What's a tech term you hate?

[IkeaGnome]

Just now, Bombastinator said:

I can see that inflation problem happening.  Has been a problem in the past with other things. 

Just be happy Intel isn't in that market yet. Super Duper Ultra Very Fast Super-Resolution+++++

[da na]

3 minutes ago, IkeaGnome said:

Just be happy Intel isn't in that market yet. Super Duper Ultra Very Fast Super-Resolution+++++

Was reading an article about Ageia PhysX the other day and this is an actual quote... 

"...Microsoft is somewhat helping them by developing an extension to DirectX called DirectPhysics; this extension will be a part of the future DirectX 10 (that Microsoft will probably call something like DirectX SupaDoowaZoowa because 10 is not a selling point -- but I'm digressing..." 

[IkeaGnome]

2 minutes ago, Mel0nMan said:

Was reading an article about Ageia PhysX the other day and this is an actual quote... 

"...Microsoft is somewhat helping them by developing an extension to DirectX called DirectPhysics; this extension will be a part of the future DirectX 10 (that Microsoft will probably call something like DirectX SupaDoowaZoowa because 10 is not a selling point -- but I'm digressing..." 

Microsoft would Call it DirectX SeriesX(10), Not to be confused with DirectX Series S. SupaDoowaZoowa would make it sound too different from the last version.

[da na]

2 minutes ago, IkeaGnome said:

Microsoft would Call it DirectX SeriesX(10), Not to be confused with DirectX Series S. SupaDoowaZoowa would make it sound too different from the last version.

Naming DirectX versions after Xboxes now huh? Getting a bit ridiculous...

shh don't tell anyone

[The_russian]

1 hour ago, Shoopman said:

I know you're (probably) mostly kidding

I don’t know if they were kidding, but I (and quite a few other people based off their other comments) hate both rig and battle station basically equally. I cringe every time I hear someone use either term when referring to their computer. 
 

1 hour ago, Shoopman said:

Mostly I just like it because it has the least number of letters and syllables.

Least syllables probably, but “PC” has fewer letters.

[Alcarin]

"Pro" as a marketing term for marked up devices with features only a small proportion of users will actually utilize. 

 

"Futureproofing", I feel I don't need to explain this one. 

[Bombastinator]

30 minutes ago, Alcarin said:

"Pro" as a marketing term for marked up devices with features only a small proportion of users will actually utilize. 

 

"Futureproofing", I feel I don't need to explain this one. 

These have come up before in this thread.  My memory is both appear to be an issue involving vagueness of terminology.  The “pro” one appears to be a marketing issue.  It appears that a market segment appeared between consumer grade and industrial grade: “prosumer”. Companies such as apple who do not specifically differentiate their industrial and consumer lines can call their upmarket segment products that encompass both industrial and prosumer “pro”. Sort of conflating the two.  Frequently though the deal is there is merely a prosumer line and a consumer line with no real industrial line.   Other things are also done by different companies, and there always seems to be marketing in the middle muddying the waters. 
 

The whole “futureproofing” thing seems to be oriented around the definition of “future” and the definition of “proof”.  Either can be taken to mean what is effectively infinity and therefore fundamentally impossible. If either is done the term automatically loses any possible meaning.  

[minibois]

3 hours ago, rrats said:

Upscaling is pretty much enlarging the pixels. In recent times people started misusing the term. They would refer to super-resolution software made to use algorithms and machine learning by using that term.

Downscaling is taking a certain amount of pixels and morphing it to an image with less pixels. This can be done with different algorithms.

Same goes for upscaling. It can be done with no special algorithms (i.e. nearest neighbor) or use a variety of different algorithms (i.e. linear, cubic, etc.).

 

All different kinds of upscaling people are talking about is upscaling, pretending something is not upscaling because it's "a super-resolution software made to use algorithms" seems a bit arbitrary to me.

If you take an image and make it so this image takes up more pixels, it's upscaling; no matter the algorithms (or lack there-of) behind it.

