The English word "scale" has more than one meaning; invaders scale castle walls, music and fish have scales, weight is measured with a scale, and the size, length, quantity, and distance, in terms of number, space and time, of something has a relative, or proportionate, scale. The latter comparison meaning is frequently used when referring to computer systems having the resources to handle more users and data. It's also what I mean generally when I use the word scale.
My intention is to describe a pervasive "tyranny of scale" but first I acknowledge that it will be difficult to convince many people that there is anything tyrannical about scale. This is partly because "scale" is highly regarded, either as something to achieve (e.g., a million dollars), or something that inspires awe (e.g., the size and expansion of the universe). Another reason, that follows from the first, is that it simply is an aspect of life that defines who and what we are and our place in the world, like birth and death, and having a mother, father, ancestors, and a name.
