Your pet peeve, technical or otherwise.

[PlainName]

Your right - a break needs to be put on those with immediate affect.

[vk6zgo]

My pet peeve, typically found in audio contexts, is when one measures the RMS voltage V across a load resistor R to measure the power applied to the resistor and refers to the result as "RMS power", when the correct answer is "mean power" or "average power".  The RMS power exists mathematically, but is never useful for a sine wave.  Comparing the RMS power to the mean power for a sine wave, we find that the RMS power is 1.225 = (3/2)^1/2 times the mean power.

   
My very pet peeve!

[opabob]

AMPERAGE.  I hate it when people use the word AMPERAGE!  It's CURRENT and it is measured in AMPERES!

It is a back-formation analogous to "Voltage" for "Potential".  I have never seen a "Danger! High Potential" sign in an English-speaking country.
In German, I believe it is "Hochspannung lebensgefahr" for danger, high voltage.  "Spannung" translates into voltage, tension, or stress.

Electromotive Force is measured in Volts.  Voltage is easier to say that Electromotive Forceage.  But I,too, have never seen a sign that says, "Danger!  LOTS of Electromotive Force."

[TimFox]

A related term, found in safety codes for wiring, is “ampacity”.  The NEC defines it as the maximum continuous current in a conductor that will not exceed the temperature rating.
Should we say “currentability” instead?

[AlfBaz]

I wonder what the metric version of mileage is... kilometerage

[E-Design]

My pet peeve, typically found in audio contexts, is when one measures the RMS voltage V across a load resistor R to measure the power applied to the resistor and refers to the result as "RMS power", when the correct answer is "mean power" or "average power".  The RMS power exists mathematically, but is never useful for a sine wave.  Comparing the RMS power to the mean power for a sine wave, we find that the RMS power is 1.225 = (3/2)^1/2 times the mean power.

   
My very pet peeve!

So your not likely to be  a fan of "Peak Music Power Output" PMPO either...

[TimFox]

I remember the greatest scam of that era, when manufacturers started quoting power "+/- 1 dB", thus increasing all their amplifiers by 26%.  After that fraud, the authorities tried to clamp down on advertising, but somebody mis-informed them about RMS vs. mean power.

[Ed.Kloonk]

I wonder what the metric version of mileage is... kilometerage

I know heaps of ppl that would still use the term mileage even though they are otherwise all metric.

[Circlotron]

I wonder what the metric version of mileage is... kilometerage

I know heaps of ppl that would still use the term mileage even though they are otherwise all metric.

YMMV 

[Ed.Kloonk]

I wonder what the metric version of mileage is... kilometerage

I know heaps of ppl that would still use the term mileage even though they are otherwise all metric.

YMMV 

There ya go!

[Nominal Animal]

I wonder what the metric version of mileage is... kilometerage

I know heaps of ppl that would still use the term mileage even though they are otherwise all metric.

YMMV 

There ya go!

Excactus!

I'm not bothered by those, though.  If I were, I'd be really annoyed by those who express fuel consumption in miles per gallon.  It's like using minutes per mile for speed.  Perhaps that's where mile-age comes from?  As in how much older you get, when you travel a mile?  ( No, I am not serious!)

[Circlotron]

Miles per gallon = what you can do with what you've got.
Litres per 100km = what you need for what you want.

[SilverSolder]

Android (v6) has a notification area where apps can post messages to the user, and the user then clears the messages when read.

Here's my pet peeve about that:  Some app writers think their application is so important and wonderful, that it deserves a permanent entry on the Notification list.  As more and more of these important and wonderful apps with "permanent notifications" get installed, the actual notifications from other apps drop further and further down the list, so you have to scroll down to see them...

[KL27x]

People using  "your" in place of "you are."

"break" instead of "brake"

There are lots moar examples of this.

You're/your is so common. But they sound the same, at least. It's/its is one that I actually have to think about as I write it, every time. I can give a pass on those.

But why do so many people spell quiet as "quite?"

And how do so many people "weight" things on a scale?

I recall trying to petition a test question, "which of A/B/C/D can you alternate with X?"

In his head, the professor used "alternate" to mean substitute rather than switch back and forth. If you try to explain this only works as a noun, not a verb, to an East Indian professor? You will be shitcanned for the rest of the class.

[james_s]

You're/your is so common. But they sound the same, at least. It's/its is one that I actually have to think about as I write it, every time. I can give a pass on those.

It's so simple though. It's = "it is", you're = "you are", all you have to do is consider whether it makes sense to say it is, or you are in the sentence and if it doesn't then the contractions it's and you're are not the correct word. What they sound like spoken is irrelevant. I admit I have difficulty understanding how that one can be difficult for so many people when it's one simple rule to remember.

[KL27x]

It's = "it is"

From that direction it seems easy.
But when you actually need the word "its" is where I got hung up when I learned this in school.

"The bear scratched at its paw."

"Its" is a plainly weird word to me to this day. It sounds like a possessive. "It" being the bear.

"The bear scratched the bear's paw."
"The bear scratched it's paw."

5 yr old me found "its" to be strange. I still find it strange.

[Ed.Kloonk]

It's = "it is"

From that direction it seems easy.
But when you actually need the word "its" is where I got hung up when I learned this in school.

"The bear scratched at its paw."

"Its" is a plainly weird word to me to this day. It sounds like a possessive. "It" being the bear.

