I don't think that people having this conversation fail to make the distinction that you're making. They talk like that because language is metaphorical. In fac

I don't think that people having this conversation fail to make the distinction that you're making. They talk like that because language is metaphorical. In fact, if you pay attention, you'll notice that you do the same sort of thing all the time. Speaking about it differently will frame the concepts differently, but the way that people frame a concept is an intentional choice (it's not an error because there's no right way to do it). You can disagree about the way to frame the debate (that is, the way to think about the concepts), but understanding the physics of light sensors doesn't automatically lead to framing this particular conversation differently. There are lots of valid ways of thinking about the issue that doesn't rely on understanding physics.