@pluralistic That could be an alternative formulation: Les Singes (Jacques Brel, early 60es).

@pluralistic You can always reply that it's the dictionary: https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/enshittification

@pluralistic if author, why use word? why no grunt

@pluralistic I was just thinking about this, and realised the sender didn't realise their luck you weren't Australian.

@pluralistic You made me smile - thank you! Please keep the questions coming.

@pluralistic it's the perfect word though

@pluralistic The term is perfect, and its French translation "Merdification" sounds great! I even heard hosts and journalists on the very serious Radio-Canada use it on different occasions.

@pluralistic I think the term is spot-on and important. That said, I have some squeaky clean people in my life where the conversation would flow so much more easily if we could use a G-rated term. With them, I will say "Crush ICE" not "Fuck ICE". So with them I guess I can also say, "a pretend upgrade that's actually a purposeful downgrade" rather than "enshittification."

@pluralistic enshitoniceification

@pluralistic this is so fucking funny.

@pluralistic it's short, graphic, denotes a process and most importantly pretty much everybody associates crap with shit, so looks like a pretty good work to me.

@pluralistic Enshitiffication is a perfectly cromulent word

@pluralistic well, the word kept me from learning about the idea it represents for quite a while. It wasn't until the CCC conference video a month ago I listened to you (Cory) the first time and was immediately convinced of the relevance and importance of what you write and talk about.

I guess it sounded like some trendy buzz word (which to some extent is probably the intent – to lean on that mannerism) and I wasn't interested in trendy buzz.

@pluralistic When I first heard the word:

- I immediately knew it was not corporate marketing jargon.
- I immediately knew it was something negative.
- I immediately knew it was something intense enough that I should probably be paying attention to it.
- I did NOT immediately know what it referred to, and as such wanted to understand it.

Seems like a pretty effective choice to me. 🤷

@pluralistic at first I thought the inclusion of "shit" detracted from the seriousness and intellectual vigor of the theory, but now I see where-- given the reception of general population and experts alike--this word does quite the opposite.

@pluralistic
yeah why do you even choose words cory

@pluralistic

I remember reading and commenting on the essay where you first used the term #enshittification, on @medium back in November 2022. I doubt you or anyone else realized then how much it would catch on 🙂

https://doctorow.medium.com/social-quitting-1ce85b67b456

Also, happy to see another @thunderbird user. Sadly, Mozilla is becoming enshittified as well.

@pluralistic It's the opposite of the 'enhance' trope, even existentially.

@pluralistic "Transitioning from 'bite the hand that feeds' to 'bite every hand, all the time, don't stop biting'" is too many syllables.

@pluralistic

Did you reply "6 7" ?

@pluralistic
You should tell them it's a German word lol

@pluralistic I like the term. I feel it fits.

@pluralistic intended obsolescence is the older term for it. It's not a new idea, ppl just act brand new about every fucking thing

@pluralistic Well, why did you choose such a silly word as your central selling point? I must confess that it's the rebuilding which intrigues me far more than the business of things falling apart.

@pluralistic Hey there, fellow Thunderbird user!

@pluralistic

You are a writer. How dare you <checks notes> "choose words."

@pluralistic funny to have someone angrily agree with you 😅

@pluralistic I completely agree with the email. "Enshittification" is a term I would have come up at the age of 14 during a period of heightened teenage angst, while still trying to sound far more intelligent than I would have been. It is completely unsuited to a problem this serious and ubiquitous. What's wrong with "platform decay" as listed on the @wikipedia article?

@pluralistic must admit, I prefer to avoid the swear word in some contexts, but in those rare context I just go for platform decay. No big deal.

@pluralistic didn't even spell it right.

@pluralistic

"I got tired of waiting for your brilliant alternative. Just checked my spam folder, and it wasn't there, either."

@pluralistic I'd reply (jokingly) with a message about how "well, it beat out corporate-auto-erotic-asphyxiation so I think enshittification is the lesser of two weevils"

@pluralistic I personally think it's prety good, reflects exactly that tech engineering, business strategy, unthinkable amount of money or/and the "best minds of the world that resides silicon valley" are doing nothing but shitty products. In Brazil we say merdificação or bostificação

@pluralistic I kind of like "Zerscheißigung" for the German version.

