Academic jargon in use in CFCOT

[Hygro]

We at CivFanatics off topic largely discuss issues of civilization, but in the world. As such we have a lot of academic terms at our disposal to discuss what we mean. Some of them I think have entered the common discourse and we should be okay using them without having to expect to reexplain them (though a good idea to highlight we mean something technical as we use them.

I’ll start with two examples
Supply and Demand
(Weberian) Ideal Type

 

[AdamCrock]

Byte Molester !!

 

[hobbsyoyo]

I try to avoid jargon here to the best of my ability. The one technical phrase I feel doesn't need explaining is delta-v as it is usually obvious from the context. It means change in velocity and is how you measure how far a spacecraft can travel.

 

[Narz]

(Weberian) Ideal Type

What's that?

 

[aimeeandbeatles]

I like using them as an opportunity to Wikipedia them. Except sometimes nothing comes up. And sometimes I can't understand what does come up.

 

[Hygro]

What's that?

An ideal type is the imagined form in a pure version of the category of a thing being discussed.

So like in the real world there’s no perfect representation of mental models of things, there’s only the idealized form of the model with which to measure real life things against.

It’s used to compare real life things that are messy against a recognized common thread.

It’s also kind of a meta-idea of how to model things in a social science context in general.

 

[AdamCrock]

how far a spacecraft can travel.

IIRC those are lightyears ? but there is another term : "parsec" !

Care to explain what parsec is ?

 

[Narz]

Thanks. Example?

 

[hobbsyoyo]

@AdamCrock
Off the top of my head, I believe a parsec is a measure of distance by way of angle across the sky - basically it's is how far an object stretches across the celestial sphere. It's another unit of distance, about 3.5 light years.

The original Star Wars had an incorrect reference to parsecs - Han said he made the Kessel Run in less than X parsecs in a way that seemed to indicated he meant parsec as a unit of time instead of distance. In the later Solo movie, they successfully retconned this by showing that he navigated a shorter than normal distance across some sort of stellar trap which means parsec made perfect (if unconventional) sense in that context.

 

[AdamCrock]

Hey !!! ....

Han made The Kessel Run well under 8 parsecs !

 

[hobbsyoyo]

I think throwing jargon out there is an easy way to shut down debate for people that can't otherwise defend their argument. When I'm reading threads on r/NASA or somewhere like that, it's usually a giveaway that someone doesn't know what they're talking about when they start using highly technical words in broad and imprecise ways.

 

[bernie14]

An ideal type is the imagined form in a pure version of the category of a thing being discussed.

So like in the real world there’s no perfect representation of mental models of things, there’s only the idealized form of the model with which to measure real life things against.

It’s used to compare real life things that are messy against a recognized common thread.

It’s also kind of a meta-idea of how to model things in a social science context in general.

Is there a difference between this and Plato's idealism?

 

[AdamCrock]

ah well ... less than 12 parsecs ! ....

 

[hobbsyoyo]

Use of jargon is also not very welcoming. It's cool we have a regular cast of characters but I think expecting everyone that comes through the digital door to be on the same level isn't inclusive.

 

[bernie14]

In my field we use a lot of abbreviations,

• bx biopsy
• dx diagnosis
• rx prescription
• tx treatment

 

[caketastydelish]

https://civfanatics.fandom.com/wiki/Traitorfish

 

[AdamCrock]

Ha ! I knew that RX is prescription thanks to Freddy Pharkas ! The Frontier Pharmacist ! ^^

 

[Hygro]

Is there a difference between this and Plato's idealism?

Not really and sometimes we will write platonic ideal type.

 

[aimeeandbeatles]

There's a Civfanatics wiki???

 

[r16]

Hey !!! ....

Han made The Kessel Run well under 8 parsecs !

episode VII made it clear that it was 14 and Han was exaggerating to 12 .