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Philips Hue will soon force users to create an account
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this post was submitted on 21 Sep 2023
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Nah. He called it that, but the word follows grammatical* structure well enough that it can be easily understood and used in a more general sense. "the gradual increase in which something is shit" = "enshitification".
Fits for what he wanted to use it for. Fits for a whole lot more. One cannot gatekeep language. Whatever is the most effective way to transfer a concept from one mind as to be similarly understood in someone else's, ultimately is language.
* maybe not grammar, but you get what I mean
Prescriptive vs. descriptive grammar.
Descriptive grammar describes language, and tries to understand the structure and usage of words and sentences. Prescriptive grammar dictates how it should be used.
Except the language is weaker as we've lost the ability to transfer one idea easily because people like re-using the word because they think it makes them sound educated on the topic. It's being used because of Doctorow, not because of any other reason. So I call bullshit on it just being grammatical.
This might come across a little bit insulting, and I mean it that way too if it hits home.
You are putting way to much value into the creation of this word. It is the descriptive noun "shit" followed by the suffix "-ification". It doesn't need to be "coined" by anyone attributing any other meaning than what you would get by a descriptive noun, followed by "-ification". Adding the prefix en- is a nice embellishment.
So, perhaps the dude made it become a used word, but to presume a word's origin defines it is a bit silly. That isn't how language work. If enough people like a word, and like for it to mean something, then... that's what that word means, because that's what "meaning" means. Sometimes, it is exceedingly frustrating when it breaks with the original meaning, e.g. "literally" being used for "figurative". In this case, it does not. So why would anyone give a shit if someone thinks a word should mean something else than what it literally means.
It doesn't come across insulting at all. It comes across as naive.
Like, it literally has a Wikipedia page and doesn't mention anything else.
I mean, literally isn't used to mean just figuratively. It's actually an exaggeration to mean that the concept is so strong that it literally triggered the figurative comparison for real. Context is key there. And context is important. That's the great thing about that though is you rarely need extra information to show which definition you mean. If I said it's so hot outside that I'm literally on fire, you don't need to question the meaning.
But here? Let's be honest. The word usage has exploded on Lemmy. They wanted so badly to use the term in the cool way. No one would have used the word that way before. No one uses its 'literal' definition now really. Because it's generally not how humans in society have discussions. No one describes the enshitification of something as a clinical description. If it were used as a joke? Sure. But now it's either someone so divorced from reality that they don't even know how to communicate or it's just folks who heard the word, thought it was cool, but didn't really understand it. That's all that is. I can't believe folks are trying to defend the "evolution" of language on one hand by describing a loss of accuracy and clarity in language, but then on the ither hand defending it from some weird historical perspective. It's honestly entertaining to see people come at this and argue with entirely contradictory points of view. "Words change meaning and this is it's new meaning" vs "that's been its meaning forever". Like, let's try to at least coordinate the defense of the person who wanted to sound cool. No one says "enshittified" in place of "it'll go to shit" or "get fucked". But instead you expect me to believe this is some ole-timey bastard saying, "sir, it will be enshittified." Come on buddy. It's weird you even thought all those words you spoke would sound insulting. Like you actually had a good point or something. See? That last bit there. That's what something insulting sounds like.