They’re not issues. They’re problems, stuff-ups, failures

Technology no longer stops working or fails. Instead, it has ‘issues’. This is particularly true in telecommunications.

We had problems with a web site hosted by Orcon. The company’s support team told me it was having “issues with a server”. The ‘issue’ meant it stopped working for around 24 hours and was flaky for days after.

In other words it was broken.

When customers on Telecom NZ’s XT network had problems with data connections in October, the official company response said:

“Data issues affecting some XT mobile customers earlier today are now resolved. Some customers in the lower North Island and South Island using mobile broadband on the XT mobile network experienced issues from mid-morning.”

Yes, we are back to the crazy world of PR and marketing euphemisms.

Companies will do anything to avoid using terms like failure.