Why do people keep saying "digital download"?

[war2thegrave]

I get what people mean when they use that phrase, but...

Of course it's digital. How else are you going to download it?

It's like stating "driving car", or "Floating boat", or "music record".

What was wrong with "downloadable content" or "downloadable game"?

 

[xist]

"music record".

That's not redundant. Records don't just hold music....much like a music cd is different to an audiobook cd.

 

[war2thegrave]

Fair enough.
Though, I have come across few records that have contained anything other than music.
Perhaps I should have used "audio record" instead.

 

[Veho]

I blame the RAS syndrome.

Perhaps I should have used "audio record" instead.

No, because "record" can have many meanings: "written record", "dental record", "criminal record", "permanent record", etc. "Audio record" is still not redundant.

 

[Issac]

Doesn't it come from like:
"It's a digital game, that you download. A digital, downloadable, game." (as opposed to "analog" cartridges).
then it was shortened:
digital downloadable game -> digital download... perhaps?

EDIT:

And then it just stuck... just like people saying ATM Machine etc. which also is redundant.

 

[war2thegrave]

Doesn't it come from like:
"It's a digital game, that you download. A digital, downloadable, game." (as opposed to "analog" cartridges).
then it was shortened:
digital downloadable game -> digital download... perhaps?

EDIT:

And then it just stuck... just like people saying ATM Machine etc. which also is redundant.

Cartridges are a digital format as are pretty much any other
format that commercial games have been released on in the
last 20 years.

 

[Issac]

Cartridges are a digital format as are pretty much any other
format that commercial games have been released on in the
last 20 years.

hence the use of quotation marks

 

[mechadylan]

Probably legal speak to prevent people from trying to obtain a hard copy of a game simply because they own a downloaded version and therefore a license to play said game.

 

[Rydian]

PHP = PHP Hypertext Preprocessor
WINE = WINE Is Not Emulator
DNS Server = Domain Name Server Server
etc.

technical acronyms wut u doin

 

[Pedeadstrian]

WoW/any other MMO: Please pst. Aggravates me to no end. I never really minded digital download, probably because it's not using the same word like some acronyms do. But, in regards to your last line, downloadable content can be anything. A walkthrough, a game, porn, etc. Downloadable game is fine, but it's just not catchy, unlike digital download. It's an awesome alliteration.

 

[Issac]

PHP = PHP Hypertext Preprocessor
WINE = WINE Is Not Emulator
DNS Server = Domain Name Server Server
etc.

technical acronyms wut u doin

Those along with GNU = GNU's Not Unix! & XNA = XNA's Not Acronymed are called recursive acronyms

 

[DiabloStorm]

I physically download my games, and let me tell you, it's painful.

 

[ShadowSoldier]

...EoF material?

 

[Vappy]

Clearly it's to distinguish from analog download.

 

[Taleweaver]

Clearly it's to distinguish from analog download.

Damnit...I wanted to be the one to say that!


But yeah...as Veho mentioned: it's sort of the same as the RAS syndrome. Though not an acronym (e.g.: HIV-virus = Human Immunodeficiency Virus ... Virus), I think this phrase is still something used by the same people who don't exactly know their shit (kind of similar to how often I hear that it's okay to surf the web, provided you don't download anything).

 

[narutofan777]

becuz u download it from the internet?

 

[Veho]

And why do we call it "digital distribution"? Aren't DVDs digital?

 

[JoostinOnline]

Damnit...I wanted to be the one to say that!

Lol, so did I!

Edit: It's the same reasons that people keep calling the System Menu firmware on the Wii. Because everybody else does it, and because people don't understand what they are talking about.