In the case of an ATM kiosk, it is the entryway, inside the main door
but before the second set of doors that lead to a bank, that is the
kiosk**.
That would be called an airlock. Not a kiosk. I understand the term
as a structure of some sort also. In retail businesses, one would
expect to pay for their purchase in a "point of sale" system, such as
at best buy or Circuit City, at a payment kiosk. usually assisted by a
sales person of some kind, often called something entirely different
such as "associate" or "advisor". The word kiosk does in fact describe
the structure that is used to house the terminal used for that
transaction. Not the terminal, not the location in the store or
anything else. There is no ATM in it usually either. However, the
"advisor" or "associate" may , at some time during the transaction ask
if you would like "cash back" at which time you fall into a deep coma
and are rendered helpless and must be taken from the store in an
ambulance, due to trauma caused by the rather lengthy transaction that
was made "simple" by some over indulgent accountant who is sleeping
with a major decision maker high up in the corporate structure in the
publicly owned company that thinks that the idiots who are running the
company are making "sound decisions" based on years and years of
research and experience.
**ATMs mounted in the outside wall of a bank are not kiosks and are
not in kiosks.
ATM's mounted inside are not kiosks, unless they are free standing
structures such as one out in the middle of the walkway of the mall,
limiting the ability of even the wisest of pedestrians to form a line
to the right allowing smooth traffic flow. The fashion in which an ATM
is presented may be many different types. Kiosk is just one of them.
Maybe there were some early appearance of photo machines that were in
kiosks, but I myself didn't see one. Until a substantial percentage of
the population uses kiosk to mean a free-standing photo machine or
ATM, it's just commercial-speak, argot, shop lingo, or a figure of
speech, and not within a standard English definition.
As with much of the current culture of money makers, the word itself
is not important. It is more important to use it to carve your own
niche in common language using misspelled or partial words to label
your product, process or place. Common knowledge is becoming more
important to the current US culture than correctness. This is how
different countries are born isn't it?
( not trying to hammer on anyone, I just started where I last read ,
and felt the need to elaborate.) no offense Mr Meirman.
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MUADIBŪ
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The Peacemaking Meeting scheduled for today has been
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