1. (By analogy with "context-free") Used of a message that
adds nothing to the recipient's knowledge. Though this
adjective is sometimes applied to
flamage, it more usually
connotes derision for communication styles that exalt form
over substance or are centred on concerns irrelevant to the
subject ostensibly at hand. Perhaps most used with reference
to speeches by company presidents and other professional
manipulators.
2. Within British schools the term refers to general-purpose
program that tests spelling of words supplied by the teacher.
This is in contrast to software designed to teach a particular
topic, e.g. a plant growth simulation, an interactive periodic
table or a program that tests spelling of a predetermined list
of words. Content-free software can be more cost-effective as
it can be reused for many lessons throughout the syllabus.
(1998-08-26)