Cold reading sounds pretty negative. Cold reading is a technique used by mentalists, psychics, fortune-tellers, mediums and illusionists to dupe their marks. If you want to go with a negative comparison, perhaps consider Tasseography ;-)
I chose that phrase for its precision, not its emotional valence; were there a more neutral yet readily understandable term, I would have picked it instead.
I chose that phrase for its precision, not its emotional valence; were there a more neutral yet readily understandable term, I would have picked it instead.
For a start, “cold” seems as though it would often be wrong. It isn’t “cold” reading when you have a medical history in front of you.