> So, why doesn’t it exist? Can nation-states simply not build software? That can’t be true.
It can be true. It's an achievement when good software is made in the private sector, it's a miracle when it's made in the public sector. Quick, name your five favorite government websites. I can name a couple decent ones, but they're all pretty simple web apps that just do the thing they're supposed to do without sucking, none of them are impressive. Now multiply the complexity, because it's a social media platform. I don't know of a government that I think could do that well, even (especially) they just did it all through contractors, which is what they'd probably do. And it would cost way more than he estimates, precisely because it's the government doing it.
And social media seems to be winner take all (or most). That is, if there is a clear leader, everyone moves to it, and all the runners up go away. If the government social platform had to compete in a marketplace against Twitter, Facebook, Reddit, etc.? Come on man, it's not happening. A lot of people hate these platforms, and in our bubble it seems like most people hate them, but the reality is that more people distrust their government than their social media platform, rightly or wrongly.
It can be true. It's an achievement when good software is made in the private sector, it's a miracle when it's made in the public sector. Quick, name your five favorite government websites. I can name a couple decent ones, but they're all pretty simple web apps that just do the thing they're supposed to do without sucking, none of them are impressive. Now multiply the complexity, because it's a social media platform. I don't know of a government that I think could do that well, even (especially) they just did it all through contractors, which is what they'd probably do. And it would cost way more than he estimates, precisely because it's the government doing it.
And social media seems to be winner take all (or most). That is, if there is a clear leader, everyone moves to it, and all the runners up go away. If the government social platform had to compete in a marketplace against Twitter, Facebook, Reddit, etc.? Come on man, it's not happening. A lot of people hate these platforms, and in our bubble it seems like most people hate them, but the reality is that more people distrust their government than their social media platform, rightly or wrongly.