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That may be so, but its active usage in one social group does not justify the discourtesy of its usage, especially in a professional setting.


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Yet I’ve seen people use the opposite definitions professionally. IMO it’s not the kind of thing that’s worth trying to get people to change.

[1] Absolutely. The insinuation is the "wrong people" are not supposed to use it.

I just think it’s sometimes used when it shouldn’t be.

If a phrase is generally used by specialists it's not generally used.

Yes. Some people use it wrong in a professional setting and it's really hard to correct without basically building a blacklist of cases where they used it wrong.

Regardless of how it is often used (and I would disagree with your assertion in this case), if you're not using it as an expression of frustration in the presentation, it's completely fine.

I think it's fair to say it's in a transitional phase at worst and while it would be ideal to avoid one cannot assume the connotation in every single use.

I figured that but agree with you. I generally wouldn't use that meaning but it's not like I'm going to fight about it being used.

Popular incorrect use of a word doesn't make it acceptable usage, especially when it occludes an important distinction.

There are many of reasons why I'm not going to calmly agree with the audacious claim that 'both uses are acceptable today'.

Whether it is ‘objectively’ so or not has little to do with professionalism, which kind of makes my point (which is that an important concept is falling into disrepair because the word for it is being misused). Anyway it seems I offended you, for which I apologise. My ire was roused by the usage, not the writer. I have no doubt I do worse often enough.

Then it is a wrong use of terms.

The academic usage of the word cult is quite different than the common usage, the common usage is the one that has relatively recently acquired a deragatory meaning.

I’m not in favor of taking words, misusing them, and then taking that misuse as standard and saying nobody should use them.


You're right, even if this usage may be perfectly acceptable, if it gives a lot of people the wrong idea it's probably time to change.

That may be what it means academically, but it is ABSOLUTELY NOT how it's used casually.

This is true, and there are some other usages, but it’s still not widely used and in my opinion it should be

I don't think usage implies some sort of favorable opinion. They don't really have a choice. Many people may not even realize what is happening.

Right; that was intended to mean that people sometimes use them for disagreement, despite that they probably shouldn't. Any thoughts on a better wording?

I don't think anyone would take offense to that term. It is used in a professional context quite frequently. Everyone knows what the word means.
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