the.com/leaderboard
A ranking that turns your free time into unpaid competitive labor.
means A list ranking players or participants by score, usually from highest to lowest, so everyone can see who's winning.
from A straightforward compound of 'leader' (one who is ahead) plus 'board' — in the older sense of a board or placard used to post public information, like a scoreboard or notice board. The word tracks the rise of competitive sports and games needing a visible way to show standings; it became especially common with golf tournaments and, later, video games and apps, where digital boards replaced the physical chalkboards and pegged scoreboards of the past.
- origin
- Arcade high score lists predate video games themselves
- psychology
- Exploits competitiveness more than the actual reward does
- design trick
- Showing nearby ranks motivates more than showing number one
- dark side
- Call centers use them, and burnout follows closely