Proliferating neologisms
Within the last year or three, I've noticed a flurry of technology neologisms such as AgriTech (aka AgTech, even AgroTech), EcoTech (aka GreenTech), EdTech, FinTech, FoodTech, GovTech, HealthTech (aka MedTech), LegalTech, RegTech, RetailTech and no doubt others, joining BioTech (or more accurately biotech) that became cool back when I was still in school, several decades ago - not long after the wheel had been invented and our tools were made of flint.
While these terms presumably make sense within the context of a given piece of writing, out of context they can be confusing. Even within some fields (such as agricultural and medical technologies), alternative but equivalent terms are used.
Furthermore, tech or technology is usually, if not always, short for information technology, or computer technology, or digital technology - as opposed to its use in a general or engineering sense. However, it may include other tech fields such as Operational Technology, Smart Technology, Virtual Technology, Network Technology and Mobile Technology [which are usually just abbreviated but I guess might become OpTech, SmarTech, VirTech, NeTech and MobTech ...].
I suspect we are witnessing the rise of yet another broad branding/marketing-driven movement to differentiate products, implying that they are sexy, new and high-tech (yes, well-spotted: that's another prehistoric neologism!) i.e. cutting-edge and therefore worth investigating and investing in (= buying).
Worse still, I occasionally spot digi terms emerging as well, casually referring to digital technologies e.g. digicredit, digigold, digiservice i.e. computing again.
Oh and that reminds me: aside from smartphone, is anyone still using smart in the same manner as tech or digi? I smart when I hear that one too.
Have we learned nothing from our linguistic muddles such as "data", "cyber" and "AI"?
I'm doing my level best to keep up with and force a lid on the slop through the changes page on this website.
... and, yes, before anyone brings it up, "cybersecurity" is a deliberately ironic and provocative part of the book's title.
PS I am not referring to any formally registered trademarks here.
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