Interpretations of old technological terms

My first question is the use of the word "footage" as it pertains to the modern world. When you are using a digital media capture device does the word footage have any real meaning at all? If so what does it mean in today's terms or what do you think it means?

Footage was coined to describe the actual photographic film used in video cameras. Just because we are now in a more digital age the description and meaning has not changed. Photography has always been called photography, in the digital world that did not change a photo into a footage. The general business of imaging has given names to computer generated media "CG" or computer generated. When a producer or buyer is search for "video" from a video camera (analog or digital) he still searches for footage, in the past or now makes no difference. If they want photos they search for photos. If they are looking for animation they search for animation. Sames goes for After Effects, fractals, and other type of media. No need to confuse the buyers here, keep the standard and buyers can find what they want faster and easier.
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Wiki Footage:
"In film and video, footage is the raw, unedited material as it had been originally filmed by movie camera or recorded by a video camera which usually must be edited to create a motion picture, video clip, television show or similar completed work. More loosely, footage can also refer to all sequences used in film and video editing, such as special effects and archive material (for special cases of this, see stock footage and B roll). Since the term originates in film, footage is only used for recorded images, such as film stock, videotapes or digitized clips – on live television, the signals from the cameras are called sources instead."
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Merriam-Webster Dictionary:
"the total number of running feet of motion-picture film used (as for a scene or subject); also : the material contained on such footage"

Cambridge Dictionary:
"(a piece of) film especially one showing an event"

Oxford Dictionary:
"a length of film made for movies or television"

Yahoo Kids Dictionary:
".An amount or length of film or videotape.A shot or series of shots of a specified nature or subject"

I see no reason or justification to change the meaning of Footage just because the subject is captured in a digital video camera.

Correction Don - you wrote "Footage was coined to describe the actual photographic film used in video cameras" - The correct statement would be "Footage was coined to describe the actual photographic film used in FILM cameras" - I know nit picky - but that is the correct way to put it. The reason the term footage came to be was because film was measured in linear feet. Hence lots of feet (measurement - not the smelly ones) became footage. Pricing for developing such film was based on the actual physical length (and still is) of the film or multiple feet... i.e. footage.

My next question is how does the word "video" pertain to the modern world? At one time it was used to identify video cassettes, thematic music videos, and televised programs. In an increasingly digitized world how do these old terms still apply?

The word video still exist in the modern world today. Although due to the advancements in technology video is captured digitally and transmitted the same way in the US. Countries like Canada still transmit their video signals by analog transmission so digital footage has to be converted beforehand. So the bottom line is the word "video" is still a term in use today and in the future.

analog media -- Audio sources, such as audio cassettes and microphones, and video sources, such as VHS and 8mm VCRs and camcorders, that must be digitized and converted into digital format for processing by a computer. Newer digital formats such as DV and DVD have higher resolution and quality than older consumer formats like VHS, and also do not degrade in quality when they are copied from one generation to the next. See also component video, composite video, digital media.

digital media -- Audio and video sources such as audio CD, DV, miniDV, Digital8 camcorders, and DVD that store the audio and video in digital format. As a result, the data can be imported and processed directly by a computer, and copied without any loss from one generation to the next. See also analog media, DV.

Perhaps I didn't put fine enough of a point on the question. I'm trying to see the relevancy of old technological terms as how they are applied today to whether or not the former boundaries once used to distinguish one form from another has any bearing in today's world. There seems to be much animosity from those who capture video using digital recording devices such as DLSRs and digital camcorders towards anyone that uses the term for any use that applies so broadly as you have just defined.

If we think about the buyer then the standard accepted historical terms is the best. The ability to define a search in a relatively easy way is so important and if we as artists try to blend or change this it will only result in the ability of a buyer not being able to find what he wants. The relevancy of the "Old" technological terms has no need to be changed and should not when in relationship to stock, production or the art in general. Why would anyone want to confuse buyers? The question on terms of footage or video is so easy and simple. Those who try to blur the boundaries are only trying to ride the coat tails of the video side of the art and leads to spam and causes a more difficult process of a buyer trying to find their needs. The same argument can be made that since "footage" is now digital and requires processing on a computer is can be called "CG". Same is since "video" captures the real world it can be called "3D". CG is CG, video is still video, footage is a capture of "video" made by a camera of some description. The boundary has not changed.

I was wondering how long it would take you to say something derogatory again. You just can't stop apparently.

Older customers will know what these terms are (like myself ;-) but I'm not so sure about the younger ones. As we move forward into the future, it is a good point that we should be conscious of the changing demographics and language of our customers.

Just to give a few examples from my three kids:

When I take a video shot with my video camera, I will often say that I "filmed" or "taped" the shot. My kids always correct me, since my camera has neither a roll of film or a video tape.

Watching TV to me means sitting down on the couch and turning on the television. My kids see TV as any device with video playback, like pulling out their smart phone. Also, there is no concept of missing a TV show, since their are so many on-demand options.

One of my kids asked me why her art program has a scissors for the Cut and Paste function. I explained how, before computers, cutting and pasting was literally accomplished with scissors and glue. Another asked me why the save button was a black square (floppy disk) because she is too young to have seen a floppy disk used on a computer.

I showed my youngest kid the Video button here on Pond5 and asked her if she new what the icon next to it was (a film strip) and why it's there. She's 11 years old and had no idea what those two film frames are and why they would mean video. She also didn't know why there is a magnifying glass in the Pond5 search box, which I assume is a reference to Sherlock Holmes, a 19th century story she has never read. To her generation, a magnifying glass means enlarge or zoom. My middle kid thought that "negatives" were the bad shots, the outtakes.

Before you know it, even these younger ones are going to enter the marketplace. Even though older users believe the meanings of technical terms and icons are completely obvious, universal and timeless, the new generation does not have the historical background to know what these things are.

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Great post time_lapse, very interesting to hear how your kids see it. I kept my son home for a spend the day at work with your parents day, it was similarly interesting to hear his thoughts of different aspects of what I do.