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"Virtual" is a much broader term than that with a long history. And in everyday English, it is typically used in accordance with that history. It's confusing b
by javert 12y ago
"Virtual" is a much broader term than that with a long history. And in everyday English, it is typically used in accordance with that history.
It's confusing because a lot of stuff on the computer is virtual---but not all.
For instance, we don't call nytimes.com a "virtual newspaper" and we don't call Internet fora like this one "virtual fora".
The world of Warcraft is a "virtual world" because it is a simulation of a world.
- dragonwriter 12y ago> "Virtual" is a much broader term than that with a long history. It is a much broader term with a long history -- which makes it odd that you are arguing for a wierdly narrow definition that is inconsistent with that long history.
- logfromblammo 12y agoAnd it has suffered similar abuse to "cyber-". (Gus P.: ...which is come from the Greek word "kybernetes", meaning "steersman".) Whenever words achieve buzzword status, that long and rich history and etymology goes out the window. But in the sense that "virtual" means "form without substance", it has not suffered nearly as much abuse. If a virtual currency is just a medium of exchange without a concrete physical embodiment, such as notes or tokens, that definition is not so narrow. Even the USD and the EUR are mostly virtual currencies nowadays. The fraction of the money supply represented by banknotes and coins as opposed to accounting ledger entries on secured bank servers is small and decreasing. As a disambiguator, either "ersatz" or "crypto-" would be less affected by buzzword distortions.