@pluralistic the other day my daughter asked me "daddy, are all words made up" and she's definitely wiser than this person

@pluralistic I like that it is very translatable, at least in French.
We already had emmerder (verb), emmerdeur-se (noun for a person), emmerdant (adjectif) emmerdement (noun for an event) and now emmerdification (noun for a deliberate process) is the perfect addition to the family.
A very traditional and proper way to enrich our languages.

@pluralistic personally, I love the word. It perfectly describes the situation and it catches attention so people don't just ignore it.

@pluralistic They’re just jealous they didn’t come up with it sooner

@pluralistic „why did you choose such a fucking dumb word and not something more polite, you asshole“ 😂

@pluralistic It's a perfectly cromulent word, someone just needs to embiggen their vocabulary.

@pluralistic https://inv.nadeko.net/watch?v=PTsSk0r_Tq8

@pluralistic enshittification works well

@pluralistic
They're not entirely wrong. I would've used "fuckitallupified".

@pluralistic You really have to have a high opinion of yourself to email an author with such low effort criticism. Why not just impotently whine on socials like a normal person?

@pluralistic

Yeah craphound, of all the words you could have chosen... Jeez

@pluralistic "because it's accurate"

@pluralistic the fact it's caught on means it was the right word

@pluralistic Honestly the verbiage makes sense.

"The chocolate cream in our product is so expensive, why can't we use dog poo instead?"
"Trust me, the customers will never know the difference."

@pluralistic

Enfuckification then?

@pluralistic

Enfuckification then?

@pluralistic answer: because God told me so.

@pluralistic

I think it is a great word because it starts the conversation and it's deservedly angry

@pluralistic

Why did you write that book "Do Not Build The Torment Nexus?

Now nobody wants to use my #tormentnexus !

@pluralistic Though does the term not do exact justice to the phenomenon described? The author of this e-mail should acknowledge that.

@pluralistic Can't think of many cases, where wording hits meaning as good as here.

Maybe we need a latinized Version, to enable entry into science speak? 🤪 Might that soothe spirits?

Proposing: >> merdificatio << ... with additional enhancement of merdificatio maior... for best enshittification by our much beloved big platforms.

@pluralistic Maybe for the sender enshittification is a *good* thing and he simply does not understand why you have coined a *bad* word for it?

@pluralistic Sounds to me like fan mail and that you've hit the nail on the head.

@pluralistic
The irony of not minding the domainname of your mailserver at the same time when sending that feedback 😂

@pluralistic @cstross that is a very eloquent, completely pre-enshittification honest-to-$DIVINITY email. No notes.

@pluralistic

Scalzi's approach was to grade his hate mail for grammar, spelling, & cogency.

Brilliant!
https://whatever.scalzi.com/2009/10/12/your-hate-mail-will-be-graded-new-edition-jan-10/

@pluralistic I keep being amazed by how deeply rooted the fear of supposedly dirty words is in some people.

I see so many who censor their own writing even in private messages. Like, writing f**k instead of fuck.

@pluralistic I think this is fan mail. 💌

@pluralistic Yeah Cory, like have you even considered regional variations? It's Endumpification in southern England, Enshiteification in the north (shortened from Enbagofshiteification), and Enseeyouseyoumassivejobbyification in Scotland.

@pluralistic maybe they should take a look at your domain name and reflect

@pluralistic

Not to be confused with enshittfiction, which is just past the non-enshittfiction section.

@pluralistic missed chance to criticize the term for being shitty

@pluralistic This word is just right.

@pluralistic

Because "emmerdement" already existed.

@pluralistic tell them they can call it e13n if they want to be cool about it

@pluralistic do they propose alternatives or just complain about the one that people understand?

@pluralistic Love the language of this one.

@pluralistic warning: no one take branding advice from this person.

@pluralistic I suppose you could reduce or abbreviate it to "nshitt" for the modern reader, or "etm" for the classically inclined? Perhaps the lad has a point even if missing an i?

@pluralistic “The enshittification of important concept terminology, exhibit 1.”

@pluralistic Maybe this person forgot to put this through their AI business speak translator. But to me the word is perfect as it sounds accurate upon first hearing it.

Enshittfication is like enshittification on steroids!

(or concentrated prune juice really)

@pluralistic

@pluralistic
Maybe just jealous you coined the defining word of the 21st Century?
#enshitification

@pluralistic Why do you choose some words and not others?!

@pluralistic this is the way