4 ms·
Let's be part of the solution instead of the problem.
by nilved 9y ago
Let's be part of the solution instead of the problem.
- farnsworth 9y agoIt's only a problem if you're a tech pedant.
- nilved 9y agoI'm not a pedant. To me, the word "pedantry" describes the colour of the sky. Get used to it.
- ringaroundthetx 9y agoTo me it describes excessive concern with minor details and rules. but thats none of my business tho
- ryandrake 9y agoI think the problem is "what words actually mean" has become a minor detail to some people. My high school English teacher would not have accepted "language evolves" as an excuse for things like confusing "then" and "than" and not knowing the meaning of the word "literally".
- DonHopkins 9y agoAnd then there's the "what file extensions actually mean" problem.
- burkaman 9y agoYour high school English teacher was wrong. Words mean whatever people think they mean, much like how money is worth whatever people think it's worth. Of course as an individual you can't unilaterally redefine a word, just as you can't declare that a $100 bill is worth as much as a car.
- mixmastamyk 9y agoUntil it's time to get a normal job.
- burkaman 9y agoAt most jobs it's more important to communicate effectively than it is to know the historical definitions of words. Of course, words don't have universal meanings. Lawyers and scientists use the word "theory" differently, for example. In any given environment, you should use words the way the people you need to communicate with expect them to be used.
- chickenfries 9y agoUsing literally to mean figuratively is just fine. They're being ironic, or hyperbolic. Then and than mean different things. To a lay person, a gif is a short, looping, soundless video. I'm not sure what is being lost by not distinguishing between this and a short mp4 file with no sound on loop.
- eckza 9y agoCareful not to cut yourself on that edge.
- deleted 9y ago[deleted]
- freehunter 9y agoWhat would you call a short looping video without sound? GIF works because it's what it evolved from, is still a widely used format, everyone knows the name, and we don't really have a better name for it.
- sqeaky 9y agoBut we could have literal wars over the pronunciation. I just don't want to leave a legacy of pain and violence for the children of the hard G.