4 ms·

Etymologically speaking, I find the adapted meaning of this term irksome. Given that ephemera is a 16th century word[1] that refers to "transitory written and p

Etymologically speaking, I find the adapted meaning of this term irksome. Given that ephemera is a 16th century word[1] that refers to "transitory written and printed matter" and ephemerality "the quality of existing only briefly"[2], one would expect the standard definition for ephemeralization to be "the process of creating ephemera" or similar, as opposed to "ability of technological advancement to do "more and more with less and less until eventually you can do everything with nothing" ". [1] https://www.lexico.com/definition/ephemera https://www.lexico.com/definition/ephemera [2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ephemera_(disambiguation) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ephemera_(disambiguation)

sfink 5y ago
Now tell me how you feel about the common phrase "I'll be there momentarily." (I may logically accept that language follows usage, but I just can't not be bothered by that one. Also, people don't seem to like it when I reply "I hope you're right.")
- dane-pgp 5y ago
  Is it so hard to accept that "momentarily" refers to the period of time before arriving, rather than after arriving? Time is a subject that is hard to avoid using idioms to convey, like when people ask "What time is it?" without specifying what "it" refers to.
  - sfink 5y ago
    > Is it so hard to accept that "momentarily" refers to the period of time before arriving, rather than after arriving? Yes? I don't need to make up a different subject for the sentence when it's laid out precisely. If it were "I'll be there briefly", would you still try to contort the words into something like "The time required to get there will pass briefly"? (Though to argue the other side, "I'll be there shortly" doesn't bother me in the least...)
- Geekette 5y ago
  Interestingly enough, I'm less bothered by that. It could've been worse, e.g. "I'll be there momentishly".
simonh 5y ago
I think the definition you refer to in [1] is apt. "Things that exist or are used or enjoyed for only a short time." They are used or enjoyed for a short time because the cost or burden of doing so is extremely low. They are cheap, easily accessible, transportable, convenient, disposable. These are the attributes that make them ephemera, and that Fuller saw as ephemeralizing things.

sfink 5y ago

Now tell me how you feel about the common phrase "I'll be there momentarily." (I may logically accept that language follows usage, but I just can't not be bothered by that one. Also, people don't seem to like it when I reply "I hope you're right.")

dane-pgp 5y ago
Is it so hard to accept that "momentarily" refers to the period of time before arriving, rather than after arriving? Time is a subject that is hard to avoid using idioms to convey, like when people ask "What time is it?" without specifying what "it" refers to.
- sfink 5y ago
  > Is it so hard to accept that "momentarily" refers to the period of time before arriving, rather than after arriving? Yes? I don't need to make up a different subject for the sentence when it's laid out precisely. If it were "I'll be there briefly", would you still try to contort the words into something like "The time required to get there will pass briefly"? (Though to argue the other side, "I'll be there shortly" doesn't bother me in the least...)
Geekette 5y ago
Interestingly enough, I'm less bothered by that. It could've been worse, e.g. "I'll be there momentishly".

simonh 5y ago

I think the definition you refer to in [1] is apt. "Things that exist or are used or enjoyed for only a short time." They are used or enjoyed for a short time because the cost or burden of doing so is extremely low. They are cheap, easily accessible, transportable, convenient, disposable. These are the attributes that make them ephemera, and that Fuller saw as ephemeralizing things.