On waiting, digital and where the state chooses to operate - an extended version of the preface to Platformland

Below is a slightly longer version of what became the preface to my book Platformland . I started writing before the book even existed, when I just needed to start writing something, and ended up writing about standing in queues as a kid. I&rsquo;ve always meant to publish it somewhere, and given the coming debate about the bounds of state ownership and public infrastructure now feels like a good…