Upwork seeking profits with decidedly (for us) inappropriate means is a different issue. At least it is not tracking us in this sleazy, stealthy way.
We didn't ask for this kind of all-pervading tech. Why should a random company know whether I am pregnant, sick, dieting, or anything else?
Yes, these interconnected systems are convenient and make life easier at times, but I prefer to retain control, not let it poke its nose into my affairs or decide for me.
I grew up in an era with no internet (I had to attend a paid private course while in college to learn to use a Windows PC that worked on Dos, with other languages BASIC with a hint of COBOL or something, and accounting and office applications). Offices were getting computerised and an aspiring analyst/auditor/ accountant had to know the basics. I got hands-on experience on a bunch of software including ERP during my 3-year articleship/internship.
No mobiles phones either. The cordless phone was a cool achievement for the late 80s teen in Mumbai.
Infact, our first home pc was an assembled peice. You had companies back then that let you pick and choose various parts of the hardware and software. I and my bro chose different brands for different parts, I even opted for a Benq DVD drive. Sadly, those companies are gone now, except maybe in small towns.
Big companies destroyed that token of individualism.
It wasn't that our lives were missing something without constant interaction, calls, or endless scrolling through social media.
You actually spoke to people face-to-face and hung out with friends, had hobbies, and found ways to be creative with fewer options (jugaad as Indians call it).
The online world has its advantages -- creative jobs and for a shy-introvert like me, the ability to work with people without the noise, clutter, small talk, and office politics.