 

What software(s) are you referring to that don't use upscaling, but are referred to as upscaling?

[HanZie82]

6 hours ago, minibois said:

Downscaling is taking a certain amount of pixels and morphing it to an image with less pixels. This can be done with different algorithms.

Same goes for upscaling. It can be done with no special algorithms (i.e. nearest neighbor) or use a variety of different algorithms (i.e. linear, cubic, etc.).

 

All different kinds of upscaling people are talking about is upscaling, pretending something is not upscaling because it's "a super-resolution software made to use algorithms" seems a bit arbitrary to me.

If you take an image and make it so this image takes up more pixels, it's upscaling; no matter the algorithms (or lack there-of) behind it.

 

What software(s) are you referring to that don't use upscaling, but are referred to as upscaling?

Exactly and also up-scaling isn't a technology exclusive term.

Your boss hiring more workers he's up-scaling the company.

[Felipe9999]

Technically not a properly used term, but my mother actively calls the entire computer "the CPU" - I think maybe that made sense in the past but still.

[dalekphalm]

1 hour ago, Felipe9999 said:

Technically not a properly used term, but my mother actively calls the entire computer "the CPU" - I think maybe that made sense in the past but still.

This is a generational thing - basically anyone older than a younger Gen-X likely thinks of the box as a "CPU" - particularly boomers.

[jetnoodles]

9 hours ago, Felipe9999 said:

Technically not a properly used term, but my mother actively calls the entire computer "the CPU" - I think maybe that made sense in the past but still.

my mum calls pcs hard drives

"why did you build a pc? you could have built a laptop so then the tv and keyboard is the hard drive and it takes less space."

[Bombastinator]

9 hours ago, dalekphalm said:

This is a generational thing - basically anyone older than a younger Gen-X likely thinks of the box as a "CPU" - particularly boomers.

I’ve had the same problem with “GUI” myself.  Apparently because command line is so hidden in a lot of things (have NEVER run into a machine where it actually did not exist at all) the term is now just “UI” because there is no non GUI (even though there is) and developing UIs is called “UX”

Edited November 27, 2021 by Bombastinator

[Commodus]

18 hours ago, Alcarin said:

"Pro" as a marketing term for marked up devices with features only a small proportion of users will actually utilize. 

 

"Futureproofing", I feel I don't need to explain this one. 

Isn't a pro-oriented machine by definition aimed at a small segment of the market? Companies like Apple (and Poco, and...) admittedly stretch the definition of "pro," but they're still aiming at a more demanding subset rather than the masses.

 

 

Not to be too nitpicky, but speaking of terms: don't forget you can usually say "use" instead of "utilize." It's much like "orientate" in that it's just adding extra syllables.

 

[Bombastinator]

12 minutes ago, Commodus said:

Isn't a pro-oriented machine by definition aimed at a small segment of the market? Companies like Apple (and Poco, and...) admittedly stretch the definition of "pro," but they're still aiming at a more demanding subset rather than the masses.

 

 

Not to be too nitpicky, but speaking of terms: don't forget you can usually say "use" instead of "utilize." It's much like "orientate" in that it's just adding extra syllables.

 

Depends on whether “pro” means “industrial” or “prosumer”.  Both are sub segments to a degree but prosumer is often much larger than industrial and tends to have fuzzier edges. Might sometimes also just mean “with extra something” though because that is how some marketer took it.  Marketing often annoys me. 

Edited November 27, 2021 by Bombastinator

[Commodus]

50 minutes ago, Bombastinator said:

Depends on whether “pro” means “industrial” or “prosumer”.  Both are sub segments to a degree but prosumer is often much larger than industrial and tends to have fuzzier edges. Might sometimes also just mean “with extra something” though because that is how some marketer took it.  Marketing often annoys me. 

