h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I like stuff - it's a neutral, non-judgemental term that can be bandied about without upsetting all those people who have loads of the stuff. The company I'm currently working for has masses of old files, magazines, brochures etc., and the MD wants it all scanned incase someone needs it on line. She's paranoid about any of it being thrown out (which is what another consultant and I want to do with it). We've started calling it "stuff": "There's all that stuff in the file cabinet". "I've put all that stuff in a pile over there". Call it rubbish (100% accurate description), and she scoops it up and takes it to her office.
I like stuff.

Unfortunately the non-judgemental character of the word has been tainted by our friends over the Atlantic. There is now "The Right Stuff", which implies there must be a "Wrong Stuff" too. Whether the stuff that tends to congregate in offices is of one type or the other is of course a matter of hindsight. That is, based on whether you find you needed it 2 days after you waved it goodbye on the back of a skip.

The Right Stuff! Like it!

I like The Stuff That Dreams Are Made Of too - have as much stuff as you want without worrying about it getting broken or pinched - it'll all disappear in the morning anyway.

Job Creators have been working hard at the world of 'Stuff' to come up with the universal title of "Knowledge Management". A perfect job for the kind of people who still has all of his/her Betamax Videos "just in case" they come back into use. "Well you never know when it will come in handy" is a common heard phrase around these people. Just goes to show that even these maniacs are quick to monopolies on a modern Company's urge to retain masses of irrelevant nonsense.

Oooops ! I still have all my Betamax videos - but then I still have a working VCR to play them on.

Right Stuff/Wrong Stuff is a problem.
Its like the phrase "He's got what it takes" - pretty meaningless really unless it is clearly specified what is actually required, where upon the phrase is obsolete.

I'm all for keeping stuff out of other people's value judgements.

"Free Stuff!" they will cry.

"Where?" others will answer.