Cory Doctorow, best known for popularizing the term “enshittification,” is giving his approval to another sharp piece of internet vocabulary: “dickover.” The label comes from John Gruber and is aimed at a familiar digital nuisance on modern sites and apps.
From the snippet provided, “dickover” refers to a modal panel, popover, or curtain that appears over content in a website or app. In other words, it describes the interface layer that interrupts what a person was trying to do, often by blocking the page or demanding attention before the user can continue.
The appeal of the word is its specificity. Just as “enshittification” became a widely used shorthand for the decline of online platforms, “dickover” tries to capture a particular design pattern that many users instantly recognize. It gives a memorable name to the overlays that can turn ordinary browsing into a frustrating experience.
Doctorow’s endorsement suggests the term may spread beyond niche design and tech circles. If it does, “dickover” could join the growing list of internet-native words that stick because they describe a common problem more clearly than formal product or UX language does.
