I've seen some controversial use of terminology to describe technology before but this one beats them all.

I'm cruising through my Google alerts, looking for something interesting, when I come across this post:

Linux Web Server Hack - How to Write Automated Load Balancing Script!

Sounds cool, right? I like Linux. I like hacks. I like load balancing. So, much to my chagrin now, I read it.

The script isn't the problem, it's really quite nice - I love a well-written script, especially one that makes use of awk - and it definitely solves the issue described by the author. The problem is the use of the term "load balancing" to describe a script that kills a web server when load is too high.

Let me repeat that just to make you sure you heard me. The "load balancing" script kills the web server when load is too high.

Maybe it's just me, but I was under the impression that the term load balancing was used to describe a technology that keeps web servers available and running under load. Taking them down would be, like, the opposite of what a load balancing "thing" is supposed to do.

I'm pretty sure my head is going to explode over this one. Seriously, I'd back away from the screen if I were you.

If I don't post again, you know why.