This Guy Sucked – "The Internet with Wow If True"

Date: October 9, 2025
Host: Dr. Claire Aubin
Guests: Amanda Silverling (Internet culture reporter), Isabel J. Kim (Science fiction author, JD)
Podcast Network: Multitude

Episode Overview

In this special crossover episode, Dr. Claire Aubin is joined by Amanda Silverling and Isabel J. Kim of the podcast "Wow If True." The trio dives into the phenomenon of the declining quality of the internet, dissecting the process dubbed "enshittification." Through witty banter and sharp analysis, they break down the historical and cultural forces that have transformed once-beloved online platforms into ad-heavy, user-hostile walled gardens. Drawing from Cory Doctorow’s freshly published book "Enshittification," they explore how major internet companies have systematically eroded user experience for profit, why it feels like virtually every online service now sucks, and what this means for digital culture at large.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Internet Sucks Now: Setting the Stage

• [03:44] Amanda Silverling: Introduces the topic: "We are talking about this Internet sucks or enshittification, which is the concept of why does the Internet suck more now than it did before?"
• The episode forgoes traditional history to focus on the very recent past and present—how once-beloved websites and services are being ruined by business priorities.

2. What is "Enshittification"?

• [07:43] Claire Aubin: Asks Amanda and Isabel to explain enshittification in layman's terms, as defined by Cory Doctorow.
• [07:55] Amanda Silverling:
  • Summarizes Doctorow’s four-phase model of platform decay:
    1. The platform is good to users (attracts them with perks, like early Lyft rides being discounted or free).
    2. The platform shifts to prioritizing business customers (ads begin invading Facebook and Instagram feeds).
    3. The platform starts squeezing business customers (e.g., Facebook disabling a lawyer named Mark Zuckerberg’s business account for no good reason).
    4. Finally, the platform becomes "a giant pile of shit."
    • "They become a giant pile of shit." ([10:01], Amanda Silverling)
• [10:06] Isabel J. Kim: Explains this as a "gradual extraction of value ... until it is just at the razor's edge of usable."
• [12:03] Isabel J. Kim: Offers a metaphor likening the platform to smart glasses: platforms have become lenses (or barriers) between people and the actual internet, motivated primarily by their desire to profit and deliver ads.

3. Why Is This Happening? (Devolution From Decentralization to Platform Capture)

• [12:21] Isabel J. Kim: Details the shift from a decentralized, peer-to-peer internet to one where all communication is mediated (and monetized) by platforms acting as middlemen.
  • “It has gone from a decentralized ... people are talking to each other to people are talking to a platform which is talking to another person, and that platform is … 'God, I would love your money. Also, I would love to show you ads.'” ([12:21])

4. Metaphor: Enshittification as Addiction

• [12:51-14:31] Dr. Claire Aubin: Compares enshittification to substance addiction:
  • Early dealings are attractive and beneficial, but over time, the "substance" (the platform) is less satisfying yet more essential due to entanglement with daily life.
  • Cites Doctorow's examples of why people can't just quit Facebook (i.e., rare disease communities).
  • “The enjoyment you're getting ... is progressively less, but ... you need it progressively more because it has become so utterly entangled with all ... your life.” ([13:20])

5. Case Studies in Enshittification

a. Netflix

• [14:31] Amanda Silverling & Claire Aubin: Trace Netflix’s shift from DVD service to user-friendly streaming to a locked-down, ad-heavy, password-hostile paid service.
  • Amanda recounts her experience circumventing Netflix’s password crackdown just to watch "Love Is Blind," only to eventually succumb to making her own account with ads.
  • “Now they're constantly raising the price and being like, now there are different tiers of ads. Do you want some ads? Do you want many ads?” ([15:23], Claire Aubin)

b. Facebook and Instagram

• [11:00-11:32] Amanda Silverling: Discusses Meta’s smart glasses as a symbol of platforms trying to further entrench themselves between users and their experiences—ostensibly to bring friends "closer," but really just another avenue for data and ads.

c. The Return of Piracy

• [17:13] Isabel J. Kim: Notes that enshittification has, ironically, pushed people back toward piracy, just as the pre-Netflix internet was built on file-sharing and torrents.

6. Personal Reflections & Notable Moments

• [05:54] Isabel J. Kim: Observes on streaming: "What's interesting is they've basically reinvented cable."
• Meta Commentary: The group jokes about not wanting to get sued by living billionaires ("Let Zuckerberg allegedly, allegedly, allegedly keep doing his alleged thing." [10:32], Claire Aubin).
• [02:09] Banter: Self-deprecating humor about academic credentials and "cousin shows" in the Multitude podcast network family.
• [11:43] Claire Aubin: On the impracticality of Zuckerberg’s smart glasses: "These metaverse goggle shit-things are never going to work for me until they're large and glamorous."

Notable Quotes

• Amanda Silverling:
  • "The way that Cory Doctorow defines enshittification is like a four step process ... and then finally they become a giant pile of shit." ([09:59-10:01])
• Isabel J. Kim:
  • "It has gone from ... people are talking to each other to people are talking to a platform ... which is like, God, I would love your money. Also, I would love to show you ads." ([12:21])
  • "What's interesting is they've basically reinvented cable." ([16:21])
• Dr. Claire Aubin:
  • "The enjoyment you're getting out of this thing is progressively less, but ... you need it progressively more because it has become so utterly entangled with all the other parts of your life." ([13:20])

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [03:44] — Introduction of enshittification as topic
• [07:55] — Doctorow's Model: Four Stages Explained
• [09:23] — Facebook business account legal case (platforms mistreat both users and businesses)
• [10:01] — "They become a giant pile of shit." (Key quote)
• [12:03-12:51] — Metaphor of smart glasses and platforms as middlemen
• [13:20] — Drug addiction analogy for user-platform relationships
• [14:31] — Netflix as enshittification case study
• [16:21] — Streaming "reinventing cable" and the cyclical return of piracy

Tone & Style

The episode is irreverent, clever, and conversational, deploying dark humor to tackle the serious, frustrating realities of the modern web. All hosts share a "certified hater" badge in their respective fields, bringing together history, law, journalism, and personal anecdote.

In summary:
This episode breaks down the modern internet’s descent into "enshittification." With reference to Cory Doctorow’s new book, the hosts dissect how user-centric platforms decay into ad-driven money pits, using personal stories and pop culture examples like Netflix. They balance insightful critique with humor, helping listeners understand the structural reasons why the digital world feels so much worse—and maybe, just maybe, inspiring them to become honorary haters themselves.