Section 1.1 Tech Terms Explained

cloud, the: “Servers. A method to store more of your data off your device and in the hands of big tech, where it can be monetized in ways that remain obscure, possibly agreed to by clicking on the Terms of Service. Generally situated in locations where local officials traded substantial tax incentives for minimal job creation.”

Is the Guardian exaggerating with its claim about “millions of dollars in tax breaks for seven full-time security guard jobs”? ProPublica journalist Alec MacGillis provides numerous examples that affirm this in his book Fulfillment: Winning and Losing in One-Click America (Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 2021).

FAANG: “An acronym for Facebook, Apple, Amazon, Netflix, and Google. Initially used to describe the companies’ high-performing stocks, it also implies a certain level of prestige. ‘His boyfriend works in software but not at a FAANG, so he’s not really considered serious relationship material.’”

Remember when “relationship material” simply meant a man was a) single; b) employed; and c) respectful to his mother, indicating he would be a good partner as well?

pivot: “What tech startups do upon realizing that scaling isn’t a viable business model without a proper monetization strategy.”

Also applicable to what politicians do when they discover that former strategies, like fulfilling promises, no longer help them get elected.

privacy: “An outdated concept. The idea of having control over one’s personal information.”

In simpler terms, it’s something you might need to explain to younger generations, similar to “rotary phone” or “video rental store.”

smart: “A product that can connect to the internet—thus making it vulnerable to hacking or the misuse of your data.”

This certainly doesn’t include the shoe phone used by Don Adams as Maxwell Smart in the 1960s show “Get Smart.”

tech bro: “A U.S.-born, college-educated male, typically dressed in Patagonia attire, whose starting salary at a FAANG company is no less than $125,000. He often encourages his female colleagues to give him high-fives. Usually employed in product management or marketing. Had he been born a decade earlier, he would have likely been a finance bro.”

Anna Wiener adds another dimension in her memoir Uncanny Valley (Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 2020), noting that tech bros often advance quickly in their careers while women are advised to “trust karma” regarding their professional paths.

unicorn: “A startup valued at over $1 billion. Once rare, it’s now becoming less noteworthy.”

It’s essential not to confuse this with the plush toy unicorn your grandchild desires, which is likely to be incredibly exciting for her—perhaps the four-year-old equivalent of a billion dollars.