The tricky bit is that some companies, including Apple, often mean both. AirPods Pro? Definitely prosumer, and professionals wouldn't even consider them for reference listening.  But the iPhone 13 Pro has or is getting some features that only really appeal to pros (ProRes video, Cinematic Mode, etc.), and the Mac Pro is a "no really, only buy this if you're a professional" machine. The MacBook Pro series sits in the middle where it could theoretically handle both camps.

[Bombastinator]

1 hour ago, Commodus said:

The tricky bit is that some companies, including Apple, often mean both. AirPods Pro? Definitely prosumer, and professionals wouldn't even consider them for reference listening.  But the iPhone 13 Pro has or is getting some features that only really appeal to pros (ProRes video, Cinematic Mode, etc.), and the Mac Pro is a "no really, only buy this if you're a professional" machine. The MacBook Pro series sits in the middle where it could theoretically handle both camps.

Yeah apple doesn’t have 3 lines just 2 so “pro” is both prosumer and industrial for them, and tends to vary by model.   Can be annoying.  Apple is frequently a “look before you leap” thing because of that.

[Tan3l6]

The term is "open mouth" - about 75% of the thumbnails of my YT subscriptions that show human face, have (surprised) open mouths.

I've been wondering why the surprised/funny open mouth is a thing but I guess I won't get to the bottom of this. It is what it is.

[Bombastinator]

15 minutes ago, Tan3l6 said:

The term is "open mouth" - about 75% of the thumbnails of my YT subscriptions that show human face, have (surprised) open mouths.

I've been wondering why the surprised/funny open mouth is a thing but I guess I won't get to the bottom of this. It is what it is.

Might mean something or be thought to mean something.  There are lots of people who are much better at reading facial expressions than me.

[Tan3l6]

Just an example form the latest faces:

Spoiler

 

I do realise people need to breathe through open mouth some times, yet the "open mouth" fad is very prevalent...

 

3 minutes ago, Caroline said:

you mean the soyface

I have no idea.

 

[Bombastinator]

1 minute ago, Caroline said:

you mean the soyface

 

that's just the average smartphone user with extra steps

 

 

This made me think of that “idiocracy” movie.

[IPD]

"pro" is an overused term because of bandwagon appeal.  Not because it's actual high-quality or something a professional-worth-their-salt would actually use.  They want to sell the panache of "professional" to the troglodyte mouth-breathers.

 

Ironically, this happens a lot among many brands.  My personal favorite was GMC's "We Are Professional Grade" ad campaign; which had The Who's "Eminence Front" playing as the background music...For a brand that is nothing more than Chevy's with different cosmetics.  I mean, you can't make this stuff up.  No idea how that got through marketing.

[Bombastinator]

4 minutes ago, IPD said:

"pro" is an overused term because of bandwagon appeal.  Not because it's actual high-quality or something a professional-worth-their-salt would actually use.  They want to sell the panache of "professional" to the troglodyte mouth-breathers.

 

Ironically, this happens a lot among many brands.  My personal favorite was GMC's "We Are Professional Grade" ad campaign; which had The Who's "Eminence Front" playing as the background music...For a brand that is nothing more than Chevy's with different cosmetics.  I mean, you can't make this stuff up.  No idea how that got through marketing.

Sounds like you’re describing “prosumer” my favorite example of “prosumer” was a drill that had metal exterior pieces but critical parts inside were still plastic.

[jetnoodles]

just go on the Linus tech tips channel, you'll find a lot of those.

[Bombastinator]

3 hours ago, IPD said:

"pro" is an overused term because of bandwagon appeal.  Not because it's actual high-quality or something a professional-worth-their-salt would actually use.  They want to sell the panache of "professional" to the troglodyte mouth-breathers.

 

Ironically, this happens a lot among many brands.  My personal favorite was GMC's "We Are Professional Grade" ad campaign; which had The Who's "Eminence Front" playing as the background music...For a brand that is nothing more than Chevy's with different cosmetics.  I mean, you can't make this stuff up.  No idea how that got through marketing.

They probably thought the thing up. Or paid an ad company to do so which is sort of the same but even less imaginative