Discussion
One of the most useful German nouns is the Swiss coinage "Verschlimmbesserung", which is a portmanteau of Verschlimmerung (deterioration) and Verbesserung (improvement) and describes the act of making something worse in an attempt to make it better.
If your language has an equivalent expression, please share and explain it below.
Boosts for reach appreciated!
@xahteiwi in Dutch I have heard something similar: "verfouteren". Basically, making the term into a verb. It's a combination of "verbeteren" (to improve) and "fout" (wrong or error).
The act of doing "Verschlimmbesserung" with, on the surface good intent, but underneath having bad intent, is the same act that Cory Doctorow calls "Enshittification".
It's the motive for the action.
Making things worse while genuinely trying to imrpove them is just basic Incompetence! 😁
But, making things worse while saying that you are trying to improve, but actually are making things worse deliberately because it is more profitable, that is the textbook example of "Enshittification".
Enshitification doesn't mean an attempt at improvement, but rather a move to increase profit or theft of user information
@BillySmith Enshittification does not include a genuine intent to make things better; Verschlimmbesserung usually does.
@xahteiwi back in the 70s my parents would often remark “new and improved” sarcastically. Because the English will reach for sarcasm before word splicing
@xahteiwi it's a fantastically useful word. Unfortunately because it seems to be the underlying design principle of so many organisations in modern life.
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