Glossary entry

Extraction

Definition

When a system pulls value — data, attention, labor, or social capital — without returning care, consent, or repair. It hides its costs by pushing them onto others and by loading the heaviest work onto the people with the least power, and it erodes trust.

Diagnostic

Tests that show it is in place

  • Value metrics are tracked alongside burden and consent metrics.
  • The system keeps functioning without unpaid or unacknowledged labor.

Hypothetical example

  • A data-labeling program offloads unpaid overnight verification to gig workers while the platform reports clean metrics.

Related terms

Optimization myopia Temporal exaction Asymmetric sustaining Institutional metabolism mapping Data dignity budgets

References

Cite this glossary entry · v1.17.1 · updated Oct 6, 2026 · CC BY-SA 4.0

APA

Ethotechnics Institute. (2026). Extraction. Ethotechnics glossary. https://ethotechnics.org/glossary/extraction

MLA

Ethotechnics Institute. "Extraction." Ethotechnics glossary, 2026, https://ethotechnics.org/glossary/extraction.

Chicago

Ethotechnics Institute. "Extraction." Ethotechnics glossary. Oct 6, 2026. https://ethotechnics.org/glossary/extraction.

BibTeX

@misc{glossary_extraction,
  title={Extraction},
  author={Ethotechnics Institute},
  year={2026},
  howpublished={Ethotechnics glossary},
  url={https://ethotechnics.org/glossary/extraction},
  version={v1.17.1}
}

RIS

TY  - WEB
TI  - Extraction
AU  - Ethotechnics Institute
PY  - 2026
UR  - https://ethotechnics.org/glossary/extraction
ER  -

Authorship

Contact: hello@ethotechnics.org

Publication details

  • Published: Dec 3, 2025
  • Last updated: Oct 6, 2026
  • Version: v1.17.1

License: CC BY-SA 4.0

Credit Ethotechnics Institute, include the term title and version, and link to the glossary permalink.

Archive: Wayback Machine history

Latest change

v1.17.1 · Oct 6, 2026 — Editorial revision. Titles are in sentence case. Pasted spec blocks are replaced with prose and worked examples, 79 operational tests are rewritten as pass conditions, 22 origin notes are rewritten or sourced, and unsourced superlatives are cut. No terms were added or removed, and permalinks are unchanged.

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