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Dependency Risk

/dɪ • ˈpɛn • dən • si • rɪsk/ From Systems Engineering: The probability of failure due to reliance on external components.
Definition The vulnerability introduced when a digital system relies on external services, APIs, or infrastructure it does not control. In Archaeobytology, it is the primary cause of API Petrifaction—when a site dies not because its code is bad, but because its "landlord" changed the locks.

The Supply Chain of Code

Modern web development is often an exercise in assembly rather than creation. A typical site might depend on:

Each of these is a dependency. Dependency Risk is the calculation of what happens when one of them fails, changes its terms of service, or raises its price.

The Third Party Trap

Dependency Risk is invisible until it's fatal. It operates on the "Tethered" principle: functionality is rented, not owned. A site with high dependency risk is not a sovereign structure; it is a temporary encampment on someone else's property.

Field Notes

Left-Pad Incident: In 2016, a single developer deleted a tiny 11-line code package called "left-pad" from the npm registry. Thousands of major websites broke instantly. This was a masterclass in Dependency Risk.
Stratigraphy (Related Concepts)
API Petrifaction Tethered Systems Local-First Sovereignty Stack