The digerati (or digirati) are the elite of
digitalization,
social media
Social media are interactive media technologies that facilitate the creation and sharing of information, ideas, interests, and other forms of expression through virtual communities and networks. While challenges to the definition of ''social me ...
,
content marketing
Content marketing is a form of marketing focused on creating, publishing, and distributing content for a targeted audience online. It is often used by businesses in order to achieve the following goals: attract attention and generate leads, exp ...
,
computer industry
A computer is a machine that can be programmed to carry out sequences of arithmetic or logical operations ( computation) automatically. Modern digital electronic computers can perform generic sets of operations known as programs. These progr ...
and
online
In computer technology and telecommunications, online indicates a state of connectivity and offline indicates a disconnected state. In modern terminology, this usually refers to an Internet connection, but (especially when expressed "on line" ...
communities. The word is a
portmanteau
A portmanteau word, or portmanteau (, ) is a blend of words[digital
Digital usually refers to something using discrete digits, often binary digits.
Technology and computing Hardware
*Digital electronics, electronic circuits which operate using digital signals
** Digital camera, which captures and stores digital ...](_blank)
" and "
literati", and reminiscent of the earlier coinage ''glitterati'' (glitter and literati). Famous
computer scientists
Computer science is the study of computation, automation, and information. Computer science spans theoretical disciplines (such as algorithms, theory of computation, information theory, and automation) to practical disciplines (including ...
,
tech
Tech or The Tech may refer to:
* An abbreviation of technology or technician
* Tech Dinghy, an American sailing dinghy developed at MIT
* Tech (mascot), the mascot of Louisiana Tech University, U.S.
* Tech (river), in southern France
* "Tech" ...
magazine writers, digital consultants with multi-year experiences and well-known bloggers are included among the digerati.
The word is used in several related but different ways. It can mean:
*Opinion leaders who, through their writings, promoted a vision of digital technology and the Internet as a transformational element in society;
*People regarded as celebrities within the
Silicon Valley
Silicon Valley is a region in Northern California that serves as a global center for high technology and innovation. Located in the southern part of the San Francisco Bay Area, it corresponds roughly to the geographical areas San Mateo Cou ...
computer
subculture
A subculture is a group of people within a culture that differentiates itself from the parent culture to which it belongs, often maintaining some of its founding principles. Subcultures develop their own norms and values regarding cultural, poli ...
, particularly during the
dot-com boom years;
*Anyone regarded as influential within the digital technology community.
Term history
The first mention of the word ''Digerati'' on
USENET
Usenet () is a worldwide distributed discussion system available on computers. It was developed from the general-purpose Unix-to-Unix Copy (UUCP) dial-up network architecture. Tom Truscott and Jim Ellis conceived the idea in 1979, and it wa ...
occurred in 1992 by
Arthur Wang, and referred to an article by
George Gilder
George Franklin Gilder (; born November 29, 1939) is an American investor, author, economist, and co-founder of the Discovery Institute. His 1981 book, '' Wealth and Poverty'', advanced a case for supply-side economics and capitalism during the e ...
in ''Upside'' magazine. According to the March 1, 1992 "On Language" column by
William Safire
William Lewis Safire (; Safir; December 17, 1929 – September 27, 2009Safire, William (1986). ''Take My Word for It: More on Language.'' Times Books. . p. 185.) was an American author, columnist, journalist, and presidential speechwriter. He ...
in ''The New York Times Magazine'', the
term
Term may refer to:
* Terminology, or term, a noun or compound word used in a specific context, in particular:
**Technical term, part of the specialized vocabulary of a particular field, specifically:
***Scientific terminology, terms used by scient ...
was coined by ''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' editor
Tim Race in a January 1992 ''New York Times'' article.
In Race's words:
:''Actually the first use of "digerati" was in a January 29, 1992 New York Times article, "Pools of Memory, Waves of Dispute", by John Markoff, into which I edited the term. The article was about a controversy engendered by a George Gilder article that had recently appeared in Upside magazine. In a March 1, 1992 "On Language" column in The New York Times Magazine, William Safire noted the coinage and gave me the honor of defining it, which we did like so:''
::''Digerati, n.pl. – people highly skilled in the processing and manipulation of digital information; wealthy or scholarly techno-geeks.''
See also
*
Californian Ideology
*
Netocracy
References
*''Digerati: Encounters With the Cyber Elite'' by John Brockman, Hardcover: 354 pages Publisher: Hardwired; 1st ed edition (October 1, 1996)
External links
{{wiktionary
Digerati talk on costs and benefits of the InternetCoinage attributed to Tim Race
Who are the Digerati?*
Wiktionary definition of digeratiWhy Digital Maturity Matters – MIT – George Westerman
Internet culture
Neologisms
1990s neologisms