standard terminology.. why it is important.. Newbies and non techies..

**plasmadrive** · 01-11-2015, 01:30 PM

For all you newbies and non techies.. when someone suggest that you learn and use standard terminology for this technical hobby, they are not blasting you or insulting you.. They are trying to help you and everyone else that reads your questions or comments. Many of you come to these boards to seek help with things you are not familiar with and/or technical help that is outside your realm of knowledge. (me too BTW). In order for us to help you better you have to do some work yourself. Some of that work includes at least learning and using some basic terminology that helps us help you. When you start using terms that are not actually part of the tech that goes into this hobby, we stand a chance of misunderstanding what you are asking. In turn we can give you information that is misleading or inaccurate. From there sometimes this inaccurate information is passed on as "gospel" from one to the next and so on.

PLEASE... if you want the help of those that are technical in nature, make an effort to use the terminology that is correct for the application. If you don't know what the terminology is, that is OK.. just ask the best you can and explain that you don't know... then don't get mad or take it as a personal insult when someone tries to instill the correct terminology into your conversation. They are usually doing it to keep everyone on track and on the same page. Bad info in equal bad info out.. and again, that can snowball and spread like a rumor. Sometimes we butt in and correct the terminology even when not asked because we are pushing for standardized conversational terms...

Again.. don't take it as an insult or personal attack. That will solve nothing.. and it puts people at odds with each other and usually for no good reason.

For you techies.. It is not a bad thing to help keep correct terminology in the for front of our helping those that want to learn.... Helping someone learn starts with common understanding of what it is we are doing, using, or talking about.

I hope this message finds you all in good spirits and open minds.

Craig

**pmcpa** · 01-11-2015, 01:42 PM

There are ways to poibt out the correct terms, and there are ways not to. Keep in mind, everyone is here to learn, so teach, don't preach.

**plasmadrive** · 01-11-2015, 02:09 PM

Originally Posted by pmcpa

There are ways to poibt out the correct terms, and there are ways not to. Keep in mind, everyone is here to learn, so teach, don't preach.

It is easier to point out correct terms.. but as for whether it is teaching or preaching.. that is pretty much up to the recipient as to how they take it.. Same thing said to 5 people can be taken 5 ways.. Those that give the info should not be intentionally mean or degrading, but it depends on how those 5 people look at the info given.

My points are these in a nut shell

1. it is important for everyone to be on the same page in order for everyone to help each other..
2. it is important for those that are learning (or helping for that matter) to get some thickness to their skin.. You are dealing with tech people here. Most of us are more informational than emotional.
3. take the info as info and discard all the rest. ie... We need to stop calling conductors "cores". In the USA wires are referred to as conductors not cores.. OR... It is easier for us to understand and help you when you say conductors (US standard) when dealing with wires rather than saying "cores", (China standard). Both say the same thing.. peel out the information and drop the rest. There is nothing personal in either of those sentences, but if you add the drama in your mind, it will make it a real bummer for you and you will feel like someone attacked you.

Ok.. this is not a debate.. this was informational only.. take it or leave it.. it's up to you... OR.... I put this out there as an explanation to help some of the newbies or less technical people deal with how many techies communicate.

either way... same message.. take the info that pertains to you and/or what you are trying to accomplish.. drop the rest.. Non of it is personal

**Wayne J** · 01-11-2015, 02:37 PM

Originally Posted by plasmadrive

It is easier to point out correct terms.. but as for whether it is teaching or preaching.. that is pretty much up to the recipient as to how they take it.. Same thing said to 5 people can be taken 5 ways.. Those that give the info should not be intentionally mean or degrading, but it depends on how those 5 people look at the info given.

My points are these in a nut shell

1. it is important for everyone to be on the same page in order for everyone to help each other..
2. it is important for those that are learning (or helping for that matter) to get some thickness to their skin.. You are dealing with tech people here. Most of us are more informational than emotional.
3. take the info as info and discard all the rest. ie... We need to stop calling conductors "cores". In the USA wires are referred to as conductors not cores.. OR... It is easier for us to understand and help you when you say conductors (US standard) when dealing with wires rather than saying "cores", (China standard). Both say the same thing.. peel out the information and drop the rest. There is nothing personal in either of those sentences, but if you add the drama in your mind, it will make it a real bummer for you and you will feel like someone attacked you.

Ok.. this is not a debate.. this was informational only.. take it or leave it.. it's up to you... OR.... I put this out there as an explanation to help some of the newbies or less technical people deal with how many techies communicate.

either way... same message.. take the info that pertains to you and/or what you are trying to accomplish.. drop the rest.. Non of it is personal

Sorry, but I just simply do not agree with this.... I read this as a licence for "techies" to be rude.

The other side of the fence is.... Techies....You are dealing with newbies, please try to be patient and understand they don't know the correct terminology. Try to teach with understanding and not expect them to have the same level of experience as you.

Just to put it simply..... Everyone needs to be kind and considerate to others here, no matter your background or "label".

**plasmadrive** · 01-11-2015, 03:04 PM

Go back and read all of what I wrote. Then see if your comment still applies

**Wayne J** · 01-11-2015, 03:07 PM

Originally Posted by plasmadrive

Go back and read all of what I wrote. Then see if your comment still applies

I did read it, and I agree with the goal you have in mind, but the means to get there is where I disagree, which is why I quoted the post I did.

**plasmadrive** · 01-11-2015, 03:14 PM

Did you miss the part about not intentionally being mean or degrading?
Look, this is how many techies are. It is not necessarily intentional but it is reality. It is a perception thing not a rude thing. As you said, "I read this as..." I think you have added your own drama because it has no basis in fact as I wrote it or meant it. Get my point?

**P. Short** · 01-11-2015, 03:15 PM

At the risk of being rude and preachy myself, I think that making a post solely for the purpose of correcting someones terminology is rude and preachy. There isn't a whole lot of difference between doing that and making a post to correct someones spelling or grammar.

**Wayne J** · 01-11-2015, 03:20 PM

Originally Posted by plasmadrive

Did you miss the part about not intentionally being mean or degrading?
Look, this is how many techies are. It is not necessarily intentional but it is reality. It is a perception thing not a rude thing. As you said, "I read this as..." I think you have added your own drama because it has no basis in fact as I wrote it or meant it. Get my point?

And the same applies, you told the newbies to have a thicker skin,... okay... I am saying... techies, be conscience of how you word your replies.
You are saying "that is how we are" which means "deal with it"

It boils down to what I said earlier.... Everyone needs to be kind and considerate to others here, no matter your background or "label".

**kk4pvz** · 01-11-2015, 03:38 PM

i was new on here last year.. first time doing this.. a person on the site helped me from beginning to end. he was understanding and explained it so i could understand what i was doing.
my thoughts are everyone should be like that. its great to be able to ask and get understanding help.
i do not understand everything and someone to just explain how to do something saved me many hours of trying to read something that did not always make sense.
any way if everyone is helpful then we will have a great site.
just my thoughts.