This glossary catalogs recurring terms, traps, and frames that shape how we talk about systems, governance, and digital life. These concepts often go unexamined, yet they profoundly shape our collective sense of what's possible, desirable, or inevitable in tech-mediated contexts.
These aren’t just rhetorical flourishes. They’re reality shapers. When a trap becomes common sense, it defines the boundaries of the imaginable.
What follows is a partial taxonomy of discourse traps: structural patterns and rhetorical devices that narrow critique, obscure consequence, and reinforce interface logic. Each is a mechanism of conceptual control—subtle, ambient, and often unacknowledged.
Discourse Trap: A framing device that limits the ability to see or name systemic problems. Often technical in appearance, but political in effect.
Traps in this glossary:
Friction Aversion Abundance Shortcut Administrative Aesthetics Post-Political Drift Manageable Crisis Retroactive Consent Interface Realism
Friction Aversion
The assumption that any form of friction—bureaucratic, procedural, interpersonal—is inherently harmful. This trap conceals where friction serves as a form of care, deliberation, or necessary resistance to premature automation.
The assumption that any form of friction—bureaucratic, procedural, interpersonal—is inherently harmful. This trap conceals where friction serves as a form of care, deliberation, or necessary resistance to premature automation.
Abundance Shortcut
A tendency to frame social or infrastructural problems as merely a lack of supply. Ignores questions of trust, legitimacy, and distribution by assuming that more "stuff" is the solution to systemic breakdown.
A tendency to frame social or infrastructural problems as merely a lack of supply. Ignores questions of trust, legitimacy, and distribution by assuming that more "stuff" is the solution to systemic breakdown.
Administrative Aesthetics
The conflation of visual polish, seamless interfaces, or minimalist design with institutional competence. Often masks bureaucratic fragility with the sheen of product design.
The conflation of visual polish, seamless interfaces, or minimalist design with institutional competence. Often masks bureaucratic fragility with the sheen of product design.
Post-Political Drift
Reframing political contestation as design inefficiency. Disagreement is seen not as structural conflict, but as something that can be resolved through better UX or smarter policy defaults.
Reframing political contestation as design inefficiency. Disagreement is seen not as structural conflict, but as something that can be resolved through better UX or smarter policy defaults.
Manageable Crisis
The belief that large-scale breakdowns are isolated and solvable through better tooling or dashboards—rather than evidence of institutional fragility, obsolescence, or decay.
The belief that large-scale breakdowns are isolated and solvable through better tooling or dashboards—rather than evidence of institutional fragility, obsolescence, or decay.
Retroactive Consent
Using behavioral metrics (clicks, interactions) as a stand-in for informed consent or political will. Ignores the coercive nature of platform design and the absence of real alternatives.
Using behavioral metrics (clicks, interactions) as a stand-in for informed consent or political will. Ignores the coercive nature of platform design and the absence of real alternatives.
Interface Realism
Treating the interface as the boundary of the real: if the platform doesn’t support it, it doesn’t exist. Reduces the political to what the system is already built to handle.
Treating the interface as the boundary of the real: if the platform doesn’t support it, it doesn’t exist. Reduces the political to what the system is already built to handle.
This glossary is open. New terms will be added, others rewritten. Contributions or critique are welcome: contact@outofscopemag.com