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How to Write Definitions for New Technologies

Use these eight rules to clearly define new technologies as part of your awareness and education efforts. After describing the rules, I will explain how the below definition for Edge Platforms follows all of them.

Edge platforms leverage distributed infrastructure to deliver content, computing, and security closer to end devices, lowering latencies, offloading networks and improving performance.

The eight rules for writing definitions

Having to regularly define new products or new categories, I always turn to the formal rules of writing a definition. It’s my sure-fire way of making sure that I’m consistently writing clearly and concisely.

A definition must be:

1. Encompassing

The definition must be both exhaustive and exclusive. This means that the definition must not be too wide – to include aspects which are not in scope; or too narrow – to exclude aspects that are in scope.

  • Serverless computing allows developers to consume resources on a pay-as-you-go basis. Too narrow – there is more to serverless than just the pricing model.
  • Serverless computing is a model of outsourcing infrastructure. Too wide – there are other models of outsourcing infrastructure.

2. Essential

The definition must express the essential points of the term you are defining.

  • Network Function Virtualization allows for easier management of networking resources. While it is true, this definition misses the point of NFV, namely that it abstracts the capabilities of a physical appliance into a virtual construct.

3. Not circular

My favorite one – a definition must not contain the term that is being defined.

  • The Internet of Things connects everyday things to the internet.

4. Replaceable

The defined term must be able to be replaced with its definition. This is a great test to see whether the definition holds up.

  • Multi-factor Authentication (MFA) is a credential verification method that requires the provisioning of two or more verification factors to gain access to an IT resource.
  • I always need to go through MFA when I log in.
  • I always need to go through the authentication method that requires the provisioning of two or more verification factors to gain access to an IT resource when I login.

5. Positive

My second favorite one – you must say what a term is, rather than what it isn’t.

  • Autonomous vehicles are not driven by humans.

6. Industry-specific

The definition must be written in the context of the industry. For example, access controls for buildings is different from access controls for IT resources.

7. Clear

The definition must not contain figures of speech, metaphors, or ambiguities.

  • DevOps is every IT manager’s dream

8. Objective

The definition should not contain marketing speak, epithets, or hyperbolae

  • Intent-based networking is a world-leading solution that can instantaneously provision fully optimized networking configurations for break-neck speeds.

Applying the eight rules

Now, let’s compare these rules against the definition from the GigaOm Report on Edge Platforms:

Edge platforms leverage distributed infrastructure to deliver content, computing, and security closer to end devices, lowering latencies, offloading networks and improving performance.

  • Encompassing – it describes at a high level the whole Edge Platforms space, which includes content, compute and security.
  • Essential – it notes the focus on geographically distributed infrastructure
  • Not circular – the words ‘edge’ or ‘platform’ are not found within the definition
  • Replaceable – It can be used within a sentence to replace the term ‘edge platform’ (it wouldn’t be feasible to do so, but the point is to see if the definition holds up)
  • Positive – all statements are positive
  • Industry-specific – it is specific in the cloud and networking space of enterprise IT
  • Clear – every term used has well-defined meanings
  • Objective – the definition does not contain overinflating terms

Considering the rate at which the technology industry is innovating, describing terms accurately and completely will become increasingly important. I hope that these rules will help you create more clarity around your products and solutions.