I need your help.

[mangosteen]

I desire to re-route the connotations of a word, and its usage.

I despise the verb-form of the word "architect", specifically when it's used by some computer-industry Howard Roark wannabe* who wants to talk up their network/software/system design, because they are so far up themselves that they got the full text of The Fountainhead tatooed on the insides of their eyelids.

If I hear someone "architected" a solution, I figure one of two things has happened.
1) It's a random design that they want to talk up because they know it's pretty boring otherwise.
2) It's a design that's looks pretty and was done without any consideration of reality.

Assignment: Picture yourself in a meeting where someone says that they "architected a solution". Assume no political ramifications for mockery of said person. How would you correct their usage?

---

*Such a thing to aspire to. Eugh.

Comments

[catya.livejournal.com]

"designed, you mean?" is my usual.

[pinkfish.livejournal.com]

In most software methodologies, there is a techinical difference between a "system architecture diagram" and a "system design", so, no, in the parlance of their methodology (whichever one they happen to pretend to use), they don't mean "designed". Unfortunately, these methodologies only provide nouns for their workproducts, not verbs for how to create them. Hence the proliferation of neologisms.

Two responses:

[avivasedai.livejournal.com]

First, do you mean Howard Roark?

Second, some responses:
"I'm sorry, did you mean you did what an architect does? They design, or sketch, or plan. Architect is a noun, and uses other existing verbs to describe what that noun does."

I fear for the state of the English language. It's going down the net.drain. Who knows how long the word "you" will last. *shudder*

Re: Two responses:

[mangosteen]

First, do you mean Howard Roark?

Yup. Edited appropriately. Thanks!

[dchenes.livejournal.com]

I believe I'll borrow Barry Hughart for this one. "My boy, try to avoid verbs like that. They tend to produce pimples and permanent facial tics."

[plumtreeblossom.livejournal.com]

There you are... see my post/e-mails about accent coaching tonight (Christophers on Mass Ave, 7:00 PM)

[mangosteen]

I responded to you. See you then. :)

[fj.livejournal.com]

I am unsure how singling this person out would be conducive towards future teamwork. If they can put up with my idiosyncrasies, I can put up with theirs. I'd rather spare the ammo to deal with any important problems in the solution they architected. Once you are discussing that, just using the word 'design' yourself consistently from a position of earned authority and respect will likely change their vocabulary.

[dpolicar]

Yeah, I was gonna say this, but FJ beat me to it. There are better things to devote my energy to correcting. (Or, for that matter, mocking.)

[zarhooie.livejournal.com]

"May I see the blueprints, then?"

[pinkfish.livejournal.com]

It used to be an American prerogative, to verb any noun.

Then the English got jealous, and started doing it, too. Now it's a free-for-all.

There's really nothing you can do about it. But don't worry; language is far more resilient than you give it credit for.

[vatine]

"No, we are not in need of another data centre. Oh? Do a system design, you mean?"

[sethg]

Pray silently that the free market works well enough to put this person on another career path when Internet Bubble 2.0 pops.

[tikva.livejournal.com]

I've never heard it used as a verb, I don't think. If I did, I would fall to the ground twitching violently.

Then I'd run home and fuck my favorite editor. ;)

[c1.livejournal.com]

"You know, if someone slaps you on the back while you're doing that, you'll be stuck that way for the rest of your life!"

[jss]

A coworker suggested architectz0red.

[mrf-arch.livejournal.com]

"'Architect' is a noun. The verb is 'to design'."

[fieldsnyc.livejournal.com]

But that's imprecise. For example, with houses, an interior designer is not the same as an architect. Do they both "design"?

[shadesong.livejournal.com]

Engineered?

There's another, better one, but it keeps slipping out of my brain; medication. I'll try to catch it and slap it up here later.

[tb]

There would be a long pause while I tried to figure out if I'd heard what I thought I heard. I might ask them to repeat themselves, then ask them what they meant. If I just wanted to move on, I'd say something like "Oh, designed," and proceed from there.

If I wanted to be more mocking and whimsical (that never happens): "Architected? That sounds painful. I hope you got their consent. What is the best way to apply architects to something, anyway? Nail gun? Hot glue? Or is it architects in solution... What's the solvent?"

[arkady.livejournal.com]

My tack would be similar; there's be a pause, then "I'm sorry, what did you just say? You what? Oh, you mean designed." If I particularly didn't like them, they might find a copy of the Oxford English Dictionary appearing on their desk shortly thereafter, with a Post-It indicating the word "design". Quite possibly a grammatical guide might follow if they persisted.

