Bob Balaban's Blog

     
    alt

    Bob Balaban

     

    In Theory...

    Ok, we have to clear this up rightnow! "On premise" MAKES NO SENSE!

    Bob Balaban  August 29 2009 09:05:12 AM
    Greetings, geeks!

    I've seen it, you've seen, we all have, especially in the literature around cloud computing: "On-premise" vs. "in the cloud". The discussion around LotusLive is full of this, though IBM is not the only offender. It's making me crazy, so let's clear this up right now, ok?

    Note to IBM and all marketing people (and managers, and executives who give presentations or interviews about this stuff): "On premise" makes NO SENSE! The correct word is PREMISES!!

    Don't believe me? Lets go to the dictionary:

    prem⋅ise  /Pronunciation [prem-is]: Logic. a proposition supporting or helping to support a conclusion.
    Law. a. a basis, stated or assumed, on which reasoning proceeds.
         b. an earlier statement in a document.
         c. (in a bill in equity) the statement of facts upon which the complaint is based.

    etc. (there's a verb form, too).

    Now PREMISES:
         premises, a. a tract of land including its buildings.
         b. a building together with its grounds or other appurtenances.
         c. the property forming the subject of a conveyance or bequest.

    So, clearly, the term for "I have computers of my own right here in the building" is "on-premises", NOT "on-premise", since you can't have computers hosted in a logical proposition. You can, of course (and often do) have computers maintained in a building.

    In the movies, does the sherrif ever roll up to someone's house and order them to "vacate the premise"?? NO! That would be funny, perhaps, especially if the house in question were on the campus of a law school, but such an order would not be cause for people to move out. "Vacate the premises", on the other hand....yer outta there.

    Ok? Can we all try to get this right now? Thanks!

    Geek ya later!

    (Need expert application development architecture/coding help? Contact me at: bbalaban, gmail.com)
    Follow me on Twitter @LooseleafLLC
    This article ©Copyright 2009 by Looseleaf Software LLC, all rights reserved. You may link to this page, but may not copy without prior approval.
    Comments

    1Lars Olufsen  08/29/2009 11:58:33 AM  Ok, we have to clear this up rightnow! On premise MAKES NO SENSE!

    Good rant, Bob!

    Languages have rules, that was makes them languages and not just a bunch of silly words.

    That said, it is definately time for Microsoft to vacate the premise that "Notes is dead"!

    2Dan Sickles  08/29/2009 12:16:46 PM  Ok, we have to clear this up rightnow! On premise MAKES NO SENSE!

    The compiler, er...proofreader should throw a type error on that.

    3AmyGeek  08/29/2009 12:42:57 PM  Ok, we have to clear this up rightnow! On premise MAKES NO SENSE!

    Yes, at Microsoft, there are strict rules about that. It's premises. :-D

    4Yancy Lent  08/29/2009 1:26:27 PM  Ok, we have to clear this up rightnow! On premise MAKES NO SENSE!

    What are your thoughts on on-prem or prem. I like'm.

    5Mary Beth Raven  08/30/2009 10:09:27 PM  Ok, we have to clear this up rightnow! On premise MAKES NO SENSE!

    As a former English teacher, I agree completely. Tho I am afraid that being correct in this case will garner us nothing....

    6Bob Balaban  08/30/2009 10:13:13 PM  Ok, we have to clear this up rightnow! On premise MAKES NO SENSE!

    Mon dieu! Sacre bleu! Père Lachaise!

    Getting the truth out is half the battle, mon amie!

    As the Russians say, "The shirt is closer to the body!"

    7jake  08/31/2009 2:56:53 PM  Ok, we have to clear this up rightnow! On premise MAKES NO SENSE!

    so, you're complaining b/c marketing drones don't make sense? Shouldn't be such a revelation...

    8Bob Balaban  08/31/2009 4:10:23 PM  Ok, we have to clear this up rightnow! On premise MAKES NO SENSE!

    @Jake, nope, i'm complaining because apparently they can't use a dictionary

    9doug  09/01/2009 2:47:57 PM  Ok, we have to clear this up rightnow! On premise MAKES NO SENSE!

    There are hundreds of words like this that are misused every single day

    - enormity is one. Has to do with a great deal of evil. Not size or magnitude in general. You hear about "the enormity of the significance of Obama" and stuff like that. Which is kind of funny if you know the real meaning of the word.

    - literally. People are constantly saying things like "he was literally beside himself" and other foolishness.

    Many others.

    10Tony Austin  11/11/2009 11:05:28 PM  Ok, we have to clear this up right now! On premise MAKES NO SENSE!

    Mon dieu, indeed, Monsieur Balaban! ... This is a case of pots and black kettles, methinks. You complain about a missing "s" and then go on and slaughter the French tongue by leaving off the accent in "Sacré blue" ... All I can say (as a mere Down Underwriter, and living far distant from any mass of French speakers) is "Ce n'est pas Si Bone." ... You should clear this up it "rightnow" or even "right now" ... Votre Ami (pas amie) toujours, Antoine!

    11Tony Austin  11/11/2009 11:15:28 PM  Ok, we have to clear this up right now: Bon versus Bone

    See, anyone can do it. Même moi! ...

    Of course, it should have been "Ce n'est pas si bon" in my previous retort.

    12chuck  04/01/2010 12:53:48 PM  Ok, we have to clear this up rightnow! On premise MAKES NO SENSE!

    comprise

    Most abused word I can think of in technical and corporate wrtitings.

    13Mike Woolsey  03/28/2013 5:41:36 PM  Ok, we have to clear this up rightnow! On premise MAKES NO SENSE!

    (Heh, Bob Balaban writes on the premise that premise isn't premises!)

    Given that it contrasts with "in the cloud" maybe "on turf" would make more sense.