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Pwned

/poʊnd/ Typo-derivative of 'owned' from 1990s Warcraft and Quake culture.
Definition To be "Pwned" is to be thoroughly defeated or to have your security compromised. In the context of digital archaeology, it describes the state of a user whose digital life is entirely dependent on a single platform's whims—effectively "owned" by the terms of service.

The Taxonomy of Compromise

While originally used in gaming to signify a dominant victory, "Pwned" became a technical term for unauthorized access (e.g., "Have I Been Pwned?"). For the digital sovereign, being pwned isn't just a hack—it is a structural condition. If you cannot export your data, if your identity is tied to a corporate login, or if your history is held behind a paywall, you are pwned.

Field Notes

Structural Pwnage: Even "free" services pwn you by owning the graph of your relationships. When you leave, you don't just lose a tool; you lose your community.
Un-Pwnable Systems: Systems built on Local-First principles and open Protocols aim to make users un-pwnable by ensuring they always hold the "keys" to their own data.
Stratigraphy (Related Concepts)
Local-First Protocol Digital Sovereignty Platform Murder