My objections would indeed not apply if a new term were used. You can define a new term however you like; that’s the point of making a new term. You can’t just declare that a commonly used term has a specific meaning without providing some justification for abandoning its other existing meanings.
If I wanted to argue that the definition of “bachelor” is “an unmarried man,” I could do so rather easily, by citing this for example. If I were arguing over what counts as “theft,” I could offer an argument as to why a particular act should or should not fit under the general definition. An argument like the OP’s could theoretically include evidence (of common usage, of confusion, etc.) or argumentation, but the OP’s post does not really seem to do this. It declares, “The definition should be X” and then rejects certain usages as not fitting the definition. If you’re using an extremely common word like “signaling,” you don’t get to arbitrarily redefine it.
If you’re using an extremely common word like “signaling,” you don’t get to arbitrarily redefine it.
I’m not totally against redefining, or introducing a technical meaning for a common word that is used in some discipline, but doing that and then complaining about how other people are misusing the word is too much.
It’s a word. It means whatever we agree it means. If he wants to introduce a new, ore precise set of criteria for calling something a “signal” then he’s welcome to. However, reading the OP, he seems to think his definition is the only acceptable one, which is clearly nonsense.
My objections would indeed not apply if a new term were used. You can define a new term however you like; that’s the point of making a new term. You can’t just declare that a commonly used term has a specific meaning without providing some justification for abandoning its other existing meanings.
If I wanted to argue that the definition of “bachelor” is “an unmarried man,” I could do so rather easily, by citing this for example. If I were arguing over what counts as “theft,” I could offer an argument as to why a particular act should or should not fit under the general definition. An argument like the OP’s could theoretically include evidence (of common usage, of confusion, etc.) or argumentation, but the OP’s post does not really seem to do this. It declares, “The definition should be X” and then rejects certain usages as not fitting the definition. If you’re using an extremely common word like “signaling,” you don’t get to arbitrarily redefine it.
I’m not totally against redefining, or introducing a technical meaning for a common word that is used in some discipline, but doing that and then complaining about how other people are misusing the word is too much.
It’s a word. It means whatever we agree it means. If he wants to introduce a new, ore precise set of criteria for calling something a “signal” then he’s welcome to. However, reading the OP, he seems to think his definition is the only acceptable one, which is clearly nonsense.
EDIT: ninja’d by HalMorris