Minor things that bother you

[Scott5114]

Microsoft Teams will ask if you want to open a file in the "desktop app." I always thought of an app as a slimmed-down, reconfigured kernel of software for use on a mobile device.

To me, "app" is short for "applet," which to my way of thinking is a miniature program -- I seem to remember references to Java applets.

A lot of phone apps are just glorified shortcuts to a mobile Web site.

And that reminds me of a couple of other things that bother me. As a former journalist and a current PR person who has used AP style for decades, I don't like a lot of the changes they've instituted.

For instance, "website" for "Web site," "email" for "e-mail," the capitalization of "Black" when referring to race but leaving "white" lowercase, and allowing "under" for "less than."

And I have taken to using the Oxford comma even though it's been gone from AP style for eons.

"App" is short for "application program" - a program that the end user is expected to use directly, as opposed to a "systems program" - compilers, operating systems, disc repair programs, etc., that the end user is not usually expected to use directly.

Oooh! I get to be pedantic!

A compiler is an application because gcc is listed as gcc(1) in man! (System administration commands are listed with an (8) suffix, and OS system calls are (2).)

[hotdogPi]

Logically, you should argue or fight against, not with, someone if you're opposing each other. For example, in the soda vs. pop debate, Brandon argues with hbelkins against 1995hoo – "with" indicates that they're allied.

[SectorZ]

"Hip-hop." To me, it's "rap."

I think you'd know these terms were not necessarily interchangeable if you were a bit more familiar with either.

Wikipedia disagrees with you.

Wikipedia is wrong on this one.

Agreed.

Making it a simple answer, hip-hop is a genre of music. Rapping is typically the style of vocals contained within hip-hop.

We've had the genres "rap rock" and "rap metal" for rock and metal that had rapping instead of/in addition to regular vocals.

[hotdogPi]

Making it a simple answer, hip-hop is a genre of music. Rapping is typically the style of vocals contained within hip-hop.

Wikipedia does have a separate article on rapping, but rap music redirects to hip hop music.

[SectorZ]

Politicians in the USA and how they are addressed in the media - Senator Mitch McConnnell (R), KY.  Or the modern version: Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a Democrat.  The fact that you have to attach the party to the name!

</end political rant>¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Boston media puts the party name in addition to the name of the Boston mayor when their mayoral races are nonpartisan. They do the same for mayors in other cities as well that run the elections the same way. I don't know if it's incorrect to list their party in this case, but it's bugged me because the city chose to make the party irrelevant and the media undoes that.

[Hope this isn't considered a political complaint - it's really intended to be a media one]

[SectorZ]

Making it a simple answer, hip-hop is a genre of music. Rapping is typically the style of vocals contained within hip-hop.

Wikipedia does have a separate article on rapping, but rap music redirects to hip hop music.

Progressive death metal redirects to technical death metal, considering both the same. I expect no one but me on this forum to understand that they are distinctly different subgenres of death metal, and every site but wikipedia knows this. Wikipedia sometimes just overgeneralizes for convenience, and when it's a democracy that in reality is run by the priests at the Temples of Syrinx many legitimate observations get thrown in the trash because a small minority run it the way they see fit.

[J N Winkler]

Boston media puts the party name in addition to the name of the Boston mayor when their mayoral races are nonpartisan. They do the same for mayors in other cities as well that run the elections the same way. I don't know if it's incorrect to list their party in this case, but it's bugged me because the city chose to make the party irrelevant and the media undoes that.

Here in Wichita, City Council races are considered nonpartisan and coverage in the Wichita Eagle typically doesn't mention party affiliation unless it is part of the story.  On the occasions that it is, I've wondered what the basis is for saying that such and such a council member belongs to party X, since voter registration records are not public in Kansas and you need a birthdate to find someone else's details.  Also, although we have one council member (the one representing my district, in fact) who is not affiliated with a party, votes are often described as "party-line" if all of the Rs are on one side and all of the Ds are on the other.

[hbelkins]

Speaking of musical genres, does anyone refer to it as "country and western" music anymore? These days, seems like it should be split up into "traditional country" and "bro country" or "pop country."

And I remember when "R&B/soul" were combined as one genre. I actually see "rap/hip-hop" combined that way sometimes too.

Death metal -- is that where the vocals are just guttural grunting? Starkest memory I have of listening to that type of music was when a friend of mine was playing Voi Vod (or is it Voivod, one word?) I found it unlistenable.

