gradual argument

English translation: only part of the story / stating the obvious

13:08 Dec 10, 2019
English language (monolingual) [PRO]
Marketing - Marketing / Market Research
English term or phrase: gradual argument
Hello everyone,

From the book AI in Marketing, Sales and Service by Peter Gentsch.

It goes without saying that the amount of data has increased immensely thanks to the Internet of things, mobiles and social media—yet this is rather a **gradual argument**. The decisive factor is that thanks to the possibilities of IT and the digitalisation of business processes, customer-oriented points of contact for both generating data and for systematically controlling communication have increased. Added to this is the high speed at which the corresponding data is collected, processed and used.

https://www.dictionary.com/browse/gradual

1 taking place, changing, moving, etc., by small degrees or little by little:
gradual improvement in health.

2 rising or descending at an even, moderate inclination:
a gradual slope.

What does "gradual argument" mean?
I don't think that one of the usual meanings of "gradual" applies here.

I asked this question on another forum but (after almost 24 hours) no answer so far.

https://forum.wordreference.com/threads/rather-a-gradual-arg...

Thank you.
Mikhail Korolev
Local time: 18:57
Selected answer:only part of the story / stating the obvious
Explanation:
See discussion.

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Note added at 20 hrs (2019-12-11 09:36:59 GMT)
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On second thought, I'd go for "stating/repeating the obvious", rather than "part of the story".

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 20 hrs (2019-12-11 09:37:45 GMT)
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On second thought, I'd go for the "stating/repeating the obvious" interpretation, rather than for "part of the story".

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 21 hrs (2019-12-11 10:25:29 GMT)
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Or even "..., yet this argument adds only very little to what has been generally known for a long time".
Selected response from:

Steffen Walter
Germany
Local time: 16:57
Grading comment
Many thanks to everyone.
Thank you, Steffen.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



SUMMARY OF ALL EXPLANATIONS PROVIDED
4 +2Just make something up
philgoddard
5"yet this is just the beginning of it"
Pedro Montoro Françozo
4this is more about an argument for gradual changes...
Yvonne Gallagher
4gradual process
David Hollywood
4specious argument/adducing/con/counterargument/last word/case /pro/determine
Tanja Vernić
3ambiguous/changing/indefinite
Patricia Fierro, M. Sc.
3only part of the story / stating the obvious
Steffen Walter


Discussion entries: 7





  

Answers


32 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
ambiguous/changing/indefinite


Explanation:
I believe that by "gradual" they mean something that is not limited, determined or definite.

Patricia Fierro, M. Sc.
Ecuador
Local time: 10:57
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in SpanishSpanish, Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 4
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1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +2
Just make something up


Explanation:
"Gradual argument" makes no sense to me, and I don't think there's any definite answer to this question. The text is poorly written and edited, and the bit beginning "customer-oriented points of contact" is incomprehensible.

If I were translating this, I would just make something up. For example, you could say "this is only a part of the issue".

philgoddard
United States
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 14

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  satrans: Exactly, the text seems poorly drafted, also share your observation that "gradual argument" means that it only partly addresses the relevant issue (an "ancillary argument" perhaps?), while the "decisive" factor (argument) is something else.
2 hrs
  -> Thanks. But I have no idea what "gradual argument" means.

agree  B D Finch
1 day 35 mins
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1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
this is more about an argument for gradual changes...


Explanation:
OR
this really explains how gradual changes took place...

The way I read it is that he is comparing the rate of change and reasons for the increase in the amount of data. So, to rephrase the lines a bit:

"...that the amount of data has increased immensely thanks to the Internet of things,...—yet this is rather a gradual argument." >>>>

It's true that the amount of data has increased immensely thanks to the Internet of things,[...] but this really happened in a gradual way.

"The decisive factor is that thanks to the possibilities of IT and [...] systematically controlling communication have increased." >>>>>

The main reason this ("immense increase") happened is because of the huge increase in "the possibilities of IT and the digitalisation [...] for systematically controlling communication...

"Added to this is the high speed at which the corresponding data is collected, processed and used." >>>>>

On top of this you can factor in (the increase in ) the speed at which the corresponding data is collected, processed and used.


So basically, the first changes mentioned (because of the internet of things etc.) can be seen to be more gradual when compared to the main reasons for the huge increase in the amount of data which are mentioned in the following sentences.

Yvonne Gallagher
Ireland
Local time: 15:57
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 20
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11 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
gradual process


Explanation:
the English is more than suspect but this looks like the idea

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Note added at 11 hrs (2019-12-11 00:47:45 GMT)
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I suspect that this has come from an attempt to render the idea from another language (maybe Russian?), so there we go...

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Note added at 11 hrs (2019-12-11 00:49:34 GMT)
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anyway, you decide as you have more info

David Hollywood
Local time: 12:57
Works in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 32
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13 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5
"yet this is just the beginning of it"


Explanation:
by gradual he means ther arguments escalate. So the opening statement was just a very basic way of putting it. The coming statements would prove to be much greater.

You could even go as far as translating it to "just the tip of the iceberg".

Pedro Montoro Françozo
Brazil
Local time: 12:57
Native speaker of: Portuguese
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20 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
only part of the story / stating the obvious


Explanation:
See discussion.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 20 hrs (2019-12-11 09:36:59 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

On second thought, I'd go for "stating/repeating the obvious", rather than "part of the story".

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 20 hrs (2019-12-11 09:37:45 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

On second thought, I'd go for the "stating/repeating the obvious" interpretation, rather than for "part of the story".

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 21 hrs (2019-12-11 10:25:29 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Or even "..., yet this argument adds only very little to what has been generally known for a long time".

Steffen Walter
Germany
Local time: 16:57
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in GermanGerman
PRO pts in category: 4
Grading comment
Many thanks to everyone.
Thank you, Steffen.
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1 day 1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
specious argument/adducing/con/counterargument/last word/case /pro/determine


Explanation:
A fact or statement used to support a proposition; a reason.
A fact or assertion offered as evidence that something is true...

Synonyms:
gradual:
in small stages ; antiphony ; antiphon ; gradatory ; step-by-step ; sloping ; gradational ; inclined ; easy ; gentle ; piecemeal ; slow ; stepwise ; graduated ; bit-by-bit ;
Antonyms:
sudden ; steep

Synonyms:
argument:
difference of opinion ; tilt ; dispute ; evidence ; contestation ; debate ; summary ; give-and-take ; discussion ; disceptation ; variable quantity ; sum-up ; literary argument ; controversy ; arguing ; contention ; variable ; difference ; disputation ; conflict ; word ; argumentation ; statement


    https://glosbe.com/en/en/gradual
    https://glosbe.com/en/en/argument
Tanja Vernić
Croatia
Local time: 16:57
Works in field
Native speaker of: Croatian

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  Steffen Walter: How is this going to help the asker in his specific context? I strongly suspect that he wasn't looking for a mere dictionary answer.
3 hrs

neutral  Björn Vrooman: Agree with Steffen; where's your explanation of what the words mean in this particular context?
19 hrs
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