Open mockery would follow if the first three hints weren't taken.

[tcb.livejournal.com]

when I worked at Into Networks, there was someone with the job title of Solutions Architect..

[cos]

Architects design buildings.

I don't know what a "Solutions Architect" does, but they probably design something, right? Nothing wrong with having "architect" in the title - a job title is a noun. Or are you railing against the "solutions" part?

[tisiphone.livejournal.com]

Depends on the meeting, really. In some contexts (with my dev team, for example), saying "architect is a noun, eejit" would be totally OK. In others, I might have to insert "tell us about this solution you've designed/built/removed from an orifice not mentioned in polite company".

[jirikido.livejournal.com]

hello Neo, I am the architect. My business card says "Senior Systems Architect". I certainly say I have finished architecting a solution or I am architecting an approach. It is highly conceptual in nature. Then sometimes I'm even involved in the design or logical stage. I don't mind using architected as a verb, and I do separate architecture and design always.

[cos]

Architects design things. The fact that your title or card says "architect" has nothing to do with the objection to using "architect" as a verb. If you use it to mean something other than "design" (which is a very broad word), you're creating unnecessary confusion unless you're only talking to people who you've sat down with and discussed new meanings for your local jargon. In which case the rest of us probably don't care - just don't say it to us :)

[drwex]

I think what the commenters are largely illustrating is that this verb has arisen, in part, to fill an ambiguity. "Design" - the traditional verb, is both overused and underprecise. "Architect" as a verb is currently jargony and equally (or more) imprecise. But there really is a difference in what a technical architect does versus what a designer does.

I often use "information architecture" to describe much of what I do, and say that I produce IAs. These are both nouns. I differentiate these from "interface designs" where I say that I produce "designs" or "design prototypes." So if I want to use a verb I'm stuck trying to say that I *design* an IA as well as *design* an interface. I need another verb in there, somewhere.

[tayefeth.livejournal.com]

Why? You drink both booze and water. I plan both camping trips and lessons. Why the heck do you need two different verbs simply because they take different objects?

[obra.livejournal.com]

If it wasn't something that the OED claimed Keats first used over a hundred years ago, I might agree with you.

[mangosteen]

If it wasn't something that the OED claimed Keats first used over a hundred years ago[...]

"So?"

My issue is simultaneously with specific usage and context.
This is American English.... any noun can be verbed. It's only when it is combined with obfuscatory puffery that it annoys me.

[redcountess]

"Drafted" is a suitable suggestion, unless they meant "orchestrated"?

[hairyears.livejournal.com]

How would you correct their usage?

"There is no word Architected and there is no cause for such an ugly misuse of a language when there are concise and graceful ways of saying exactly what you wish to say without it. All that you are communicating is a total lack of ability to plan and to build: describing yourself as an 'Architect' is ridiculous if you can't even construct a sentence."

[formlesspassion.livejournal.com]

I smile indulgently at you all.
Linguists will tell you that the only rule that governs the definition of a word is useage. The ways people use words inevitably change as our needs for words change. The OED is simply a record of how words have changed over the years. If someone wants to use the word 'Architected' as a verb, there's nothing going to stop them. Note how I use 'them' as a gender neutral singular pronoun to describe a single person. Yes, even the sacred pronoun is changing in common parlance and (gasp) among writing teachers as well. If you're actually interested in the development of language, you should look at the work/battles/attempts/campaigns to endorse various gender-neutral singular pronouns in the trans community. It's fascinating. It's unstoppable, and it's ultimately producitve.

Mangosteen, your idea of coming up with an alternative word makes a lot of sence. You might initiate the use of that word and see if it takes. If a word is unclear, then ask for a meaning. If you cannot adopt that meaning for the word, find another word. Telling someone they're using the word 'wrong' will not convince them, as you can see from this delightful string of posts.

[sauergeek.livejournal.com]

Picture yourself in a meeting where someone says that they "architected a solution". Assume no political ramifications for mockery of said person. How would you correct their usage?

I would probably say something easy, like "you mean designed". However, if the person was sufficiently above me in the hierarchy, I'd probably just keep quiet.

However, if the person either responded poorly to my correction, or failed to show some indication that he was using "architected" in a humorous way, I would probably cease to pay any attention to what he had to say, as he's just demonstrated that he is a marketing hack with no apparent redeeming value. If I did have to deal with his output, I would go over it with a fine-tooth comb, with full expectation of finding that it was at best inefficient, if not completely unworkable.

[tayefeth.livejournal.com]

I wonder how many of the people who use 'architect' as a verb also use 'dialogue' as a verb...