Tag: Etymology

Technician Tuesday: Two surprises in old technology

Recently I mentioned to some younger friends that certain types of art reminds me of computer screensavers. My friends mentioned they had never really seen the point of screensavers. They were surprised when I told them the purpose is in the name: “screensaver.” Older computer and television monitors would permanently burn an image into the screen if that image was constantly on the screen. A screensaver would vary what was shown on the screen so it would save the screen.

I was surprised to recently read that FM, meaning frequency modulated. radio was much easier with vacuum tubes. The comment I read was FM radio could be set up with far fewer vacuum tubes than it currently takes with modern solid-state technology.

Mindset Monday: Occasionally Read the Experts

What makes someone an expert is often not only their skill, but their experience. This includes knowing what shortcuts to take, when, and why, and what shortcuts to avoid.

Being an expert can also include knowing what basic requirements of success are absolutely essential, but are often lost in the details. Or, they know how often the forest gets missed for the trees.

I just finished reading the book Couture Sewing Techniques, Revised and Updated by Shaeffer. Do I intend to make a couture garment? Not any time soon. Do I intend to buy a couture garment? Not unless I have a lot more money than I have now. Did I learn anything useful? I sure did. Among other things, I learned some things about how shirts and jackets are supposed to fit when they fit correctly. I learned some things about making pockets.

The biggest thing I learned was why that level of tailoring and dressmaking costs so much: it’s not because of all the handwork, but because the handwork is combined with expertise in appearance and construction to make garments which are comfortable to wear and really flatter the wearer.

The word “technology” can apply almost any skill or craft. From the Online Etymology Dictionary, the etymology of technology:

technology (n.)
1610s, “a discourse or treatise on an art or the arts,” from Latinized form of Greek tekhnologia “systematic treatment of an art, craft, or technique,” originally referring to grammar, from tekhno-, combining form of tekhnē “art, skill, craft in work; method, system, an art, a system or method of making or doing,” . . .

D. Harper. “Etymology of technology.” Online Etymology Dictionary. https://www.etymonline.com/word/technology (accessed November 22, 2022).

For the purposes of this blog, I usually use “technology” to mean electrical, electronic, or computer technology.

But there lots of fields, lots of “art, craft, or technique” which have varying levels of skill and expertise. It’s still a human creating something. And the end user of the created thing is usually a human.

“If it’s expensive, it had better be comfortable for me to use, or make me look good in front of others”: that’s why it’s worth reading the experts.