Talk:Utility software

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Editing the Definition

Hello there,

In my opinion, the definition presented in the Utility software section is more about what is Utility software' than for 'what purpose it is made. Hence, I would rephrase it and put it this way: "Utility software is a program specifically designed to help manage and tune system or application software." While it is a short description it gives a general idea of the utility's software purpose as well as the ability to expand its description further by integrating specific functions or tasks performed by the aforementioned software.

Best regards, Vitas Lithuania — Preceding unsigned comment added by 213.197.169.162 (talk) 11:52, 17 June 2005 (UTC)[reply]

That does sound like a better definition, and I'll be happy to implement it. My own opinion is that both questions stated above should be answered as clearly as possible in the article.

InsideLine 12:11, 17 October 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Maybe “are programs” Peter Flass (talk) 18:33, 17 February 2021 (UTC)[reply]

utility software

Can you please make your research more understandable, with many facts that it? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 222.126.29.46 (talk) 11:41, 13 February 2007 (UTC)[reply]

I read the revised defination of utility software, I recommend addition at the revised defination "which benefit both technical as well as non-technical users" The reason behind my recommendation is inclusion of system and application software terms.

Regrds

Aizof — Preceding unsigned comment added by 203.223.165.82 (talk) 08:17, 6 September 2011 (UTC)[reply]

I'm very happy to read Marko Kur (talk) 21:37, 16 June 2018 (UTC)[reply]

Thanks Marko Kur (talk) 21:38, 16 June 2018 (UTC)[reply]

citations needed

I feel this is more of a list-class article, and doesn't need additional citations. Peter Flass (talk) 20:23, 7 February 2019 (UTC)[reply]

Totally agree. Perhaps the introductory discussion could do with another cite or two, but the current banner recently added by Hildeaof implies that each bullet point requires a ref - which is Just Silly, as all of them are existing articles. -Snori (talk) 21:42, 7 February 2019 (UTC)[reply]

YouTube must be mentioned

YouTube is an online video platform, however, it is used as an utility to produce content, since you can embed a YouTube video in HTML with their iFrame element. O7Official (talk) 10:47, 26 January 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Your classification of YouTube as a utility may be apt, but that certainly does not mean it must be mentioned in this article. Many WP articles suffer from death-by-too-many-examples syndrome. If you try to list all examples of a concept you often end up with an article with a crazy long list of stuff that in the end is arguable, incomplete and ... boring. Stevebroshar (talk) 15:20, 20 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]

What is a utility?

Seems this article lacks clarity of purpose. Is it about utility programs? Or is it about the concept of software WRT utility? Or what?

At the top of this talk page is a comment from 2005 that says utility software is a program. I think a program can be utility software. But utility software is a broader concept. Utility software could be multiple programs or things other than programs; like a web site ... which is implemented via programs but also transcends programs.

I'd say utility software is for the most part just two words crammed together. Utility describes how something is useful, and software is ... software. Of note: software is not just a program.

I think the term utility is more categorization and descriptive than definitional. All software has utility or it's not going to be used.

The term utility is commonly used to describe certain programs. For example, the implementation of commonly used commands such as ls, cat, and a zillion others are often called utilities. Is this the focus of the article? In that light, "program specifically designed to help manage and tune system or application software" does not really cover it.

Is git a utility? Is Microsoft Word? Is YouTube? They have utility.

Maybe a utility program is a program that focuses on function over form. Maybe it's a subjective term.

Maybe the article would be more coherent with a name like Utility (computer program). Maybe the article should say that utility (as it relates to a program) is subjective. Maybe say that utility is less of an inherent property; more of a way of speaking about somethings value. Stevebroshar (talk) 15:40, 20 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]