Category: Word nerd

There’s a dialect of business diplomacy where it is considered rude to identify a problem.
Instead of “we have a problem, the dam has been breached”, we say “there is an issue with the dam”, or “I have a concern with the dam”.
Now, it is true that simply pointing out problems is annoying and often counterproductive in a business environment. Problem statements are best accompanied by suggestions for improvement. Particularly in a startup environment, you fix it, or help fix it, or help prioritize fixing it, or log it and go do something else useful.
Sometimes, there are situations where you’re trying to figure out whether a problem exists “There’s an issue with the flibbertygibbet setting — is this correct.” “I have a concern about the EastCo account. Haven’t heard from them in a while, are they happy?”
But when the water is pouring from the dam, you have a problem, and nobody’s doing anybody favors by using euphemisms.

Nifty and useful, here. via Dick Gabriel by email. Or is it Richard.

Weinberger reports on a conference session about the invention of alphabetical order, developed a new type of reader: not a scholar who reads continuously but someone who looks things up.” The prevalence of search engines is rederning other kinds of indexes less important.

Schadenfreude: glee at the misfortune of others
Mudita: happiness at the good fortune of others (apparently a Buddhist term)
p.s. got the link via a book link trail from All Consuming; I have no particular affinity for Ayn Rand!