What's a tech term you hate?

[Admiral Shark]

"Mechanical keyboard". I get why it exists - a convenient attempt to categorise and separate so-called "good" and "bad" keyboards and I get it's too ingrained for it to ever be dropped at this point.

 

But, consensus on what it actually means is a bit wishy-washy. chyrosran22 did an excellent video on the subject, but as a summary of my thoughts: technical/realistic definitions of "mechanical" don't help since it basically includes everything that's not solid-state like touch-screen or projection keyboards, etc, but trying to definite it based on switch properties and components isn't helpful either as most will have a different idea of what good is (given it's subjective and all). If you try to enforce "mechanical" as discrete, Cherry-style switches, you open yourself up to arguments that "mechanical" is, in fact, a lesser category as rubber dome-based Topre, capacitive-driven Model F buckling springs/membrane-driven Model M buckling springs, and a plethora of optical/hall effect/magreed switches all have sizeable and vocal support of those being the best tactile, clicky and linear switches respectively. Plus, the term inevitably leads to endless arguments in some places - I know that's ironic considering I'm arguing a point right here, but I just simply believe the term isn't worth it all especially when people use it as a reason to dismiss some switches entirely. Call the keyboard what it is and be happy, is my two cents.

[dalekphalm]

14 hours ago, ebprince the computer nerd said:

Ok, I’m going to sound pretty dumb here, but I HATE IT WHEN PEOPLE CALL A WEBSITE OR ANYTHING THE “Internet!?!?!” Just say the name of the app or something else you’re talking about, or just say Safari, Edge, Chrome, etc if it’s a browser. It really gets me angry when I see someone say, “Get off the Internet!” No, I am not on the “iNtErNeT,” I am on a game or a website! Stop saying INTERNET!

Ehh I think context matters in a case like this. Especially if they don't necessarily care what specifically you're doing, they just want you off the device.

[Rex Hite]

'Power user'  Makes me think of "Power Ranger" 

[IPD]

On 11/10/2021 at 6:32 PM, latisullivan said:

It feels like you didn't read what I wrote. I did say "even if it's not accurate". It's about simplifying things, not accuracy. If 1920x1080 is "2K" then why did everyone and their mother (including tech enthusiasts and people who know about it) call it "1080". That's 1080p everywhere, so it doesn't matter if 2K is inaccurate. Specially if the accurate is 2.5, like .5 difference is just an annoyance. I have a 1366x768 screen, which I've been told is technically 768p, but I'd always say 720 for the sake of simplicity and so everyone understands. It's much easier. 2K is easier than 1440. 

If you hate 2K because it's inaccurate, then I would assume you also hate 1080 being 1080 and not 2K?

How about we just stop using 2k and 4k altogether?  Even I'm bad about it, and use 4k when I should be saying 2160p.

 

2k and 4k apply to multiple resolutions and are disingenuous and nebulous at best.

[IPD]

On 11/11/2021 at 10:24 AM, SharktasticA said:

"Mechanical keyboard". I get why it exists - a convenient attempt to categorise and separate so-called "good" and "bad" keyboards and I get it's too ingrained for it to ever be dropped at this point.

 

But, consensus on what it actually means is a bit wishy-washy. chyrosran22 did an excellent video on the subject, but as a summary of my thoughts: technical/realistic definitions of "mechanical" don't help since it basically includes everything that's not solid-state like touch-screen or projection keyboards, etc, but trying to definite it based on switch properties and components isn't helpful either as most will have a different idea of what good is (given it's subjective and all). If you try to enforce "mechanical" as discrete, Cherry-style switches, you open yourself up to arguments that "mechanical" is, in fact, a lesser category as rubber dome-based Topre, capacitive-driven Model F buckling springs/membrane-driven Model M buckling springs, and a plethora of optical/hall effect/magreed switches all have sizeable and vocal support of those being the best tactile, clicky and linear switches respectively. Plus, the term inevitably leads to endless arguments in some places - I know that's ironic considering I'm arguing a point right here, but I just simply believe the term isn't worth it all especially when people use it as a reason to dismiss some switches entirely. Call the keyboard what it is and be happy, is my two cents.

To be fair, "optical" isn't a keyboard type the public at large actually recognizes as a type.  They would think "optical" means some kind of laser, virtual keyboard...not a switch activation type.

 

I agree the industry is a mess.  But then again, this seems to be common.  Mice use "laser" and "optical" sensors, even though they are simply extensions of one another--different wavelengths, and all of that.

[Bombastinator]

3 hours ago, IPD said:

How about we just stop using 2k and 4k altogether?  Even I'm bad about it, and use 4k when I should be saying 2160p.

 

2k and 4k apply to multiple resolutions and are disingenuous and nebulous at best.

The is need to be mentioned in conjunction with aspect ratio to be useful in any way plus there always marketing people abusing them.  They appeared when there was basically only one aspect ratio so they made more sense.  These days though with both 16:9 and 16:10 as welll as various wide screen stuff they can turn into a problem.

[Elijah Kamski]

On 11/11/2021 at 10:10 AM, NOV654 said:

Laptop screens are monitors and projectors are tvs

Incorrect, monitors are Smart Plus TVs XD

[Arika]

Metaverse.

 

Sorry, but whenever I see anyone talking about it, all I can think of is the cesspool that is secondlife. 

[Bombastinator]

2 minutes ago, Arika S said:

Metaverse.

 

Sorry, but whenever I see anyone talking about it, all I can think of is the cesspool that is secondlife. 