[SectorZ]

Death metal -- is that where the vocals are just guttural grunting? Starkest memory I have of listening to that type of music was when a friend of mine was playing Voi Vod (or is it Voivod, one word?) I found it unlistenable.

Voivod is more thrash or speed metal mixed with progressive metal. I actually had to remind myself of the lead singer's vocal style (I own their greatest hits - such as the irony of a band really with none having one of those), and it's more clean vocals mixed with Slayer/early Metallica-like yelling. Maybe some death growls in some of their stuff I'm not aware of.

But, yes, death metal is mostly aggressive vocals, be it grunting or screaming, with various subgenres incorporating clean vocals in part or in some cases in whole (making for an odd mismatch vocally and musically).

[Takumi]

Speaking of musical genres, does anyone refer to it as "country and western" music anymore? These days, seems like it should be split up into "traditional country" and "bro country" or "pop country."

The only people I've heard of refer to it as "country and western"  in the 21st century are from other countries. Jeremy Clarkson, for one, when impersonating Carroll Shelby, said "I know what a hybrid is! It's like country and western!"

And I remember when "R&B/soul" were combined as one genre. I actually see "rap/hip-hop" combined that way sometimes too.

I used to see "dance/techno"  grouped together for electronic music. Neither is particularly correct; techno is a subgenre of electronic music, and almost any music can be considered dance music.

[jakeroot]

^^^^
Makes me think of Blues Brothers...

https://youtu.be/vS-zEH8YmiM

[snowc]

Somebody that offers a HIGHER price than me on a house!
The sellers declined the offer, because we went LOWER!
Can somebody tell me why people like them are total buttholes when it comes to buying houses?!

[Removed extraneous formatting. -S.]

[renegade]

Somebody that offers a HIGHER price than me on a house!
The sellers declined the offer, because we went LOWER!
Can somebody tell me why people like them are total buttholes when it comes to buying houses?!

[Removed extraneous formatting. -S.]

Because that's how it works.

[Scott5114]

If I have a house for sale and one person offers $100,000 and another gives an otherwise-identical offer for $110,000, why would I not take the offer for $110,000? Likewise, if someone like a house enough to spend $110,000 on it and they have the money to do so, why should they not offer that much for it?

It took me about five months to purchase a house, during which some pretty impressive stuff happened, like houses selling six hours after they were listed. In one case, a house sold while we were touring it (we wouldn't have known if not for the fact that the seller was a realtor selling his own house, had his email up on his computer, and our realtor just so happened to glance that way when the message came in).

[hotdogPi]

If I have a house for sale and one person offers $100,000 and another gives an otherwise-identical offer for $110,000, why would I not take the offer for $110,000? Likewise, if someone like a house enough to spend $110,000 on it and they have the money to do so, why should they not offer that much for it?

Is this actually the price of houses in your area? The first digit is 3-4 where I live.

[J N Winkler]

When a house sells within minutes or hours of being listed, that is often a sign the asking price was too low.

On the other hand, I can think of reasons why someone would not necessarily accept the highest offer for a house.  Many of them have to do with goodwill.  For example, if I lived in a neighborhood where most of the houses were owner-occupied, I was on friendly terms with the neighbors, and the house I was selling was in good condition with only light updating needed, I'd be reluctant to sell to someone who wanted to turn it into a rental property.

[kkt]

If I have a house for sale and one person offers $100,000 and another gives an otherwise-identical offer for $110,000, why would I not take the offer for $110,000? Likewise, if someone like a house enough to spend $110,000 on it and they have the money to do so, why should they not offer that much for it?

Is this actually the price of houses in your area? The first digit is 3-4 where I live.

The first digit is 1 where I live!  Only there are more of them.

Yes, there are many possible reasons for accepting an offer than the highest.  Sentimental value for what the buyers are going to do with the house is one.  Or maybe they have a cash offer while the higher offer was contingent on financing.  Maybe the lower offer waived inspections.  Maybe it was from the seller's cousin.  You could ask your realtor although it's also possible that they wouldn't tell you even if they know.

[CtrlAltDel]

Logically, you should argue or fight against, not with, someone if you're opposing each other. For example, in the soda vs. pop debate, Brandon argues with hbelkins against 1995hoo – "with" indicates that they're allied.

Well, if you hate that, there are a whole bunch of words that can be their own opposites, such as "oversight," "dust," "off," and "sanction," in addition to "with."

[US71]

Using Fort Smith as a Control City along I-49. 

