From WIRED · Tommy Craggs · · 2m
Paulina Borsook's Career Crisis
Paulina Borsook, a tech critic, lost her career after publishing a 2000 book criticizing Silicon Valley's culture.
In brief
Paulina Borsook, a tech critic, lost her career after publishing a 2000 book criticizing Silicon Valley's culture. Paulina Borsook's 2000 book Cyberselfish critiqued Silicon Valley's tech utopianism, but she was blacklisted from media after its release. Originally reported by WIRED.
Paulina Borsook's Career Crisis
Paulina Borsook, 72, reflects on her career after publishing Cyberselfish in 2000.
Cyberselfish Published in 2000
Borsook published Cyberselfish in 2000, critiquing Silicon Valley's 'Terribly Libertarian Culture of High-Tech'.
Book Sales and Reception
Cyberselfish sold 5,000 hardcover copies and 2,000 paperback copies, receiving warm but occasional baffled reviews.
Career Silence After Book
Editors stopped contacting Borsook, and she couldn't get work for years after Cyberselfish's release.
Borsook's Background
Borsook grew up in Pasadena and was shot in the head at age 14, affecting her brain and communication.
Borsook's Early Tech Experience
Borsook worked with early software systems like PICK, learning tech was 'infrastructure, not magic'.
WIRED Contributions
Borsook was WIRED's earliest contributor, writing for the magazine in the 1990s.
Cyberselfish's Critique
Cyberselfish identified Silicon Valley's 'terribly libertarian culture' and its social malevolence.
Book's Impact
Cyberselfish became a minor phenomenon without Borsook's active involvement, despite its critical insights.
2020s Revival
In 2020s, social media revived interest in Cyberselfish, leading to new book editions and recognition.
Career Blacklisting Theories
Borsook's career decline was likely due to her critical stance on Silicon Valley tech culture.
No Blacklist Confirmed
Borsook denies a formal blacklist, attributing her career gap to changing media landscapes.
2020s Recognition
Borsook's book was reissued in 2025 with a foreword by Gil Durán, gaining renewed attention.
Borsook's Current Status
Borsook now lives in Berkeley with support from friends and a GoFundMe, writing about tech's human impact.
Why She Was Blacklisted
Borsook's critical perspective on Silicon Valley's culture made her unpopular with the media in the early 2000s.
Career Rebirth
Borsook's career is reborn through renewed interest in her 2000 book Cyberselfish.
What it means
Paulina Borsook's 2000 book Cyberselfish critiqued Silicon Valley's tech utopianism, but she was blacklisted from media after its release.
