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If they were simply differentiating between different levels of servers then I would agree. (Just like people call things "gold" "bronze" "silver" etc.) But wh

by larrys 13y ago

If they were simply differentiating between different levels of servers then I would agree. (Just like people call things "gold" "bronze" "silver" etc.) But while it is an easy word (and it's "cute") it is different and strictly for branding over something that already is well understood and known. Why do it?

aioprisan 13y ago
This is no different that amazon EC2 naming servers "instances"
- tbrownaw 13y ago
  You are in a maze of twisty little rooms, all alike. "Instance" has a very well defined meaning, which leads to some standard implications. It means one particulate <thing> out of several, which are all alike. It implies that your <thing>, and in fact all <thing>s, has (have) no physical reality. It implies that <thing>s can be created and destroyed at will. It is also completely generic. You can have EC2 instances, ${APPLICATION} instances, object instances (in absolutely any object-oriented language, and several that aren't), database instances, etc. A virtual private server is a cheap knock-off of a real physical server. A server instance is something you get from an API instead of having to hire a guy to plug things in.
  - aioprisan 13y ago
    In the context of servers, I have never seen other web hosting platforms use the term "instance," in the context of on-demand server instance vs. just give me a server. While it seems commonplace now, I don't recall reading about other hosting platforms referring to their services as instances. Can you point to literature that does? For instance, from http://aws.amazon.com/ec2/instance-types/ http://aws.amazon.com/ec2/instance-types/ : "You can think of instances as virtual servers that can run applications." That's the AWS context of instances.
nwh 13y ago
Branding. If someone says to load up a droplet, I know they mean DO. If they say VPS, I ask, where?
chc 13y ago
Well, I think it would be more apropos to ask "Why not do it?" The objection to the general practice is that it's confusing. This instance is not confusing, so I can't think of a reason why they shouldn't if they feel like it.
- bluesnowmonkey 13y ago
  > apropos Many people seem to think that's a smarter-sounding alternative to "appropriate", but it's really a completely different word. Just use "appropriate".
  - chc 13y ago
    Apropos is defined by Oxford as "very appropriate to a particular situation." That is the sense in which I meant it — in this situation, it makes a lot more sense to ask about reasons against rather than reasons for, since "I felt like it" is a perfectly reasonable explanation for the decision in the absence of reasons not to. It is true that "appropriate" could have been used instead, but I chose a different word and I believe I used it correctly, thank you very much.
    - phaemon 13y ago
      No, you used it incorrectly. It's like you're saying "appropriate to the asking situation to ask.." or something. It doesn't make sense. Check: http://english.stackexchange.com/questions/21101/does-apropos-take-a-preposition-how-do-you-use-this-word-anyway http://english.stackexchange.com/questions/21101/does-apropo... for examples. Using "appropriate" would have been better. There's no need to thank me ;)
      - chc 13y ago
        Please, people, stop trying to score points. That link isn't even relevant. That Stack Exchange question is about the prepositional usage of apropos — I was using it as an adjective. Even if I had been wrong, this kind of smart aleck, nit-picky comment would not be welcome. But based on the fact that you apparently just linked the first result for "apropos" on english.stackexchange.com even though it's about a completely different part of speech, I don't think you actually know enough about this topic to comment on it. So you are both needlessly hounding people about irrelevant trivia and spreading bad information. Come on, dude.
edvinbesic 13y ago
But the flip side is that if you call it according to a convention, then you have to live up to that convention otherwise people will be saying: "Just call it something else because X means Y and you are Z, stop confusing people". Plus, it's just one word, not a whole new language, so not really that much of an issue, especially compared to some of the heavier offenders out there.

by larrys 13y ago

aioprisan 13y ago

This is no different that amazon EC2 naming servers "instances"

tbrownaw 13y ago
You are in a maze of twisty little rooms, all alike. "Instance" has a very well defined meaning, which leads to some standard implications. It means one particulate <thing> out of several, which are all alike. It implies that your <thing>, and in fact all <thing>s, has (have) no physical reality. It implies that <thing>s can be created and destroyed at will. It is also completely generic. You can have EC2 instances, ${APPLICATION} instances, object instances (in absolutely any object-oriented language, and several that aren't), database instances, etc. A virtual private server is a cheap knock-off of a real physical server. A server instance is something you get from an API instead of having to hire a guy to plug things in.
- aioprisan 13y ago
  In the context of servers, I have never seen other web hosting platforms use the term "instance," in the context of on-demand server instance vs. just give me a server. While it seems commonplace now, I don't recall reading about other hosting platforms referring to their services as instances. Can you point to literature that does? For instance, from http://aws.amazon.com/ec2/instance-types/ http://aws.amazon.com/ec2/instance-types/ : "You can think of instances as virtual servers that can run applications." That's the AWS context of instances.

nwh 13y ago

Branding. If someone says to load up a droplet, I know they mean DO. If they say VPS, I ask, where?

chc 13y ago

Well, I think it would be more apropos to ask "Why not do it?" The objection to the general practice is that it's confusing. This instance is not confusing, so I can't think of a reason why they shouldn't if they feel like it.

bluesnowmonkey 13y ago
> apropos Many people seem to think that's a smarter-sounding alternative to "appropriate", but it's really a completely different word. Just use "appropriate".
- chc 13y ago
  Apropos is defined by Oxford as "very appropriate to a particular situation." That is the sense in which I meant it — in this situation, it makes a lot more sense to ask about reasons against rather than reasons for, since "I felt like it" is a perfectly reasonable explanation for the decision in the absence of reasons not to. It is true that "appropriate" could have been used instead, but I chose a different word and I believe I used it correctly, thank you very much.
  - phaemon 13y ago
    No, you used it incorrectly. It's like you're saying "appropriate to the asking situation to ask.." or something. It doesn't make sense. Check: http://english.stackexchange.com/questions/21101/does-apropos-take-a-preposition-how-do-you-use-this-word-anyway http://english.stackexchange.com/questions/21101/does-apropo... for examples. Using "appropriate" would have been better. There's no need to thank me ;)
    - chc 13y ago
      Please, people, stop trying to score points. That link isn't even relevant. That Stack Exchange question is about the prepositional usage of apropos — I was using it as an adjective. Even if I had been wrong, this kind of smart aleck, nit-picky comment would not be welcome. But based on the fact that you apparently just linked the first result for "apropos" on english.stackexchange.com even though it's about a completely different part of speech, I don't think you actually know enough about this topic to comment on it. So you are both needlessly hounding people about irrelevant trivia and spreading bad information. Come on, dude.

edvinbesic 13y ago

But the flip side is that if you call it according to a convention, then you have to live up to that convention otherwise people will be saying: "Just call it something else because X means Y and you are Z, stop confusing people". Plus, it's just one word, not a whole new language, so not really that much of an issue, especially compared to some of the heavier offenders out there.