Annmarie Throckmorton, M.A.
- Jul 17, 2018

Loading Up Or Down?

When I first went online in the early 1980’s, I was immediately thrilled and delighted with the internet. I would dial up via telephone for access, and I usually got through on the first couple of tries. The information on the amber screen of my first computer intrigued me. The code I entered to get my data was only modestly challenging, which was satisfying. The results were predictable, and I really like predictable. However, there was an oddness about the direction of the interaction that puzzled me. When I wanted data, it was “downloaded” to me. This is counter-intuitive. A human being is always superior to a database, if for no other reason than we create and control database, we are above it in that regard. The data is at the base, which is below, hence the name “database”. The human manipulation of data and analysis of data is done intellectually above the database. Therefore, the data should be “uploaded” from the database below to the human being above.

Did no one else notice this?

And, what’s with this “submit” terminology when I log-on to my online accounts? I am not “submitting” to anything at a bank, a store, or what-have-you, I am opening my online account.