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[-] Psychobiologist@lemmy.ml 27 points 1 year ago

Until recently the word "factoid" didn't mean a small bit of trivia. It meant something that sounded true or was accepted as a fact even though it was incorrect.

[-] TheHalc@sopuli.xyz 4 points 1 year ago

It's like the word asteroid. Aster means star, but an asteroid isn't a star, it can just look like one.

[-] rikudou@lemmings.world 2 points 1 year ago

Yep! Learned that word in Dune books, was confused when I first saw it online meaning something entirely different.

[-] Simulation6@sopuli.xyz 2 points 1 year ago

Meme also suffered this fate, Used to mean an idea that was transmitted from person to person like a disease.

I think the meaning of AI has also become watered down recently.

[-] Zehzin@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago

This sounds like a factoid

[-] jerdle_lemmy@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago

That's definitely what it should mean. -oid means resembling or pertaining to, it's not a diminutive.

this post was submitted on 13 Jul 2023
611 points (97.4% liked)

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