Monopolies, layoffs and writs: oh, my

Google: monopolist

Ben Thompson, writing about the Google monopoly ruling:

Railroads were, in theory, an attractive business: while they cost a lot to build, once built, the marginal cost of carrying additional goods was extremely low; sure, you needed to actually run a train, which need fuel and workers and which depreciated the equipment involved, but those costs were minimal compared to the revenue that could be earned from carrying goods for customers that had to pay to gain access to the national market unlocked by said railroads.

Yes, I have quoted from the right article. Yes, it is relevant. And yes, it is absolutely worth a read. Some great context on the differences between US and EU approaches to monopolies.

Worth a read

• A round-up of SEO industry reactions to the news.
• All the spiciest parts of the case — including that TikTok doesn't count as a search engine…
• Meanwhile, Google doesn't seem to have a compelling narrative for its AI products.

Axios layoffs

• Bad news: Axios is laying off staff.
• More bad news: it send the layoff memo in the same bullet point summary/“Why It Matters” style as their stories.

Fast Company:

With the same quippy bullet points and bolded subjects that you would find in an Axios newsletter or article, VandeHei detailed how newly unemployed workers would receive their severance packages, explored the economic pressures facing the company, and conceded that Axios is not necessarily a struggling business. 

Obviously, the layoffs are worse than the tone-deaf approach to the announcement. But, boy, what a way to add insult to injury. The lack of empathy this shows reminds us that possessing psychopathic traits can help people become leaders.

X: Advertise with us, or we'll sue you

From the WTF department:

Elon Musk’s social media platform, X, on Tuesday sued a global advertising alliance and several major companies, including Unilever, Mars and CVS Health, accusing them of unlawfully conspiring to shun the social network and intentionally causing it to lose revenue. The company formerly known as Twitter accused the defendants of a “massive advertiser boycott”.

The argument is that the advertisers are acting against their own economic self interest while depriving users of a sustainable “Global Town Square”. That's certainly… an argument.