Wi do technical writers keep doing this?

[Modelworks]

Just wait for the HD WIFI connections. Now with 3D HD WIFI that transmits your signal in 3d !


What you are reading is marketing . If the word used will sell it they don't care .

 

[Humpy]

LOL @ nerds.

 

[gorcorps]

It's a name... use it and shut yer yap. People also say "google it", so should they stop and say "partake in opening your browser of choice, and direct it towards a search engine that fits your needs". No they shouldn't as it's quick and easy, like yer mum. You know what it means so why complain?

Back in my day you had to be plugged into a fucking wall to see tits. It also took a long ass time, and even then they didn't move. Now all you kids can google "tits" wherever you want in the house and get videos. And you bitch about the trademarked name? It's a glorious time we live in. Embrace it and bask in the glory of unshackled pornography.

 

[SphinxnihpS]

See this system here? This is Hi-Fi... high fidelity. What that means is that it's the highest quality fidelity.

 

[vi edit]

Just wait for the HD WIFI connections. Now with 3D HD WIFI that transmits your signal in 3d !


What you are reading is marketing . If the word used will sell it they don't care .

I hold off until they are up to the XTREME! release of any product. If it has XTREME in the title you know it has to be good.

 

[Perknose]

See this system here? This is Hi-Fi... high fidelity. What that means is that it's the highest quality fidelity.

:hmm:

I always thought "high fidelity" was the hallmark of the committed stoner! :biggrin:

 

[zinfamous]

maybe it's the same reason that people think "DVD" stands for anything other than "DVD?"

:\

 

[guyver01]

maybe it's the same reason that people think "DVD" stands for anything other than "DVD?"

:\

it stands for Dont View Disks

 

[zinfamous]

See this system here? This is Hi-Fi... high fidelity. What that means is that it's the highest quality fidelity.

hehe, I was about to go searching for that clip.

 

[zinfamous]

You're all wrong, it stands for "wireless fisting" Everyone knows this.

hehe.

 

[guyver01]

It's us old timers who call it wireless. Cellular is called "cellular".

no.. cellular is called "cordless"

we go into those verizon stores and ask if they have those new fangled cordless phone thingies.

 

[SphinxnihpS]

:hmm:

I always thought "high fidelity" was the hallmark of the committed stoner! :biggrin:

I thought everyone had seen Boogie Nights!()

Feel feel feel feel feeeeeeeeeeel, feel my heeeeat (feel my heat).:awe:

 

[CZroe]

The meaning of the abbreviation is completely unnecessary as long as people realize what it is referencing. It's irrelevant whether Wi-Fi is short for "wireless fidelity" as long as everyone realizes it describes a wireless networking technology. Most people I know think DVD stands for "digital video disc," but the V is actually short for "versatile." Does that mean they don't know what a DVD is? BD is the accepted abbreviation for Blu-ray, but that doesn't mean that people who use BR don't know what the technology is. It's a semantic debate, and it's largely meaningless.

That said, if someone factually states that "Wi-Fi" stands for "wireless fidelity," it is worth pointing out that the history of the term does not back up that factual claim. We all know what Wi-Fi is and what it refers to; misrepresenting the history of the abbreviation in a matter-of-fact way doesn't change anything. Ultimately, it's a trivial point.

But yes, someone probably should tell those various publications that "wireless fidelity" has fallen out of favor. Doesn't anyone do any fact-checking any more?

in 1999, the DVD Forum stated that the format name was simply the three letters "DVD" and did not stand for anything.[15]

"Wireless Fidelity" never promoted understanding and was NEVER an appropriate explanation of what "Wi-Fi" meant, so the "as long as people know what it means" means that they should not have ever tried to give it false meaning.

 

[CZroe]

no.. cellular is called "cordless"

we go into those verizon stores and ask if they have those new fangled cordless phone thingies.

I remember when an idiot neighborhood girl would ask me to bring out my family's "cellular phone" when she meant "cordless phone." This was around 1993-1995 and she did it almost daily, sometimes multiple times a day. I corrected her EVERY SINGLE TIME and she never stopped making that stupid mistake.

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

I would be interested in discovering which tech companies actually employ technical writers. When I worked for Motorola, unit managers wrote copy. Since they didn't get paid for it and it was simply added to their other duties, they regularly dashed off crap laden with buzz words because that's what upper management liked to see.

 

[Ichinisan]

The meaning of the abbreviation is completely unnecessary as long as people realize what it is referencing. It's irrelevant whether Wi-Fi is short for "wireless fidelity" as long as everyone realizes it describes a wireless networking technology.

