4 ms·

This is incredibly confusing choice of terminology, because "catfish" means to pretend to be something better, online, (or an entirely different person) than yo

This is incredibly confusing choice of terminology, because "catfish" means to pretend to be something better, online, (or an entirely different person) than you are in person. [1] (I bet 80%+ of American readers understand this to be the definition.) So I thought the article would be about somehow crafting a linkedin and github profile that makes you seem like you're worth $250K, whereas in fact you are an actual imposter -- a junior programmer, for example, with less than 2 years of coding experience and in only one or two languages. Or someone who's just not a good coder and gets fired from everywhere due to not being a good coder. I found the article interesting, but I don't like the fact that it chose a term that pretty much means the opposite of what it intended. Really confusing. [1] http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=catfish http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=catfish

dizzystar 9y ago
I wasn't aware of that term until about a year ago. Never saw the TV show, and using that terminology didn't benefit the article. As pointed out in other posts, the article is a tad cynical, but I draw the line at outright bashing people or making assumptions about their character (every statement would have a caveat with "some, not all"). I think with that terminology, it would be an obvious angle that would force the article into an "everyone knows this" rant, which would take away from the attempted humor and alternative viewpoint. I left a lot unsaid, but it was an antidote to saccharine posts while hopefully not coming across overly bitter (because I'm not at all).
- logicallee 9y ago
  I liked the rest of the article :)
hallman76 9y ago
"catfish" is a type of fish. 100% of people who have ever fished understand this to be the definition :)
briandear 9y ago
https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/catfish https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/catfish The urban dictionary definition of catfish is ridiculous.
- logicallee 9y ago
  I don't understand, you just linked the oxford dictionary giving the same definition... (The link you wrote says US informal with object Lure (someone) into a relationship by adopting a fictional online persona. ‘he was being catfished by a cruel prankster’ ‘a victim of catfishing’" ) That's exactly what the urban dictionary definition says and is the meaning I referred to. Luring a company into a relationship with you based on a false/fictional profile as a programmer is what I would have thought the term would mean.
falsedan 9y ago
It's not a great simile; do you have a better suggestion? I also thought "wtf that's not a catfish" but after reading 2 sentences I had firmly updated my context.

dizzystar 9y ago

I wasn't aware of that term until about a year ago. Never saw the TV show, and using that terminology didn't benefit the article. As pointed out in other posts, the article is a tad cynical, but I draw the line at outright bashing people or making assumptions about their character (every statement would have a caveat with "some, not all"). I think with that terminology, it would be an obvious angle that would force the article into an "everyone knows this" rant, which would take away from the attempted humor and alternative viewpoint. I left a lot unsaid, but it was an antidote to saccharine posts while hopefully not coming across overly bitter (because I'm not at all).

logicallee 9y ago
I liked the rest of the article :)

hallman76 9y ago

"catfish" is a type of fish. 100% of people who have ever fished understand this to be the definition :)

briandear 9y ago

https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/catfish https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/catfish The urban dictionary definition of catfish is ridiculous.

logicallee 9y ago
I don't understand, you just linked the oxford dictionary giving the same definition... (The link you wrote says US informal with object Lure (someone) into a relationship by adopting a fictional online persona. ‘he was being catfished by a cruel prankster’ ‘a victim of catfishing’" ) That's exactly what the urban dictionary definition says and is the meaning I referred to. Luring a company into a relationship with you based on a false/fictional profile as a programmer is what I would have thought the term would mean.

falsedan 9y ago

It's not a great simile; do you have a better suggestion? I also thought "wtf that's not a catfish" but after reading 2 sentences I had firmly updated my context.