Micrsoft to Buy LinkedIn in Further Blow for the Little Guy

Another major acquisition by global software giant Microsoft will be the death knell for centralized social networking sites.

Is Microsoft's Acquisition a Step in the Right Direction?

For $196 US a share, 50% more than LinkedIn's closing stock price on Friday, Microsoft (MSFT) is going to purchase the social networking giant. This comes on the heels of LinkedIn's recent tumble in stock valuation of 42% over the last 6 months, and it was obviously a welcome move by the professional social networking site. However, what's good for LinkedIn is not necessarily good for the vast majority of its users. It has long been understood that companies like LinkedIn, including Facebook, Google+ and most other large, mainstream social networking sites, are little more than farms for advertising agencies, as well as a host of other unsavory third party interests. This disposition towards their users is reflected in the so-called privacy policies of these sites, as well as their monetization strategies. For example, LinkedIn relatively recently began charging users for its InMail services. Of course, this is just messaging back and forth between users who are not connected in the first degree.

While a case could be made for such a fee or the forced upgrade from a basic to a premium account, it is obviously not a user friendly feature. Nor is it particularly intelligent since email to anyone is free in the clear web. Thus, it represents more of a step backwards in terms of utility for the user. What good is a service that monetizes the basics of the internet while stripping away more and more functionality from its service? It is akin to paying $80 per month for a standard text and calling plan (no international included) when you could use Whatsapp for free. Even if you don't have internet, free Wi-Fi is available in most major cities around the world. And while Microsoft has shown some flexibility in providing support for selected cryptocurrencies on its Azure platform, it is quite clear that they are in no rush to bring any undue attention to Bitcoin, Dash or other alternative currencies.

But Why Not?

From a business standpoint, it would be smart to assume that Microsoft, a leading edge tech company trying to reinvent its image from that of a sluggish behemoth, would be quick to adopt and facilitate everything to do with cryptocurrencies in general and Bitcoin specifically. Yet, aside from the Microsoft store accepting Bitcoin as a payment method, a begrudging move completed in December of 2014 through paymaster BitPay, Microsoft has done little at all to promote, develop and support Bitcoin. The reason for this is actually rather transparent: Bitcoin represents everything that Microsoft does not.
Bitcoin:

• is decentralized
• places control firmly in the hands of the user
• immune to shutdown tactics

Microsoft is against all of these things. While they spy on your keystrokes, your camera, and your internet browsing history, the last thing that is on their list of objectives is your privacy or the control of your data. Windows 10 has been accurately referred to as spyware in some circles online, and for the reasons above it is difficult to disagree with this assessment.

Which is what makes their recent acquisition of LinkedIn so troubling. Do you really want the people who wantonly spy on your every move while you're at home to also have access to your work history and contacts? And given LinkedIn's shameless monetization of the even the most basic of services, it becomes rather clear that it is time for a change.

This Is Why We Have to Thank Bitcoin and Satoshi Nakamoto

Before 2009, the idea that there would be a viable alternative or three to such centralized services such as Microsoft, LinkedIn, Facebook, etc. would've seemed rather ludicrous. At the time, no one was really thinking about 'decentralization', and the word 'blockchain' had not yet been coined.

Neo, no one has ever done anything like this.
That's why it's going to work.

And because such ideas were as yet nonexistent, there was no defense against them by the giants of the time. Now, there are platforms that allow the little guy control in more spheres of his life than ever before. Bitcoin means you become your own bank. DAO means you become your own business and venture capital funding house. Maidsafe means you have your own internet. And Steem means you have your own social network. All of these are tools to allow the little guy the opportunity to pursue their dreams without the exorbitant fees of middle men and the crushing touch of centralized authorities. And the most exciting part is that we are merely at the beginning. Bitcoin is not the currency of today, but of tomorrow. Steem is not the social network of today, but it will be. Microsoft's acquisition of LinkedIn is, to this author, more of a desperation move than a smart business decision. LinkedIn may have a large user base, but momentum is not on their side.

The Takeaway

LinkedIn and Microsoft may be able to use the buzzword 'Cloud' for their services, but we all know that that is more of the same: centralized servers with top-down authority and a 'you don't like it you can leave' mentality. The march to personal freedom and genuine cloud services will not be undertaken by giant behemoths who have made their fortunes from the parasitic relationship they maintain with their user bases. This journey is one that began in 2009 and is already well underway. The future looks bright for those who know what to look for.