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The viewpoint being addressed here is what exactly? That STEM is a useful word with a meaning? I think rather than "trying to address" this viewpoint it might b
by jdoliner 9y ago
The viewpoint being addressed here is what exactly? That STEM is a useful word with a meaning? I think rather than "trying to address" this viewpoint it might be more accurate to say you're trying to squash this viewpoint and prevent people from expressing the idea that STEM allows them to express. But maybe we expanded the definition of the word "address" to include this connotation as well, I have trouble keeping up with all the linguistic prescription going on these days. It's true that the arts aren't really the "opposite" of STEM, but if you took every usage of STEM, and replaced it with STEAM I suspect you'd change the meanings of all of those sentences in a very non-negligible way, which is to say you'll prevent people from communicating what they were actually trying to communicate.
- untog 9y agoThe original question said nothing about replacing anything, so I'm really not sure where you are coming from with this perspective about things being "squashed". It feels as though you're coming to this with a preconceived agenda around "linguistic prescription" that is only mildly related to the topic at hand... so I'll leave you to it.
- jdoliner 9y agoAdding an "A" to STEM is replacing STEM with STEAM. If it wasn't about replacement the post would be about a new word, STEAM. Or, there wouldn't be a post at all, OP would just start using STEAM.
- untog 9y agoWhy would a new term replace an old one? The new word means something different. Two terms that mean two different things, one does not replace the other. Of course the OP just wouldn't "start using STEAM", do you really mean to imply that people organically started using the term "STEM" separately without ever discussing it?