News for hackers. Stuff that matters.

A comment on Wikipedia users edits over 90k uses of “comprised of”. Parent comment

Re:Wikipedia users edits over 90k uses of “comprised of” by s1artibartfast on Saturday May 06, 2023 @12:25PM (#35842829)
Semantic shift is certainly a phenomenon, but that doesn't mean that it should always be embraced or is useful. There's a clear use for unambiguous and Technical language.

If you write a patent, statement of work, product specification, or contract with the wrong word out of ignorance, you only have yourself to blame

[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:Wikipedia users edits over 90k uses of “comprised of” by Retric on Saturday May 06, 2023 @12:42PM (#35843014)
Semantic drift means it is no longer the wrong word.
[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:Wikipedia users edits over 90k uses of “comprised of” by s1artibartfast on Saturday May 06, 2023 @12:57PM (#35843150)
What do you call the intermediate stage where half of people have one definition and other half have a different one?
[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:Wikipedia users edits over 90k uses of “comprised of” by nitwit005 on Saturday May 06, 2023 @01:41PM (#35843587)
That's the period where teachers tell millions of students that "can I" is wrong, you should say "may I".

The teachers lost that battle, like they'll lose all the similar battles to come, because they were trying to enforce communicating like old people.

[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:Wikipedia users edits over 90k uses of “comprised of” by sebzim4500 on Saturday May 06, 2023 @01:22PM (#35843409)
In this case, history.
[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:Wikipedia users edits over 90k uses of “comprised of” by s1artibartfast on Saturday May 06, 2023 @02:08PM (#35843815)
As my parent post points out, it is certainly not history in the legal system and other fields where precise and Technical meanings matter.
[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:Wikipedia users edits over 90k uses of “comprised of” by Retric on Saturday May 06, 2023 @02:25PM (#35843972)
That only applies in cases of ambiguity at which point it’s often best to avoid both the old and new definitions.
[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:Wikipedia users edits over 90k uses of “comprised of” by s1artibartfast on Saturday May 06, 2023 @04:14PM (#35844993)
I generally agree with that sentiment. And something like a patent the definition is well understood.

The sentiment that I disagree with is defending an incorrect or at least ambiguous word choice when there is a clear alternative. The strikes me as simple stubbornness.

[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:Wikipedia users edits over 90k uses of “comprised of” by lolinder on Saturday May 06, 2023 @02:13PM (#35843856)
I'm fine with people being careful in their usage in contexts where precision matters. I even agree that Wikipedia is probably one of those places.

It's the weird value judgements that people like the author assign to different usages that really bother me. Objectively, "comprises of" is correct usage. It's the majority usage in books published today, and it's in all the dictionaries.

If TFA had left it at "it's ambiguous" I wouldn't blink, but they had to go off on a rant about how wrong the modern usage is, and that's a problem. It feels elitist and reactionary.

[ Parent | on HN ]