"tech companies"
I don't know what the term means. It is short for "high tech" (since mere "tech" is ubiquitous and goes back to the Stone Age). At one time, "high tech" meant companies that developed and sold the high-technology tools that other companies used. Intel and IBM were "tech" companies, but the banks that used the chips Intel developed were not themselves "tech" companies.
Now it means Facebook.
Facebook is a personalized advertising conglomerate that leverages a lot of technology to deliver its product. But how does that make it different from UPS, FedEx or the New York Times? They also use a lot of advanced tech to deliver their service/product. So aren't they tech companies? What about John Deere? Why isn't that considered a "tech" company?
Our national conversation about "tech" would be more reasonable if we designated companies by what they *sell* not by what tools they *use*
Amazon is a retailer, ad publisher, media company and business services provider (i.e. AWS).
Netflix is a media company and broadcaster. Yes, they have developed a ton of proprietary technology. Just like UPS and FedEx and John Deere.
Google, Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, Tik Tok are personalized advertising publishers. Google also provides business services (i.e. Google Workspace or whatever they will call it next year)
Apple and perhaps Microsoft still have a claim on the "high tech" label, but in general, I feel like the label obfuscates more than it enlightens, especially when it is shorted and the "high" part is left off.
It's 2020. Isn't it time we grow up and stop saying that every business that delivers its product or service over the internet is a tech company? The heavy plow was a huge technological innovation in the tenth through thirteenth centuries. It was once "high tech" but we wouldn't call a company that farms with oxen and heavy plows a tech company. We don't even call someone who grows food sophisticated tractors, computer-controlled GPS-driven tilling, advanced-sensor pesticide application and so forth a "tech" company. We call that person a farmer.