[Scott5114]

If I have a house for sale and one person offers $100,000 and another gives an otherwise-identical offer for $110,000, why would I not take the offer for $110,000? Likewise, if someone like a house enough to spend $110,000 on it and they have the money to do so, why should they not offer that much for it?

Is this actually the price of houses in your area? The first digit is 3-4 where I live.

No, I was using that as an example. When we were looking at houses in 2017, our price range was $120,000 to $140,000. There were houses available below $120,000, but those were the fixer-uppers, which wasn't appealing to us, as we were first-time homebuyers looking for a primary residence. Most of those same houses run in the $170,000 range now.

When a house sells within minutes or hours of being listed, that is often a sign the asking price was too low.

It can also be an indication of undersupply in the market. I've read horror stories in markets hotter than Central Oklahoma (Denver, Bay Area) of homes going off-market both within a day and for far over asking price.

On the other hand, I can think of reasons why someone would not necessarily accept the highest offer for a house.  Many of them have to do with goodwill.  For example, if I lived in a neighborhood where most of the houses were owner-occupied, I was on friendly terms with the neighbors, and the house I was selling was in good condition with only light updating needed, I'd be reluctant to sell to someone who wanted to turn it into a rental property.

Another scenario is that the highest offer is contingent on the seller making certain repairs or alterations to the home, and the difference between the high bid and the runner-up is less than the seller expects the cost to make the repair would be.

[snowc]

If I have a house for sale and one person offers $100,000 and another gives an otherwise-identical offer for $110,000, why would I not take the offer for $110,000? Likewise, if someone like a house enough to spend $110,000 on it and they have the money to do so, why should they not offer that much for it?

It took me about five months to purchase a house, during which some pretty impressive stuff happened, like houses selling six hours after they were listed. In one case, a house sold while we were touring it (we wouldn't have known if not for the fact that the seller was a realtor selling his own house, had his email up on his computer, and our realtor just so happened to glance that way when the message came in).

Sorry Scott for the graphicness! I was too mad to do anything last night. 

[hbelkins]

Home ownership is overrated. That's not a minor thing that bothers me, that's a comment on the above line of discussion.

[J N Winkler]

Home ownership is overrated. That's not a minor thing that bothers me, that's a comment on the above line of discussion.

It is not impossible for a neighborhood of rental homes to develop a high degree of social cohesion, and indeed that is the norm in much of Europe.  However, as a country we have incentivized homeownership (through, e.g., the mortgage interest deduction)--often at the expense of multigenerational, single-parent, or female-headed households--because it is widely seen as a precondition for stable neighborhoods.

[abefroman329]

Home ownership is overrated. That's not a minor thing that bothers me, that's a comment on the above line of discussion.

It is not impossible for a neighborhood of rental homes to develop a high degree of social cohesion, and indeed that is the norm in much of Europe.  However, as a country we have incentivized homeownership (through, e.g., the mortgage interest deduction)--often at the expense of multigenerational, single-parent, or female-headed households--because it is widely seen as a precondition for stable neighborhoods.

And it's a chicken-or-egg thing, but it's also much harder to qualify for a mortgage in other countries.

I used to think home ownership was underrated, I figured renting was like purchasing an insurance policy that guaranteed I would never have to pay $X per month to live in a home, but it does have its upsides.  I don't have to worry about a landlord kicking me out at the end of a lease, I don't have to beg a landlord to replace an appliance that isn't working, and I can make significantly more modifications to my home when I own it.  And I'm not going into it with pie-eyed expectations of making a windfall when we sell the home, but if we sell it for what we paid for it, then we'll basically have lived here rent-free for four-ish years.

[Scott5114]

Home ownership is overrated. That's not a minor thing that bothers me, that's a comment on the above line of discussion.

Home ownership isn't great–it can be a hassle sometimes–but it allows one to avoid having a landlord, who in the best case scenario is a parasite who adds no value to the process and in the worst case scenario can outright be an obstacle to obtaining livable housing. That, and all of the money you spend toward a mortgage is refunded to you when you sell the house, whereas with a rental property it's gone forever.

The last house I rented before I bought was nice and well-maintained enough, but we had a debacle where I noticed termites in the master bedroom and it took them the better part of a month to send someone out to do anything about it, while the rental management company went back and forth with the homeowner (who resided in Georgia) to communicate the problem, agree to do something about it, go back and forth on what company they wanted to use, how much they wanted to spend, etc. And that was with something that really affected the property more than me. The thought of that happening in the case of something like the air conditioning going out was one of the motivating factors for purchasing a home.