This. Why do so many go around saying "WiFi = wireless fidelity" like it's some kind of useful fact? ...that's my peeve.

Most people I know think DVD stands for "digital video disc," but the V is actually short for "versatile." Does that mean they don't know what a DVD is?

When the format was first conceived, long before it was finalized, it stood for "video." It was later changed to "versatile." However, they claim it doesn't mean anything so they could trademark the letters themselves. Otherwise, unauthorized manufacturer's could print "DVD" on their product and not pay the license. Then they'd just say "It's not infringing. It stands for something else."

BD is the accepted abbreviation for Blu-ray, but that doesn't mean that people who use BR don't know what the technology is. It's a semantic debate, and it's largely meaningless.

Agree 100%.

That said, if someone factually states that "Wi-Fi" stands for "wireless fidelity," it is worth pointing out that the history of the term does not back up that factual claim. We all know what Wi-Fi is and what it refers to; misrepresenting the history of the abbreviation in a matter-of-fact way doesn't change anything. Ultimately, it's a trivial point.

Yup. And it's a silly waste of space to keep re-printing a useless "fact" like "WiFi = wireless fidelity."

 

[Ichinisan]

It's a name... use it and shut yer yap.

I use it all the time. I think you missed something in what I said.

"WiFi" is a perfectly acceptable, trademarked name for an interoperability standard.

 

[BoomerD]

well actually since fidelity means loyalty or or being part of or membership...
Wifi would technically mean wireless networking, or wireless internet...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fidelity

Fidelity also denotes how accurate a copy is to its source. For example, a worn gramophone record will have a lower fidelity than one in good condition, and a recording made by a low budget record company in the early 20th century is likely to have significantly less audio fidelity than a good modern recording.

The computer age has spawned the term Wi-Fi in reference to certain groups of wireless electronic devices. While the term Wi-Fi has been popularly taken to be an abbreviation of 'wireless fidelity', Wi-Fi is in fact a commercial brand owned by the Wi-Fi Alliance, and has nothing to do with fidelity as a concept.

 

[fire400]

it's common language. technical writers know this.

 

[Ichinisan]

it's common language. technical writers know this.

"WiFi" is common language. "Wireless fidelity" is not. "Wireless fidelity" is nonsense and doesn't mean anything.

Ugh, people. READING COMPREHENSION!

 

[mizzou]

these are kind of arguments that brought me to AT community

 

[Ichinisan]

these are kind of arguments that brought me to AT community

I don't think there's an argument here. A lot of people agree with me, but they somehow think I disagree or dislike the use of "WiFi."

Like I said: "Reading comprehension, people!" Gawd.

 

[spidey07]

"WiFi" is common language. "Wireless fidelity" is not. "Wireless fidelity" is nonsense and doesn't mean anything.

Ugh, people. READING COMPREHENSION!

This goes to my point about folks in the wireless LAN arena. If you call it "Wi-Fi" we assume you are an idiot and haven't been working in this field for very long. If you call it "Wi-Fi" we assume you're stupid and are new to networking.

But for brand recognition, the wi-fi alliance has done a good job. You see it in this thread.

Still makes my skin crawl when folks refer to wireless LAN networking at "wi-fi".

"But we can use wi-fi!"

"Ummm, it's wireless LAN you fucking idiot"

Dispute me all you want on this, only shows the power of marketing. Nobody with a lick of intelligence or experience calls it "wi-fi", to do so exposes them as stupid.

 

[Ichinisan]

This goes to my point about folks in the wireless LAN arena. If you call it "Wi-Fi" we assume you are an idiot and haven't been working in this field for very long. If you call it "Wi-Fi" we assume you're stupid and are new to networking.

But for brand recognition, the wi-fi alliance has done a good job. You see it in this thread.

Still makes my skin crawl when folks refer to wireless LAN networking at "wi-fi".

"But we can use wi-fi!"

"Ummm, it's wireless LAN you fucking idiot"

Dispute me all you want on this, only shows the power of marketing. Nobody with a lick of intelligence or experience calls it "wi-fi", to do so exposes them as stupid.

Wow. Something's wrong with you. WiFi(tm) is perfectly acceptable and universally understood. It's fine to use as long as you don't try to say that it means anything other than "certified, inter-operable 802.11x network devices."

I was one of the earliest adopters, using adhoc 802.11b PCMCIA cards before you could buy a wireless router / AP at any retail store.

 

[Crono]

It's certification branding.

It's not meant to be a very accurate technical description, and it's certainly memorable enough.