui prodest?Second: "Stories like that can only happen in Italy because there are so many small, family-run businesses".
That one annoyed me more - especially because it often came from Italians themselves.
First of all, I’ve worked in several countries, and I never said the story was about an Italian company.
Second, small businesses are not a problem - they’re a strength. My experience taught me that large corporations tend to turn employees into replaceable parts of a giant machine. Customers become faceless numbers, almost subjects rather than clients. At some point, a company’s need for endless growth becomes a trap - not a service that enriches people’s lives, but a "necessary evil".
And that, to me, is the real danger: believing that bigger automatically means better - in tech, and in life.
I wrote about this a few months ago, and I still believe it even more strongly today: https://my-notes.dragas.net/2025/06/09/macbook-pro-vs-car-why-small-businesses-still-win/#ITNotes #BlogPost #TechCulture #SmallBusiness #Writing #Reflections #PersonalThoughts
@stefano I can't directly compare it, but in France, we have some similar problems and corruption affects big and small corporations. So yes, your observations are right and it's not only happening in Italy :)
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Hi @stefano, this story and the way you depicted it immediately remind me the Register.com "OnCall" stories (you should try to send them one or two :p ).
The Reg also don't put names or countries on their stories, and nobody blame them for that or say gibberish about Brit companies.
So, to me, none of those remarks are relevant.
@fosdembsd thank you.
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@stefano I can't directly compare it, but in France, we have some similar problems and corruption affects big and small corporations. So yes, your observations are right and it's not only happening in Italy :)
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Gli ultimi otto messaggi ricevuti dalla Federazione
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Tratto dal primo libro del neo premio #Nobel della letteratura László Krasznahorkai. Non aggiungo altro perché 7 ore di #film mi sembrano più che sufficienti. Sátántangó (sottotitoli in italiano) - Streaming-Community https://streaming-community.cool/titles/18203-guarda-satantango-streaming/watching.html
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Flotilla, scomparsi da 32 ore gli italiani fermati in Israele. Le famiglie denunciano: «Obbligati a dichiarare amore per Israele» - Open
https://www.open.online/2025/10/09/flotilla-scomparsi-italiani-fermati-israele/
> La preoccupazione delle famiglie degli attivisti: «Silenzio dalla Farnesina». I legali: «In porto calci e schiaffi agli attivisti»
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@quinta terroristi del genere mettono veramente paura!
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Da quando ieri ho fatto questo post, 2 seguaci mi hanno lasciato. Evidentemente le zanzare schifano anche loro 🤣 io nel frattempo proprio ieri che ero a fare dei lavori in giardino da un amico, avevo un intero sciame che mi pungeva fronte, collo, braccia e caviglie
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Sembra che vada bene. Ok, proviamo anche questa grazie a @PaoloParti che l'ha attivata e a @informapirata che lo ospita.🙏
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@BlogWood eolico e fotovoltaico non lo fanno
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Guerra mondiale, quanto siamo vicini? La nuova strategia "aggressiva" della #Nato contro la #Russia, dai #droni al confine ai jet abbattuti
https://www.ilmessaggero.it/schede/guerra_mondiale_nato_strategia_aggressiva_attacchi_russia_droni_al_confine_jet_abbattuti-9116885.html
