Comments on: The terminology of compatibility http://joe.definitelynotsafe.com/the-terminology-of-compatibility Missing the point since 1986 Tue, 13 Sep 2011 18:05:43 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: Rick Auricchio http://joe.definitelynotsafe.com/the-terminology-of-compatibility/comment-page-1#comment-120 Rick Auricchio Sun, 17 Sep 2006 16:42:31 +0000 http://joe.definitelynotsafe.com/?p=129#comment-120 Something like "We designed Blue-Ray media and formats to be compatible with existing DVD players?" Doesn't the word "compatible" by itself work?<br /> <br /> Of course, one could ask that they define "compatible." So they would more like state the media was designed to be played on existing equipment. Something like “We designed Blue-Ray media and formats to be compatible with existing DVD players?” Doesn’t the word “compatible” by itself work?

Of course, one could ask that they define “compatible.” So they would more like state the media was designed to be played on existing equipment.

]]> By: jauricchio http://joe.definitelynotsafe.com/the-terminology-of-compatibility/comment-page-1#comment-119 jauricchio Fri, 15 Sep 2006 17:24:46 +0000 http://joe.definitelynotsafe.com/?p=129#comment-119 You're right, I used a bad example. Of course DVD players don't konw a thing about Blu-Ray; that was just a hypothetical to demonstrate the meaning of forward compatibility, and to show that it's not the word I'm looking for.<br /> <br /> Forward and backward compatibility both have a point of view embedded within them: forward compatibility is from the POV of the old system, and backward compatibility is from the POV of the new system. I'm looking for a word that means the same as forward compatible but from the POV of the new system. You’re right, I used a bad example. Of course DVD players don’t konw a thing about Blu-Ray; that was just a hypothetical to demonstrate the meaning of forward compatibility, and to show that it’s not the word I’m looking for.

Forward and backward compatibility both have a point of view embedded within them: forward compatibility is from the POV of the old system, and backward compatibility is from the POV of the new system. I’m looking for a word that means the same as forward compatible but from the POV of the new system.

]]> By: Rick Auricchio http://joe.definitelynotsafe.com/the-terminology-of-compatibility/comment-page-1#comment-118 Rick Auricchio Wed, 13 Sep 2006 17:33:01 +0000 http://joe.definitelynotsafe.com/?p=129#comment-118 Part of the problem stems from point-of-view. You can say that Blu-Ray discs are compatible with DVD players; this means Blu-Ray discs were designed to be playable in DVD players.<br /> <br /> If you change POV to the "other side" of the equation, then the compatibility terminology may be different.<br /> <br /> I don't agree with your statement that a DVD player was designed to play Blu-Ray with degreadation. The DVD player designers were not clairvoyant; they designed the DVD player to play DVDs. They also made DVD players backward-compatible with CDs (because DVD players read CDs). But it was the Blu-Ray disc designers who created the Blu-Ray media to be backward-compatible with the DVD player.<br /> <br /> <br /> Forward compatibility as cited in FOLDOC, e.g. a web browser ignoring unrecognized HTML tags, makes sense. No clairvoyance needed: You simply ignore what you don't understand and hope for the best. Part of the problem stems from point-of-view. You can say that Blu-Ray discs are compatible with DVD players; this means Blu-Ray discs were designed to be playable in DVD players.

If you change POV to the “other side” of the equation, then the compatibility terminology may be different.

I don’t agree with your statement that a DVD player was designed to play Blu-Ray with degreadation. The DVD player designers were not clairvoyant; they designed the DVD player to play DVDs. They also made DVD players backward-compatible with CDs (because DVD players read CDs). But it was the Blu-Ray disc designers who created the Blu-Ray media to be backward-compatible with the DVD player.

Forward compatibility as cited in FOLDOC, e.g. a web browser ignoring unrecognized HTML tags, makes sense. No clairvoyance needed: You simply ignore what you don’t understand and hope for the best.

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