democratizers
Those broadening access
Democratizers are people or forces that make something more accessible to ordinary people.
The term usually describes those who break down elite barriers—in technology, education, finance, or culture: The smartphone was one of the great democratizers of information.
A democratizer of art might bring museum collections online; a democratizer of investing might create apps letting anyone trade stocks.
Those who facilitate harm
- liberatorsThose who free captives
- equalizersThings that balance disparities
- emancipatorsThose who free the enslaved
- enfranchisersThose granting voting rights
advocates · facilitators · activists · reformers · mobilizers · organizers · educators · mentors
Those controlling entry
- barriersThings blocking access
- affordabilityState of being purchasable
- availabilityState of being obtainable
- inclusivityPractice of welcoming all
universal design · open access · public libraries · community centers · subsidies · scholarships · sliding scale · free tier
Voting rights activists
- abolitionistsThose opposing human bondage
- civil rights leadersAdvocates for equal citizenship
- enfranchisersThose granting voting rights
- revolutionariesThose seeking systemic overthrow
constitutionalists · parliamentarians · populists · reformers · freedom fighters · dissidents · opposition movements
Freely viewable, editable code
- internetInterconnected computer systems
- smartphonesHandheld touchscreen computers
- WikipediaFree collaborative online encyclopedia
- social mediaOnline content-sharing platforms
MOOCs · podcasting · blogging · 3D printing · streaming platforms · e-books · online banking · crowdfunding
Those who teach others
- publishersFirms producing printed works
- translatorsLanguage conversion specialists
- librariansCollection curators at lending institutions
- archivistsKeepers of historical documents
curators · journalists · documentarians · encyclopedists · lecturers · tutors · explainers · popularizers
enablers
Those who facilitate harm
- liberatorsThose who free captives
- equalizersThings that balance disparities
- emancipatorsThose who free the enslaved
enfranchisers · advocates · facilitators · activists · reformers · mobilizers · organizers · educators · mentors · sponsors
gatekeepers
Those controlling entry
- barriersThings blocking access
- affordabilityState of being purchasable
- availabilityState of being obtainable
inclusivity · universal design · open access · public libraries · community centers · subsidies · scholarships · sliding scale · free tier · freemium
suffragists
Voting rights activists
- abolitionistsThose opposing human bondage
- civil rights leadersAdvocates for equal citizenship
- enfranchisersThose granting voting rights
revolutionaries · constitutionalists · parliamentarians · populists · reformers · freedom fighters · dissidents · opposition movements
open-source
Freely viewable, editable code
- internetInterconnected computer systems
- smartphonesHandheld touchscreen computers
- WikipediaFree collaborative online encyclopedia
social media · MOOCs · podcasting · blogging · 3D printing · streaming platforms · e-books · online banking · crowdfunding · apps
educators
Those who teach others
- publishersFirms producing printed works
- translatorsLanguage conversion specialists
- librariansCollection curators at lending institutions
archivists · curators · journalists · documentarians · encyclopedists · lecturers · tutors · explainers · popularizers
democratizersgatekeepers
Those controlling entry
elitists · monopolizers · excluders · hoarders · restrictors
democratizersreactionaries
Those opposing progressive change
traditionalists · aristocrats · plutocrats · oppressors · suppressors