cash and authority. The UX industry is becoming polluted by dilettantism. It's no surprise then that people are attacking the field. We can expect more of it, and there's a real chance that the fury and division we see in the conversation surrounding Ryan's post will soon drown out the cause we espouse -- designing technology that helps people be productive, empowered, and happy. Our peers are divided, with thousands eager to denounce our work. We have been unable to convince an influential web figure of our value. And this is a real shame since, alongside the flash-in-the-pan opportunists, there are exceptional people in UX who have formed a community of intelligence, generosity and thoughtful action. To see their work and passion decried as quackery makes me tremendously sad. Perhaps my pessimism is exaggerated by too long in front of a computer and not long enough in front of a cocktail. But I'm disheartened that the cause I've dedicated my adult life to is seen as a fradulent landgrab. I worry it's the beginning of the euphemism treadmill that could leave the UX label permanently damaged. This may not be the response people expect, but I think it gets to the heart of this matter concisely: "Thousands of mediocre web generalists are now calling themselves UX designers in an effort to gain cash and authority." I said much the same in my comment on Ryan's post: "Just like in the early days of the web, every man and his dog