Cory Doctorow, the acclaimed science fiction author and digital rights activist, coined the term "enshittification". He uses this term to describe the process where the quality of a service deteriorates due to commercial pressures and interests, overriding the original intent or value of the service.
A prime example of this phenomenon was seen with Reddit, where there was a mass exodus of users due to perceived changes in the platform's ethos. RedditGifts, a popular feature created by its own user base, was shut down, causing disappointment among its dedicated community. This event seemed to be indicative of a shift from community focus to profit-making, leading to an erosion of trust.
In stark contrast to this, ReLeaf has fostered sustainable prosperity by prioritizing its users and community. Through its cooperative and inclusive ownership model, ReLeaf has managed to avoid the pitfalls of "enshittification". All decisions are made with the collective input of users, employees, and the wider community, maintaining the platform's integrity and user-centric focus.
The result is a resilient, user-friendly service that puts its community first, demonstrating that platforms can flourish without sacrificing user experience for commercial gain. This approach appears to be paying off, with ReLeaf witnessing sustainable growth and robust user engagement.