6
mgarg
4y

How often do you use the word "basically" when trying to explain something?

Comments
  • 13
    Very often until I realized it.
    Later I noticed I had switched to using "essentially" instead πŸ˜–

    Embarrassing.
  • 7
    basically every time I try to write.
  • 3
    πŸ˜‚ It was brought to my notice during senior year major project viva. Since then I dread the use of 'basically'
  • 2
    One of my colleagues uses 'essentially' way too often, another uses the word 'perspective' a million times
  • 1
    Actually (another word I think I use to often), I think we try to over simplify most explanations without considering the intellectuality of the other party.
  • 2
    Too often.
  • 3
    Way too often. Same goes for drawing parallels with cars and whatnot (ironic considering I don't have a driver's license).
  • 2
    @Jilano πŸ˜‚ hope you're not doing that on busy streets
  • 5
    Never!
    I keep saying: "this shit is fuken complicated! pay some attention you motherduckers!"

    and ppl tell me I have communication problems. sheesh.
  • 1
    @magicMirror nice! Hope you don't get in trouble while talking to the clients due to thisπŸ˜…
  • 1
    haha i thought i was the only one..

    At least twice per explanation.
  • 3
    @just8littleBit πŸ˜‚. Apparently you're not alone. Our examiner interrupted as soon as the TL started with "basically this project..." She told us that every presentation so far had started with the word "basically". It's fine if you're explaining something to someone unfamiliar with the subject, in front of a PhD, not a good idea..
  • 3
    Synergy is the key to basically everything, however it is essentially overused too often, eh.
  • 1
    I think this is due to the fact that programmers are very analytical. If you say always that means 100% of the time when in reality it's very rare that something is 100% the case. Therefore as programmers we rarely deal in absolutes even while speaking/writing.
  • 2
    @BobbyTables I think the fact that every time someone quotes a percentage, my immediate thought being "where is your data" supports your theory.
  • 0
    too often, basically.
  • 1
    essentially I'll go to say basically but I stop my self, which basically ends up with me saying essentially instead.

    Basically sounds like your talking down to them trying to explain something, but somehow essentially doesn't, or at-least not yet anyway.

    Now... how often are you to say "should work" instead of "it works"
  • 2
    @C0D4 I say "should work" almost every time a tester asks about something I developed. Our product is configurable to such an extent that we usually need to analyse the data dump for days before we can be definitive.
  • 1
    Please tell me there's someone here that remembers Shoenice from YouTube..."well, basically" was like his line before he'd eat a whole tube of caulk or whatever.
  • 0
    I'd say... (-∞,+∞).
  • 1
    @C0D4 Guilty of that too. I'm very careful with everything that I say. "Let's try to", "it should", "we might be able to", etc.
    It mentally prepared people for the unexpected epic failure that might come.

    It shouldn't be needed, but some just don't seem to understand otherwise that not everything in our line of works is 100% certain to work.
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