Terms And Words That Can Be Retired
I think it’s time some words and terms can be discarded from everyday use, for the sake of efficiency and simplicity. Eliminating these terms can save time and money.
Here is a series of rants in no particular order:
1. TVs. I cannot wait to be rid of the LCD/Plasma/OLED monikers, same goes for Flat Screen and Flat Panel. Let’s face it, all TV’s are flat now. As for the LCD/Plasma/OLED terms, I believe those should only be point-of-sale distinctions, because those are valid options for the consumer. For everyday use, it would be great just to call them TVs. I’d like to cite previous precedent: the advent of Color TVs, which needed that ‘Color’ distinction, but once commonplace it was redundant. Older TVs can be called CRT TVs.
2. Digital Cameras. The term digital was crucial some 15 years ago when these cameras launched. Film was dominant at the time, but is now practically extinct. I believe Digital Cameras can now be referred to as simply Cameras. The minority of cameras still using film can be referred to as Film Cameras, which would be an important distinction for those looking to insert their 4GB memory card.
3. Phone. Be it a landline telephone, cell phone, digital phone, smart phone, or mobile phone, I don’t think it really matters anymore. A phone is a phone, and it’s the only word you need. My personal opinion is that these category labels are more for vanity than for the benefit of others. The abilities of phones are only crucial to their respective users, there is no real need to clarify to others the type of phone you are using. Obviously companies will continue to employ these categories because they transform a basic necessity into a status symbol.
4. Next-Gen Current-Gen Last-Gen. For the 90′s and 2000′s the improvement in graphics and gameplay for video games may have warranted these designations. However the next generation of consoles will not be a big leap forward graphically compared to what has come before. I say it’s time to retire this terminology and just stick to the platforms when describing a game. Besides, games from several generations back are still relevant, and they do just fine without any kind of “Gen” term.
5. MP3/Digital Music. Similar to Camera listed above, the term digital can be done away with as it is now the standard. The term MP3 has become ubiquitous for all forms of digital music, regardless of the actual file format. In my opinion, MP3 is just a clumsy-sounding blanket term. I feel it would be beneficial to just simply employ terms like music, songs, album, tracks, and singles; just like the old days. In my opinion MP3 has a more singular nature (even in plural - MP3s) which affects music purchasing habits. People used to consume whole albums at a time, but we’re now conditioned to extract the odd MP3 when buying online. Emphasis on the older terms may encourage old-school consumption*.
6. Duvet. It’s a blanket. Just a blanket. Now why do guys like you and I know what a Duvet is? Is this essential to our survival, in the hunter/gatherer sense of the word? No.
7. HD. I’d like to think that when HD does become the broadcasting standard, it will be retired. It’s gotten a little out of hand, with cosmetics getting in on the act.
8. Digital Comics. I don’t mean to turn this into an anti-digital post, but I think comics should take a page (pun intended) from their book brethren. Downloadable books are commonly referred to as E-books, so why not E-Comics? It’s about as compact as you can get without resorting to abbreviation.
Do you have a term or word you’d like to see retired? Hit me up with your comments.
*Yeah there are a lot of album fillers, but a lot of great undiscovered tracks too.
Posted on July 18, 2012, in Electronics, Money, TV, Video Games and tagged Digital Media, Electronics, Gadgets, Technology, TV, Video Games. Bookmark the permalink. 10 Comments.
I’d like to see the word “shenanigans” retired, but that’s only because I dislike it so much.
That’s a good one! I have to admit I’ve employed the word once or twice, in completely valid situations. However it’s commonplace usage in politics is disturbing.
Starbucks coffee size terminology, and “Midi-chlorians”. LOLspeak should go extinct too.
I know people who still talk about a TV show they “taped”….. with their DVR…. ain’t no tape in there….
I used to be guilty of that. Maybe because I always used one tape that forever resided in the VCR.
I think the duvet thing is different in the UK. Here there is a big distinction between a duvet and a blanket. It’s even more of a deal when talking about children’s beds as there is specific advice from the government and children’s charities that advises parents to avoid use of duvets until they are 12 months and only use blankets before that time.
Interestingly I must have stayed in a dozen or more hotels in the USA on vacation and I have never slept under what I would call a duvet, only ever blankets (and often very scratchy ones too!)
ecomics are actually out there in abundance.
“ecomics” returns five relevant search result items in Google before “economics” takes over. Hardly abundant or commonplace. “E-Comics” doesn’t fare a whole lot better. “Digital Comics” is the widespread standard.
As you said, HD will probably get removed someday soon. They’ve finally retired the HDReady/FullHD terms ! Sadly, now it’s replaced by 3D and others expressions related to 3D…
Despise the word ‘downloading’ when referring to a higher level of government dumping it’s responsibilities on a lower level of government (often without the $ to deal with it) - dumping is dumping; when companies dump or fire people don’t care for the term ‘downsizing’ either.
Hate how the press reuses the words exactly how the companies and politicians want. “Restating profits” is another laughable example - either you screwed up your adding or you fudged the books. Way too much technobabble used in both business, science and technology. I do like George Carlin’s rant on shell shock vs. post traumatic stress disorder.
Like you, I don’t care for the word duvet either - if I have to use a word referring to a heavier type of blanket I’ll go with comforter. Although I don’t hear it much at all anymore don’t like the word ‘davenport’ or ‘veranda’ when referring to a porch.