Hate it when a software upgrade is worse than the previous version? We call that a flupgrade, or a new-coke. As in, “Skype really new-coked it with version 5.3.0.” Come on, Skype! This is part of a complete episode.
Transcript of “Bad Upgrades”
You’re listening to A Way with Words. I’m Grant Barrett.
And I’m Martha Barnette.
Well, it happened again.
The other day I loaded a new version of a software program on my computer, but now instead of being an improvement, it’s doing things I don’t like. I’d rather have the old version of the software.
Grant, you’ve had this experience.
Yes, a downgrade. You pay for the privilege of downgrading. You’re like, why did I bother?
Yeah, why did I bother? Two hours, 60 bucks, waste of my time.
And you may remember that on a recent show we talked about this phenomenon, and I suggested the verb New Coke.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. Right, a reference to Coca-Cola’s disastrous dalliance with that terrible, terrible tasting New Coke. I suggested we use it as a verb, like that new version of the program really New Coked my computer.
And a lot of people wrote in and said they really liked that idea. They needed it. There was a linguistic gap, a lexical gap.
But several of you sent other suggestions for an upgrade that’s actually a step backward. Andrew Burnick wrote to say he liked the word decovery, playing on recovery.
Decovery, I like that.
And I love this one from Ryan Higginbottom. Ryan writes, I propose the word flupgrade, a combination of flub and upgrade.
I like that, flupgrade.
So if you’re listening out there, Skype communications, I love you, but I think version 5.3.0 is a flupgrade.
I agree. You guys put millions of dollars into research. Fix this. It’s supposed to improve over time, not degrade over time.
Yeah. Well, now I’m thinking that the verb new Coke was a flupgrade. I like flupgrade better.
So call us with your thoughts about language, 877-929-9673.
Or you can send your comments and email to words@waywordradio.org.
