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Phrases in computing that might need retiring

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11–20 of 291 posts

Re: Phrases in computing that might need retiring

#11
post #9
post #8

Strong disagree on "technical debt" Rather, the entire world is built on it and there's some level of acceptance required, but we definitely need a shorthand phrase for "we're doing something stupid that will save us time now and make us hate ourselves a year from now" Edit: thinking on it, also "devops". It's really job title for "sysadmin but paid and owned by the software department to keep ITs fingers out of ever…

It's called a short-sighted decision.

It's a trade-off.

Re: Phrases in computing that might need retiring

#12

Sinister used to mean left handed. "A shambles" used to mean a slaughterhouse. Sanction used to mean allow, now it means not allow. It is fine for words to change meaning, even to their own opposite. Natural language has done that forever. Edit: you're all right, sanction has both meanings.

> Sanction used to mean allow, now it means not allow.

It still means both, at least as a verb.

Re: Phrases in computing that might need retiring

#14
post #7

If this were a comment on HN, I would give it one of my rare downvotes. It's dismissive and negative without any compensating value or positivity. Maybe suggestions of terms to use?

But "this" is a comment on HN!

Not sure you can downvote yourself though. Myself I don't have any downvotes so I can't help you.

Re: Phrases in computing that might need retiring

#15
post #8

Strong disagree on "technical debt" Rather, the entire world is built on it and there's some level of acceptance required, but we definitely need a shorthand phrase for "we're doing something stupid that will save us time now and make us hate ourselves a year from now" Edit: thinking on it, also "devops". It's really job title for "sysadmin but paid and owned by the software department to keep ITs fingers out of ever…

Right, and "debt" is a beautiful word here. It accurately describes receiving the value today, but then owing that time back, with interest, in the future.

Re: Phrases in computing that might need retiring

#16
post #9
post #8

Strong disagree on "technical debt" Rather, the entire world is built on it and there's some level of acceptance required, but we definitely need a shorthand phrase for "we're doing something stupid that will save us time now and make us hate ourselves a year from now" Edit: thinking on it, also "devops". It's really job title for "sysadmin but paid and owned by the software department to keep ITs fingers out of ever…

It's called a short-sighted decision.

Providing value now for a user or customer which will need to be refactored later (iff the project continues) is not short sighted.

Re: Phrases in computing that might need retiring

#17
Oh man, I wish most of this would go away.

RE: Agile 'We have to find a new way to discuss the idea that maybe we focus on the working software and not on the organisational bureaucracy, and that way does not involve the word…'

Which is rather hilarious, because the only people I ever hear use the word agile are the beaurocrats.

RE: DevOps, I still don't know what it actually means. When I first heard the term, it was used to tell us that us developers need to do our own operations. And we did. Cool.

Then it turned into 'developers need to work with the operations people.' Wait what is this just a mantra or something?

Now it's just a fancy word for 'sysadmin', apparently?

I'd probably add 'microservice' or even 'service' to the list. It's become extremely apparent that very few people have any idea what they're doing or trying to express in that realm.

Re: Phrases in computing that might need retiring

#18

> "Agile: Nope, this one’s in the bin, I’m afraid. It used to mean “not waterfall” and now means “waterfall with a status meeting every day and an internal demo every two weeks”. We have to find a new way to discuss the idea that maybe we focus on the working software and not on the organisational bureaucracy…" Yup. :-(

So true. I'm borrowing this!

Re: Phrases in computing that might need retiring

#20

> "Agile: Nope, this one’s in the bin, I’m afraid. It used to mean “not waterfall” and now means “waterfall with a status meeting every day and an internal demo every two weeks”. We have to find a new way to discuss the idea that maybe we focus on the working software and not on the organisational bureaucracy…" Yup. :-(

Sadly agree here. Maybe we can find a shibboleth. Or is there one and I don't know it!? Oh no!
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