Hi Stephen et al.:

     Your point is well taken, Stephen.  However, you might well ponder
this question: Does a word only "exist" if Oxford or Merriam-Webster
include it in a dictionary?
     If so, there are literally thousands of words that do not "exist".
(Also, in some cases, it depends upon the dictionary you are using.)
Slang words/terms develop years, decades, sometimes centuries before any
dictionary will admit it is actually a word/term.  Sounds like you are
very much in favor of an organization, like the French "Academie
Francaise", to make rulings concerning the legitimacy of language.  Who
can make rules about how language is used?
     As I wrote above, your point is well taken.  If people expect to be
understood, they must use the language their desired audience will
understand.  So, as I wrote in my last message, you were probably not
included in the desired audience.  Therefore, the real question is: Why
do you feel you must understand every message?

Yours truly,

Jay Heuman

Stephen wrote:
> I think my original fontificied verbalizatory dataset (comment) is
being
> taken to new zenicentric longitudes (heights). My only point was that
> interoperability is not a word in the English language. Neither is
> metadata, and especially metadata vocabularies. It's not a matter of
> "understanding every message", but it is a matter of when it
> is and when it is not necessary to introduce new terminology. My Ph.D.
is in
> physics. There's gads of jargon in physics, but it may all be looked
up in any
> standard or scientific dictionary.
> The phrase "quantum chromodynamics", for example, was invented
> because there was a need to label an entirely new phenomenon and
> associated field of study. There was no choice. I still read many
articles
> which baffle me, but a quick check in any number of reference books
> clears it all up. I'm afraid "compatibility" and "spread sheet" (or
how
> about matrix?) will do just fine for many years to come. I've been in
> science long enough now (and museum work to a lesser extent) to know
> if you want to retain the interest and respect of the public and your
> peers, you need to speak concisely and plainly.
> metaregards,
> Steve

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