Don't use "enshittification" use "platform decay" Cory Doctorow's attempt to brand "platform decay" as "enshittification" is polluting the english language with an ugly and coarsening word. Instead of the self-exemplifying "enshittifying" use "platform decay" which is immediately intelligible. |
Doctorow chose an arresting choice of word, and perhaps it's sad that it drags us further along the euphemism treadmill (or in this case, dysphemism treadmill). But "platform decay" really doesn't capture what he was getting at, either.
It's like when the platform itself tries its hand at shitposting. When the software becomes shitware. Not so much a passive voice, but an active somebody-threw-it-down-the-shitter kind of vibe.
I’ll be consulting with Doctorow on how to get more shock value words with ‘fuck’, ‘shit’, ‘cunt’ into English dictionaries for the next generation to learn and say.
I won't — "enshittification" is an extremely precise word that captures exactly what's going on with products, services, companies, and many other entities.
I complained about this in the past.
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=39489594
Platform decay is a much better word and makes sense.
Even as I type this ‘enshittification’ word my device wants to autocorrect it, I don’t care if it’s purposely made for shock value, I wish ‘enshittification’ was never coined or added to any dictionary nor should be ‘word of the year’.
Again, should this word continue to permeate in the English vocabulary, people will be saying it on the radio, TV where by law swearing is not allowed to be broadcast.
All it takes is a freudian slip.
But it's too narrow in scope and omits the emphasis on the process being an intentional one intended to achieve specific goals.
Depends where you live.
"British public no longer give a fig about on-air swearing, Ofcom says"
https://www.theguardian.com/media/2020/apr/03/british-public...