6 ms·
"If 95% of the country assigns a meaning to a slang term, well, isn't that what defines it?" As much as I want to disagree, what's wrong with this viewpoint? C
by benwr 16y ago
"If 95% of the country assigns a meaning to a slang term, well, isn't that what defines it?"
As much as I want to disagree, what's wrong with this viewpoint? Could it be that it's time to give up on sending letters RMS-style to journalists who use the term "incorrectly?" The technology community is creative; why not just let it go and come up with a new word? Not really being a hacker myself, I don't feel qualified to have a serious opinion, but I'm interested in yours.
(I do recognize the silliness inherent in asking this question on _Hacker_ News)
- paulbaumgart 16y agoHaving both meanings is fine. In fact, it can serve as a useful shibboleth.
- amohr 16y agoIn the immortal words of Michael Bolton: "Why should I change, he's the one that sucks."
- rosser 16y ago"If 95% of the country assigns a meaning to a slang term, well, isn't that what defines it?" As much as I want to disagree, what's wrong with this viewpoint? Depends on who you are, I guess. Not to conflate or compare the examples in any way, but consider: the ratio of blacks to whites in the US is close enough to the quoted comment's sphincterrific, if probably low, 95%. (It's actually 75:12, per Wikipedia; ~6:1 isn't quite 20:1, but it's still a pretty vast majority.) I can think of a word or three in that neighborhood where the majority's preferred meaning is, while perhaps not wrong, at least in the sense you use the term, not exactly what I'd call right, either.