What's the difference between an application and a program?
this post was submitted on 22 May 2025
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Historically, an app is something with very limited uses, and a program is more powerful.
Adobe PhotoShop is a program. Apple Photos is an app.
The meme is good and all, but seeing it makes me feel irrationally annoyed because the first place I saw it was a rascist pleroma (fediverse software; mastodon but rasict) instance that had it embedded in the frontend. This just reminds me of it.
I powered on my computer, my app started, which started my main app, which started my essential apps, which started my app that I use to open my other app, which I use to go to my other app that I use to watch other apps being used by otgher people.
You will get an invisible candy if you can correctly decode this.
I'll bite: I powered on my computer. My bios started which started my init process, which started my daemons, which started my login manager (maybe slim), which started my DE (maybe gnome), which I use to go to my browser in order to watch other people stream video games.
I'm dicey on what the browser is being used for - maybe security software? - but I feel like it's plausible.
It's worse if you have ever worked in food service. "App" is short for "appetizer".
::cries in very specific form of confusion::
Double plus good!
I miss when game had content patches instead of dlc
They trying the Algorithm to AI nowdays.
Yes but imo patch is now update
Patch is now Paid DLC
I also hate the way "algorithm" has taken over the public consciousness. You can find people unironically saying "I don't want any algorithm in my social media feed", which is a nonsensical statement.
If you walk with algorithm, you won't attract the worm.
Holy shit, I just realized that's a dune reference.
I was actually referencing Fatboy Slim referencing Dune.
Yeah, that's what I meant. I've listened to that song countless times, and just now realized it's a dune reference.
I guess Bootsy Collins was wrong ... sometimes you do learn.
I think it's the same concept as when people say that they don't want any chemicals in their food. You know what they mean, but in a technical sense the statement is nonsensical.
Something, something, dihydrogen monoxide, something.
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People are onto something though - there's been a noticeable shift from social media just showing you your feed in a chronological manner to it showing you personally tailored content that shuffles on each refresh and aims to hook you into endless doomscrolling. I understand perfectly well what's an algorithm, but good luck explaining to people that it's not that specific thing.
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What I hate even more, is that the morons who can't read more than two syllables decided to shorten "application" to "app", but now I only ever hear people reading that as "ay pee pee"! What was the fucking point?
I've literally never heard anyone call it A.P.P. (and I mean that literally literally, not figuratively literally)
Is this a specific cultural thing? A generational thing? Geography based slang? Why would anyone do this.
I might be biased from speaking with so many Chinese people. Who I can forgive not knowing the origin of the abbreviation. Still pisses me off to no end D:<
It's an idiot thing is what it is
This, 100% It's like how people started saying "PC" because personal computer was too long for them, but now I exclusively hear people taking up to a minute on each letter! (peeeeeeee-seeeeeeee)
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The script is compiled to a program which is then executed by the OS.
->
The app is appified to an app which is then apped by the app.
Damnit.
Why use many word?
The word app has been around forever, first appearing in the 1970s (according to some dictionaries I just googled). Pendulum swung towards “programs” and we have since swung back to the correct term.
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