The impression I get is “meta verse” just means either “implications of augmented reality” or “a buzzword Facebook is using to hide behind”

Edited November 15, 2021 by Bombastinator

[dilpickle]

On 11/10/2021 at 6:39 PM, ebprince the computer nerd said:

Ok, I’m going to sound pretty dumb here, but I HATE IT WHEN PEOPLE CALL A WEBSITE OR ANYTHING THE “Internet!?!?!” Just say the name of the app or something else you’re talking about, or just say Safari, Edge, Chrome, etc if it’s a browser. It really gets me angry when I see someone say, “Get off the Internet!” No, I am not on the “iNtErNeT,” I am on a game or a website! Stop saying INTERNET!

That's silly. If I want you to stop watching TV I don't need to name the specific show you are watching.

[IPD]

2 hours ago, Arika S said:

Metaverse.

 

Sorry, but whenever I see anyone talking about it, all I can think of is the cesspool that is secondlife. 

 

This has been making the rounds....

 

 

[Bombastinator]

On 11/11/2021 at 9:24 AM, SharktasticA said:

"Mechanical keyboard". I get why it exists - a convenient attempt to categorise and separate so-called "good" and "bad" keyboards and I get it's too ingrained for it to ever be dropped at this point.

 

But, consensus on what it actually means is a bit wishy-washy. chyrosran22 did an excellent video on the subject, but as a summary of my thoughts: technical/realistic definitions of "mechanical" don't help since it basically includes everything that's not solid-state like touch-screen or projection keyboards, etc, but trying to definite it based on switch properties and components isn't helpful either as most will have a different idea of what good is (given it's subjective and all). If you try to enforce "mechanical" as discrete, Cherry-style switches, you open yourself up to arguments that "mechanical" is, in fact, a lesser category as rubber dome-based Topre, capacitive-driven Model F buckling springs/membrane-driven Model M buckling springs, and a plethora of optical/hall effect/magreed switches all have sizeable and vocal support of those being the best tactile, clicky and linear switches respectively. Plus, the term inevitably leads to endless arguments in some places - I know that's ironic considering I'm arguing a point right here, but I just simply believe the term isn't worth it all especially when people use it as a reason to dismiss some switches entirely. Call the keyboard what it is and be happy, is my two cents.

A mischaracterizon of term usage I think.  The keyboard which are NOT considered mechanical are what define the term I think, not the keyboards that are.  All of them either use no actual key movement, or use what amount to plastic springs in some form or fashion. 

[Bombastinator]

2 hours ago, IPD said:

 

This has been making the rounds....

 

 

Not at all sure it will be there forever, but it’s got its points.

[bric089]

"Bugs and Errors"

 

Really both terms are very irritate me!

[IPD]

1 hour ago, bric089 said:

"Bugs and Errors"

 

Really both terms are very irritate me!

Zelda II?

[da na]

Not quite a "term" but I hate when companies put LEDs under tubes

(Excuse the VLC player bar)

Really ruins the effect of the tubes.

[HanZie82]

2 minutes ago, Mel0nMan said:

Not quite a "term" but I hate when companies put LEDs under tubes
-pic snip-

(Excuse the VLC player bar)

Really ruins the effect of the tubes.

Agreed, especially when its the blue ones.
They so 2008

[maplepants]

13 minutes ago, Mel0nMan said:

Not quite a "term" but I hate when companies put LEDs under tubes

First time I've ever seen that, and wow is it ever terrible.

[da na]

46 minutes ago, HanZie82 said:

Agreed, especially when its the blue ones.
They so 2008

When I hear "2008" I think of Lian Li, Zalman cases, those clear WD Raptor drives, 80mm fans, and blue LEDs on those weird ThermalTake coolers that were big cylinders. 

Or... even worse the blacklight LEDs that would melt their own casing... 

[dalekphalm]

5 hours ago, bric089 said:

"Bugs and Errors"

 

Really both terms are very irritate me!

Can you elaborate as to why these terms irritate you?

 

"Bugs" is a holdover from the vacuum tube days of Early Computers - literal bugs would crawl into the tubes and die, causing the tubes to malfunction and cause random errors.

[HanZie82]

59 minutes ago, dalekphalm said:

Can you elaborate as to why these terms irritate you?

 

"Bugs" is a holdover from the vacuum tube days of Early Computers - literal bugs would crawl into the tubes and die, causing the tubes to malfunction and cause random errors.

Probably a developer.

Then i would hate those terms too.

[tikker]

On 11/13/2021 at 2:01 AM, IPD said:

I agree the industry is a mess.  But then again, this seems to be common.  Mice use "laser" and "optical" sensors, even though they are simply extensions of one another--different wavelengths, and all of that.

To my knowledge this usage of terms is the "all cows are animals, but not all animals are cows" kind of usage. All laser mice are optical mice (mice using a source of light to detect movement), but not all optical mice are laser mice. Lasers operate differently enough (e.g. the  surfaces they work on) to warrant an explicit notion of it.

 

On 11/11/2021 at 1:39 AM, ebprince the computer nerd said:

It really gets me angry when I see someone say, “Get off the Internet!” No, I am not on the “iNtErNeT,” I am on a game or a website! Stop saying INTERNET!

Well if you are on a website, you technically are on the internet.

[da na]

1 hour ago, HanZie82 said:

Probably a developer.

Then i would hate those terms too.

As a developer and hardware person I am fine with those terms but often they are misused. Like calling hardware issues a "glitch" - hate that word. That's software only.

[tikker]

9 minutes ago, Mel0nMan said:

As a developer and hardware person I am fine with those terms but often they are misused. Like calling hardware issues a "glitch" - hate that word. That's software only.

Pulsars glitch. Is this a soft- or hardware problem with the Universe?

[da na]

4 minutes ago, tikker said:

Pulsars glitch. Is this a soft- or hardware problem with the Universe?

Big Bang scripted it wrong. It's had 13 billion years to get fixed but the devs must have just declared abandonware.