Terminology

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Message-id: <199208261730.AA26010@venera.isi.edu>
Date: Wed, 26 Aug 92 13:30:03 EDT
From: sowa@watson.ibm.com
To: SRKB@ISI.EDU, INTERLINGUA@ISI.EDU
Subject: Terminology

I agree with Pat Hayes, Bob Neches, Bob MacGregor, et al. that
trying to change the way people use or misuse words is usually
more trouble than it's worth.

But the worst confusions usually arise with the longest and most
abstract words like "epistemology", "ontology", etc.  So I would like
to end my contribution to this issue with two simple recommendations:

 1.  Whenever possible, prefer more specific common terms like
     "definition", "vocabulary", or "language extension".

 2.  Try to resist using the big fluffy words and let them languish
     from benign neglect.

John Sowa