It's a matter of perspective. TFA is a history, and has a historical perspective. That is, it uses the original meaning of "balloon frame". You've been talking

It's a matter of perspective. TFA is a history, and has a historical perspective. That is, it uses the original meaning of "balloon frame". You've been talking to carpenters, who don't care much about the history but do need a name for the weird stuff they occasionally have to remodel. "Balloon-type" balloon framing is still practiced even for new houses, because it allows a lot of exterior work to be done on the ground instead of three stories up: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x_jmNLNnqSM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x_jmNLNnqSM