"The bear scratched the bear's paw."
"The bear scratched it's paw."

5 yr old me found "its" to be strange. I still find it strange.

Its -->  It's

 

[Non-Abelian]

My biggest pet peeves are:

(1) People who want me to explain what I'm doing, but who don't have the attention span to listen.
(2) Doing projects for family members and friends. Doing things for free gives people the idea your skills aren't really worth much, they expect more than they would ever think of asking a professional to do or would never question a "professional who charged them an arm and a leg." (I'm not an electrician, but I do make sure I follow the NEC when I do "charity" work for relatives).
(3) People who ask for advice and then want to argue about the advice, because they don't like the answer, so, it's like, "Why did you bother asking me? Go find someone who will tell you what you want to hear even if it's wrong."

[Calambres]

I wonder what the metric version of mileage is... kilometerage

In spanish: Kilometraje.

So basically, yes, you're close 

[JohnnyMalaria]

Data are (not data is).

The verb "to gift".

The BBC for changing the capitalization (or capitalisation) of abbreviations. e.g., Nasa.

American English rules of punctuation. See my first two peeves for how it should be done

[DrG]

Data are (not data is).

You are 100% correct. I long ago tired of correcting that. "Datum" is singular, "data" is plural. These data, not this data. Sadly, "data" is sometimes used as a shorthand bastardization of "data set", thus fueling its constant misuse.

[PlainName]

"Data" is actually a mass noun. And the ODE says:

usage: In Latin, data is the plural of datum and, historically and in specialized scientific fields, it is also treated as a plural in English, taking a plural verb, as in the data were collected and classified. In modern non-scientific use, however, it is generally not treated as a plural. Instead, it is treated as a mass noun, similar to a word like information, which takes a singular verb. Sentences such as data was collected over a number of years are now widely accepted in standard English.

So data is. Sorry

[BravoV]

[Tomorokoshi]

"Data" is actually a mass noun. And the ODE says:

usage: In Latin, data is the plural of datum and, historically and in specialized scientific fields, it is also treated as a plural in English, taking a plural verb, as in the data were collected and classified. In modern non-scientific use, however, it is generally not treated as a plural. Instead, it is treated as a mass noun, similar to a word like information, which takes a singular verb. Sentences such as data was collected over a number of years are now widely accepted in standard English.

So data is. Sorry

Yes, I use, "This data is..." even though I'm fully aware that grammarian and scientist pedants will use, endorse, and cajole the use of, "These data are...".

However, imagine this situation:

1. A scientist collects a large volume of data points into a spreadsheet.
2. At this point is it referred to as "This data is..." or as "These data are..."?
3. The spreadsheet is encrypted using a very secure algorithm.
4. At this point is it referred to as "This data is..." or as "These data are..."?
5. Somewhere in the middle of the file one byte is changed. Now the spreadsheet can't be decrypted.
6. At this point is it referred to as "This data is..." or as "These data are..."? No data points are available, as all the data points were formed into a unitary item.
7. Working backwards, apply the same reasoning to all versions of the spreadsheet.

Using the term, "These data are..." carries an implication that some aspect of the data could be removed, yielding much the same result.

For instance, I poll 1000 people about the use of, "These data are..." compared to "This data is...". The results are collected into a spreadsheet, and sorted by response with the first 500 endorsing "This data is...", and the second 500 endorsing "These data are...". The spreadsheet gets corrupted, losing the second half. A statistical review of the spreadsheet would then reveal that 100% of respondents endorsed, "This data is...".

The point being that the data set is a unitary collection, otherwise one is corrupting the data set. Therefore, "This data is...".

[Labrat101]

"Data" is actually a mass noun. And the ODE says:

usage: In Latin, data is the plural of datum and, historically and in specialized scientific fields, it is also treated as a plural in English, taking a plural verb, as in the data were collected and classified. In modern non-scientific use, however, it is generally not treated as a plural. Instead, it is treated as a mass noun, similar to a word like information, which takes a singular verb. Sentences such as data was collected over a number of years are now widely accepted in standard English.

So data is. Sorry

Yes, I use, "This data is..." even though I'm fully aware that grammarian and scientist pedants will use, endorse, and cajole the use of, "These data are...".

However, imagine this situation:

1. A scientist collects a large volume of data points into a spreadsheet.
2. At this point is it referred to as "This data is..." or as "These data are..."?
3. The spreadsheet is encrypted using a very secure algorithm.
4. At this point is it referred to as "This data is..." or as "These data are..."?
5. Somewhere in the middle of the file one byte is changed. Now the spreadsheet can't be decrypted.
6. At this point is it referred to as "This data is..." or as "These data are..."? No data points are available, as all the data points were formed into a unitary item.
7. Working backwards, apply the same reasoning to all versions of the spreadsheet.

Using the term, "These data are..." carries an implication that some aspect of the data could be removed, yielding much the same result.

For instance, I poll 1000 people about the use of, "These data are..." compared to "This data is...". The results are collected into a spreadsheet, and sorted by response with the first 500 endorsing "This data is...", and the second 500 endorsing "These data are...". The spreadsheet gets corrupted, losing the second half. A statistical review of the spreadsheet would then reveal that 100% of respondents endorsed, "This data is...".

The point being that the data set is a unitary collection, otherwise one is corrupting the data set. Therefore, "This data is...".

WOW  That was A mind Boggling  OverLoad  of  DATA