The other day I received an email along the lines of:
On the first of the month after next we will be sunsetting the whatamI4 system.
I knew what it meant, but it struck me as a strange phrase to use.
I suppose I ought to explain what it meant for those of you who don’t understand the meaning. I’ll replace the word sunsetting with something else to see if that helps:
On the first of the month after next we will be turning off the whatamI4 system
That’s right sunsetting = turning off.
Sunsetting with 10 characters = turning off with 10 characters.
Sunsetting with 3 syllables = turning off with 3 syllables.
I suppose that’s my question, why not just say that it’s being turned off.
Returning to the original sentence, why not say:
On the first of the month after next whatamI4 will be turned off.
There you go, that’s shorter and simpler than either of the previous ones.
Or even:
whatamI4 will be turned off on the first of the month after next
I prefer this because it gives a much better call to action.
I’m not objecting to sunsetting it just feels like redundant complexity.
Perhaps I’m not being entirely fair though. There is a picture being drawn here and there is a difference between turning off and sunsetting. The term sunsetting is trying to communicate that the light is drawing in on a the application and that it’s time to move over to something else. Turning something off happens quite quickly, even instantaneously; sunsetting may happen over an extended period.
It’s not a word I hear people use in normal life though – it’s office speak.
Graham Chastney 