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What are you looking at?

Please note: This page is a read-only archive of messages posted in the Word Fugitives conference of Post & Riposte.

Topic:	7) What are you looking at? (1 of 6), Read 75 times
Conf:	Word Fugitives, with Barbara Wallraff
From:	Barbara Wallraff ([email protected])
Date:	Wednesday, June 16, 1999 09:14 AM

Roger F. Gay, of Stockholm, Sweden, writes: "There's a computer chip in everything from your oven to your television to your security system. Your telephone system is loaded with them, and new cars can't run without them. Yet you don't call your oven, television, security system, telephone, or your car a 'computer.'

"The desktop 'computer' of the future won't seem quite the same as today's. You will talk to it, you'll be able to access it from anywhere, and it will be integrated with many functions around the house, for your business, for shopping (even more than now), and even with government services and duties.

"I don't believe that the 'computer' of the future will still be called a 'computer.' That term comes from the history of computers. Computers used to be pretty much just for computing. What should the future version of the desktop computer, which will probably be a distributed and integrated system, be called?"

Topic:	7) What are you looking at? (2 of 6), Read 70 times
Conf:	Word Fugitives, with Barbara Wallraff
From:	Beth Glass ([email protected])
Date:	Wednesday, June 16, 1999 09:58 AM

"Deus ex machina" shortened to "DEM"

"The IBM DEM -- A God on a crane"

Topic:	7) What are you looking at? (3 of 6), Read 50 times
Conf:	Word Fugitives, with Barbara Wallraff
From:	Andrew Dyson ([email protected])
Date:	Saturday, June 19, 1999 10:08 AM

How about "Sir"?

Topic:	7) What are you looking at? (4 of 6), Read 67 times
Conf:	Word Fugitives, with Barbara Wallraff
From:	John Posten ([email protected])
Date:	Wednesday, June 16, 1999 12:45 PM

The word will be "moate," pronounced just like the thing with the alligators surrounding your castle. Yep, heard it here first.

The derivation, you ask? Of course everyone will have a personal name for their own (Hal, Buddy, Pal, Mom will be commonly used) but the generic name for this type of universal, very personal p.c. will derive from the word emote, since the device will be capable of customized dramatic reaction to its owners pet peeves, e.g. unsolicited phone solicitations, summer nights when you've seen all the t.v. reruns. (I particularly like to conjure a virtual shoe thrown in the direction of Paul Reiser and Helen Hunt, night after night.)

The word will be initially have been shortened to "moat" to evoke the aforementioned alligators; but then the e will be added to reflect anagrammatically (sp.?) the increasing influence of romance languages on this conference (see: te amo).

Topic:	7) What are you looking at? (5 of 6), Read 63 times
Conf:	Word Fugitives, with Barbara Wallraff
From:	Michael Fischer ([email protected])
Date:	Wednesday, June 16, 1999 05:04 PM

at which, Capt. Jean Luc Picard emotes to his personal computer: mo' tea... Earl Grey... hot!

today's wwftd is...

Topic:	7) What are you looking at? (6 of 6), Read 42 times
Conf:	Word Fugitives, with Barbara Wallraff
From:	Aaron Reneker ([email protected])
Date:	Saturday, June 19, 1999 03:29 PM

Actually, I like PET (Personal Electronic Thing) from "Starship Titanic."

Aaron Reneker

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