Post #3263846 · Elektrine

@FediTips@social.growyourown.services

2026-02-01 22:14 UTC

@jannem@fosstodon.org @arthfach@social.arthfach.com It is by the dictionary definition, it isn't by common usage. What the dictionary says on technical matters often diverges from common usage. Maybe the clearest example is "computer": Most people use that word to mean a laptop or desktop PC/Mac and not a smartphone. But going by the dictionary definition of "computer", the smartphone ought to be called a computer too. I'm trying to use common usage as I'm mainly aiming my guides at new and non-technical people.

Replies (2)

@diazona@techhub.social 2026-02-01 22:33

@FediTips@social.growyourown.services @jannem@fosstodon.org @arthfach@social.arthfach.com Yeah... I think anyone who takes communication seriously, as you do, has to understand that in some cases it makes sense to be pedantic about what words mean, and in other cases it makes sense to sacrifice precision for ease of understanding. What you're doing is definitely in the latter category. A fair number of people (some of whom really should know better IMO) don't seem to have ever considered that distinction.

Open ##3263847
@scooter@labyrinth.zone 2026-02-01 23:31

@FediTips@social.growyourown.services @jannem@fosstodon.org @arthfach@social.arthfach.com It is hard to overestimate exactly how much you need to eliminate jargon from your language in order to reach a non-technical audience. And yes, that can be frustrating, as "jargon" means specific things to those who require specificity in their work...but insisting on the same specificity from everyone just ends up not working. I gave up on "hacker" a long time ago; now it's just part of a code switch.

Open ##3263848