I considered some weighty content for the topic of this post: Extolling the virtues of converged and hyperconverged infrastructures, the economic considerations of IaaS, or the ramifications of NVMe in primary storage use cases. As I considered these, however, I couldn’t shake a nagging thought that much more would be at stake if I were to neglect casting another subject into the spotlight today – nothing less than the sanctity of the written word .
Sisters and Brothers, a malapropismic crisis has befallen us. It has infested our white papers and datasheets, and rolls off our tongues with such fluidity that even the most scholarly among us dare not question it. In an era of cloud computing, it is at the heart of our lunchtime conversations, as we articulate whether we’ve chosen to deploy a service in our own environment or in a cloud. It is that renowned phrase: on-premises.
Perhaps that term strikes as a bit off – not quite right… Is there supposed to be an “s” on the end? Isn’t it, “on-premise”? Let’s examine, and find clarity.
As I pull from my library the text once used during a college Logic course, I scarcely get two pages in before learning that a “premise” is part of a construct we call an “argument”. Specifically, it is a sentence used in conjunction with another sentence [premise] to establish a conclusion. Merriam-Webster affirms this definition: “a proposition antecedently supposed or proved as a basis of argument or inference”.
Premises, on the other hand, is: “a building or part of a building usually with its appurtenances (such as grounds)”. We’re of course familiar with this word, perhaps from our unruly youth, when we were once “kicked off the premises”.
Therefore, is it appropriate to indicate that we have deployed Microsoft Exchange on-premise – that is – that we have installed our enterprise email system onto a proposition from which a conclusion is drawn?
Or is it more appropriate to suggest that we have deployed Exchange on-premises – that is – in our office building? The choice is clear, though now that we have uncovered the truth, about-facing this Titanic will not be easy.
Trust me, I understand the fear of endeavoring correct what we have so casually watched slip into the night. “What if I can’t stop myself in a conversation, and keep adding ‘s’ sounds? On-premiseses! Is it worth that kind of risk?” Take comfort fellow IT professional, the truth is always worth the risk.
And so, as I finish penning this grand dogma, I find myself asking, “Is language really so easily subject to mutation – long-held definitions of cherished words upended simply upon pervasive cultural misuse?” Without question, sadly – perhaps now more than ever. But not here, not this day. This is a call to arms. Let us reason together. Let us set this ship aright. Let us add that last “s” with confidence and fervor, and reclaim our standing in the gallery of wordsmiths that have gone before us!