>An "app" is a specific kind of program for a smartphone.

No, "app" is short for "application". The term "killer app" has been around long before there was such a thing as a smartphone.

Stop being bothered by such trivial matters, moreso when you don't know what you're talking about.

Could we (as in, everyone) please stop referring to something we find stupid or dumb in general as "retarded"? It's offensive.

Sorry, this just bugged me.

If your best argument for why someone should stop doing something is that "it's offensive," I will have trouble taking your side.

"it's retarded" appears to take on the place in a paragraph where an actual argument or reason would go, but it isn't. It's just a childish phrase used to indicate dislike for something. If you don't like the "it's offensive to use a phrase indicating some form of developmental disorder as a pejorative", then please consider the argument that it accomplishes and communicates nothing except the fact that the speaker / writer lacks the ability or motivation to articulate his objections.

When given a choice between two otherwise equivalent options, most non-sociopaths will choose the option that is less likely to offend their audience.

Fuck the audience. If they are so easily offended they should get therapy instead of calling others sociopaths. Offence is taken, not given.

However, if you're attempting to get a point across, you generally do better by keeping social norms in mind. Offending your audience instantly makes them think about whatever "horrible" thing you just said and not on whatever point you're trying to communicate.

Put another way, if nobody is getting your point, perhaps the problem isn't with the audience :)

(I am, however, going to steal that "offense is taken, not given" line for future (ab)use)

> However, if you're attempting to get a point across, you generally do better by keeping social norms in mind.

And if everyone followed that principle, society would never change. The perfect fourth would still sound dissonant, rape victims would be under even more pressure to keep the crime secret, etc.

You know, i did say generally. Did you just miss that or..?

The term "app" was in use before smartphones even existed, so no.

I'm with wikipedia on this one: "Application software, also known as an application or an app, is computer software designed to help the user to perform specific tasks." From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Software_application

Application software is such a vague and undescriptive word that it's better to just use the terms "program" and "software" as they're impossible to misuse or argue about.

Wikipedia uses the term "utility" to refer to programs like mount, although again, just call it a program and be done with it.

(this is just a general remark, not a reply)

"App" doesn't imply smartphones. It has been used this way since at least the 80s:

https://www.google.com/search?tbo=p&tbm=bks&q=%22kil...

Here's one of those retarded people:

http://youtu.be/RhD5lIHxCN0?t=1m29s