prophet of doom : Java Glossary

by Roedy Green ©1996-2008 Canadian Mind Products
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prophet of doom: A derogatory term used to discount anyone who predicts that, unless global changes are made, there will be undesirable consequences. The implication is that the prediction is based on religious augury and that the author has a morbid desire to see terrible things happen. The usual way to discount a prophet of doom is to point out some prediction made by some other prophet of doom that did not or has not yet materialised, and claim therefore that all such predictions are false. The term is most commonly used by the parties who would have to make changes to avoid the catastrophe, especially when those changes would be costly or painful.
Sometimes the term Cassandra is used. Cassandra was a character in Homer’s Iliad who predicted disasters. She was invariably correct and her predictions were invariably never heeded, a curse from Apollo for rejecting his advances.

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