Shrink-wrap

[Beverly Parks <bparks -at- HUACHUCA-EMH1 -dot- ARMY -dot- MIL>]

Emily Skarzenski <71220 -dot- 341 -at- COMPUSERVE -dot- COM> wrote--
  Of course, RoboHelp has drawbacks, too. In some ways, it's
  quirky and difficult.   (The brand-new version [3.0] is still
  shrink-wrapped on my desk--haven't had ...[snip]
===================
Emily, I'm using just a few lines from your message only because
you mentioned a term I want to talk about.

Shrink-wrap. The way Emily used it is the way, I think, we've
all come to understand and use the term. Right?

Well, heads up, folks! It appears to have taken on a whole new
meaning and I fear that it will spread. Twice now, from
different people where I work, I've heard "shrink-wrapped" used
to mean software or projects that have been shelved (canceled).

I suppose "whole new meaning" is a little strong. After all, if
a product is still in its shrink wrap, it isn't being used. But
that doesn't mean that the product has been discontinued. Heck,
all the new software down at your local computer store is
shrink-wrapped. But here it seems to be taking on an opposite
meaning. In the computer store, "shrink-wrapped" means new
(usually); here it now seems to mean old, unimportant,
unnecessry, discontinued.

Has anyone else heard it used this way?

    =*=  Beverly Parks =*= bparks -at- huachuca-emh1 -dot- army -dot- mil  =*=
   =*=  "Unless otherwise stated, all comments are my own. =*=
    =*=   I am not representing my employer in any way."  =*=