Numerical language

Is metric an ugly word?

In the past 6 months, I’ve noticed the word “metric” used in
unfamiliar ways. Once, as an adjective, it referred to
measurement systems and rhythm. Now it appears as a noun,
vaguely signifying something quantifiable.

From a bit of web checking, I’ve discovered that “metric” was
established use in the IT industry by 1994 as a measure of
software quality.I can’t fathom changing practice within IT (it has
as much right to silly jargon as any other field), but can we rebel
against the migration to mainstream language?

I find the new use of metric unnecessary and unhelpful. Many
terms already refer to countable information: data, digit, statistics
& statistical set, amount, measurement, quantity & quantitative,
etc., All these carry distinct meanings with specific rhetorical
uses.

From a very quick search, I found this odious example: “define
metrics to measure success…Every metric should be specific,
measurable, actionable….” Measurable metrics? Would
“indicator” or “standard” suffice here? A second example, “many
different metrics on one page” seems to refer to numbers or
even the lowly digit. And what about the rampant “data metrics”?
Is this a case of advance planning, close proximity, and joint
cooperation?

With a heavy heart, I found 10 such uses of the word here in Ask
ET, some by contributors I greatly appreciate (though never used
by our host). In every case, a familiar term could replace the
neologism, usually with more precision.

Talking and writing about numbers is hard. Most people are
already convinced that they won’t understand. So why introduce
unaccustomed and vague language? To put it another way,
jargon is like chart junk. It clutters rather than clarifies.

Comments?