knobology

English

Etymology

knob +‎ -ology

Noun

knobology (uncountable)

1. The functionality of controls on an instrument as relevant to their application.
   • 1982, Department of Transportation and Related Agencies Appropriations for Fiscal Year 1982, Subcommittee on Transportation and Related Agencies, U.S. Senate

     The proposed replacement of enroute computerized traffic control systems will undoubtedly confront the controller with a new "learning curve" to assimilate the different "knobology" and advanced display techniques.

   • 1995 April, Frederick L. Gould, Radar for Technicians: Installation, Maintenance, and Repair, McGraw-Hill Professional, page 248:

     Knobology directly relates to "KISS," the acronym for "keep it simple, stupid."

   • 2001 November, David J. Ritter, LabVIEW GUI: Essential Techniques, McGraw-Hill Professional, page 156:

     Micro-level guidelines are concerned with knobology and recommend specific button styles or control and indicator choices (to use LabVIEW terminology).

   • 2004 July, Terry C. Telger, transl., The Practice Of Ultrasound: A Step-by-step Guide to Abdominal Scanning, Thieme Medical Publishers, page 2:

     As a beginner, you should not try to learn all the fine points of “knobology” right away.

   • 2006 February, Something Old, Something New: Army Leader Development in a Dynamic Environment, Rand Corporation, page 36:

     Leaders need to know more than the “knobology” of the new technology. They must understand the underlying technology’s principles...

Quotations

• 2003 December, C. A. Mobley, Michael Benson, The Complete Idiot's Guide to Aircraft Carriers, Alpha Books, page 247:

  This also gave the pilots a chance to practice their knobology.

• 2008 October 7, Matthew L. Wald, “For Air Traffic Trainees, Games With a Serious Purpose”, in New York Times‎^[1]:

  Byron Hull, who manages training for the Air Route Traffic Control Centers, refers to the computer savvy of the new recruits as knobology, a neologism that describes the students’ ability to relate instrument controls to their function. In the future, experts predict, controllers will use more computer tools to handle more flights each shift.