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Assume v. Presume

Ezra Pound said:
Wi-Ki
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Jeez, that's a new one!

Would you care to direct me to anywhere else on the entire World Wide Web where a wiki is referred to as a "Wi-Ki", or even a "WiKi"? The word is "wiki" and comes from Hawaiian for "quick". When used as a title it is reasonable to capitalise the initial letter (as per normal grammar for proper nouns). On the other hand, "Wi-Fi" / "WiFi" is a trade mark (and unfortunately does not stand for "Wireless Fidelity").
 
So what you are saying then, is that this "WiKi" crap is only done out of spite. Anything I write (in my technical encyclopaedic posts) is chosen with rational deliberation, not playground politics.

Google "USB Pen Drive" - I think you'll find it's a pretty common usage.

I do wish people would stop insulting my intelligence and belittling their own.
 
For the sake of disinterring an old horse to flog: "flash drive" is no more ubiquitous (and probably more ambiguous) than "USB stick" or any of the many other terms coined by the manufacturers and Joe Public, so for the sake of clarity and consistency one might as well settle on a single term to use throughout (as would be proper practice in technical documentation).

As I have said before, I did not personally coin "UPD", and "USB Pen Drive" (along with "thumb drive") was one of the early terms coined so is as good as any. I am open to an alternative, but I have yet to see any convincing argument to adopt one.

Returning to the original issue, EP can call "his" wiki whatever he likes, but it's still a wiki, and a consistent choice of whether his brand is "WiKi" or "Wi-Ki" would be welcome (it seems to me he is undecided) - and it is only a brand, not a description. The hanging question is whether it is EP's wiki to decide what it's called (but I can't be bothered with that, it is only the inconsistent usage that aroused my curiosity).

Mike0001 said:
Anything else would appear to be impossible! :disagree:
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Of course it isn't. But avoiding a question by posting another question (to which there is a ready answer, previously explained) definitely is (and everybody else's).
 
The 'convincing argument to adopt one' is that users don't know what you are talking about, which results in you having to explain yourself again and again, I see your latest explanation of what UPD stands for, (Link HERE), points to a description you made in your glossary. If you have to explain it, it doesn't work. As for Wi-Ki, WiKi Wiki Wi-ki etc. they all have something in common that UPD doesn't, they are all understandable, they don't need to be looked up by the user
 
Not wishing to stoke the flames of passion between you two, and I'm not taking sides as such, but personally I have never come across UPD and before this thread would not have understood it immediately. And yes, I have been working with computers for a long time.

Pen drive, Thumb drive, Flash drive, Memory stick, USB drive, USB stick are all common in my experience.
The first four don't specify the interface explicitly (USB is normally assumed) but putting USB in front makes them rather unwieldy. USB drive could also apply to a HDD, so for combined technical specificity and colloquiality (:p) I'd go with USB stick.

Just my tuppence worth.
 
Yeah, I don't like obscure acronyms either. Like AR. UPD. I have form on this! :p

However, USB is well known by everyone, and HDD well known in present company.
MikeSh said:
I'd go with USB stick.
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Or USB memory stick? (To distinguish it from WiFi, mobile 3G, Bluetooth and other sorts?

No doubt some clown will then say it is a UMS or USBMS...
 
Black Hole said:
At least I can offer a rational explanation, whether others agree with it or not.
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There is no rational explanation for using obscure acronyms. If you need to explain them to everyone, you have failed.

I have worked with computers since the '70s and have never come across UPD. It never caught on!
 
Heard recently on the news, coming from someone who should have known better.

This bacteria is...

Honestly! :frantic:
 
UPD? What the heck has 'pen', 'thumb' etc. got to do with it anyway? Even 'stick' is a little on the dubious side. Not one UMD (USB Memory Device) that I have seen looks like a pen, a thumb or a stick.
I wait with my breath well and truly bated for the inevitable links to pictures of ones that do look like the aforementioned.
 
Trev said:
UPD? What the heck has 'pen', 'thumb' etc. got to do with it anyway? Even 'stick' is a little on the dubious side. Not one UMD (USB Memory Device) that I have seen looks like a pen, a thumb or a stick.
I wait with my breath well and truly bated for the inevitable links to pictures of ones that do look like the aforementioned.
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In that case I will not disappoint you Trev. You can take your pick from this lot. There is definitely a thumb drive in there, but strangely enough not a pen in sight ! :D
 
Mike0001 said:
Or USB memory stick?
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That is one I specifically discounted - USB plus two words is just getting too long for everyday use.

Trev said:
UPD? What the heck has 'pen', 'thumb' etc. got to do with it anyway? Even 'stick' is a little on the dubious side. Not one UMD (USB Memory Device) that I have seen looks like a pen, a thumb or a stick.
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'Cool' has technically got little to do with being clever, neat, nice to have, etc, but it is in everyday use and has become part of the English language. Pen, Thumb and Stick with USB and/or Drive pre/appended are also in common use - that's the way it goes :p
 
MikeSh said:
That is one I specifically discounted - USB plus two words is just getting too long for everyday use.




'Cool' has technically got little to do with being clever, neat, nice to have, etc, but it is in everyday use and has become part of the English language. Pen, Thumb and Stick with USB and/or Drive pre/appended are also in common use - that's the way it goes :p
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I think you have completely missed the point. We are talking here about acronyms, not the full description.
If someone just quoted 'C' would you know they meant 'Cool' ?
 
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