Tech Circles Can't Decide What 'DS' Stands For

The DS Acronym: DolphinScheduler or DeepSeek

Once upon a time, when people in the tech circle mentioned DS, what came to mind was a lively “little dolphin” - Apache DolphinScheduler (abbreviated as DS). This distributed task scheduling system, born in 2019, was once the “dream job” for big data engineers with its visual DAG interface, multi-tenancy support, and deep integration with the Hadoop/Spark ecosystem. However, the wheels of fate began to spin rapidly in early 2025: Hangzhou AI company DeepSeek (Deep Quest) burst onto the scene with its inference model R1 and open-source large model V3, touting “low cost and high performance.” Not only did it sweep the capital market, but it also redefined the acronym “DS” overnight - from now on, “DS” was no longer a scheduling tool but the “new darling” of the AI circle.

Some developers joked, “When I used to write DS configuration documents and colleagues asked, ‘What is DS?’ I would reply, ‘Dolphin Scheduler.’ Now when I ask, they immediately respond, ‘Oh, that AI that writes poetry more emotionally than Qu Yuan?’”

The “Top-Flow Battle” in the Tech Circle: DolphinScheduler's Grievance and the AI Newcomer's Ambition

1. DolphinScheduler: The Forgotten “Original DS”

As the “old-timer” in the big data scheduling field, DolphinScheduler should have comfortably held the throne of the acronym. Its distributed architecture and drag-and-drop DAG design once conquered countless ETL engineers, even rivaling Airflow. However, its user profile has always been that of a “behind-the-scenes hero” - busy daily solving Spark environment variable errors, debugging email alert nicknames, or going crazy when ZooKeeper nodes crash. This “hardcore but low-key” image has kept the DS acronym confined to technical documents, never breaking through the circle.

2. DeepSeek: The “Acronym Hijacker” in the AI Circle

In contrast, DeepSeek made its debut with its own buzz: low-cost models (training costs only one-twentieth of GPT-4), domestic GPU compatibility (11 manufacturers competing for cooperation), and even the ability to analyze trade war policies while reciting “The Mountain Spirit” to move users. What's more “unfair” is that it took only a week to make “DS” a hot word on social media, with even sensational bloggers discussing “DS's RL technology breakthrough.” Netizens joked, “DS used to be the acronym for programmers staying up late to fix bugs; now it's the code for AI poetry that trends on hot searches.”

The “Technical Philosophy” of Acronym Collision: The Battle Between Tools and Traffic

This acronym dispute is essentially a collision between technical value and traffic hegemony:

• DolphinScheduler represents the long-termism of basic tools - it quietly supports data pipelines but is too “practical” to lack explosive highlights.
• DeepSeek interprets the traffic law of the AI era - using emotional interaction (such as poetry empathy) and capital storytelling (such as “the rise of domestic GPUs”) to quickly occupy the mind.

Some developers complained, “When I used to use DS for scheduling tasks and my boss asked, ‘What's the use of this tool?’ Now when I use DS (DeepSeek) to write weekly reports, my boss praises, ‘This AI is reliable.’”

Peace Proposal: How to Achieve “Common Prosperity” for the “DS” Acronym?

Faced with the acronym collision, the tech community has put forward the following “peace initiatives”:

1. Scenario Isolation Method
   • Big data engineers insist: “DS (DolphinScheduler) schedules tasks, DS (DeepSeek) writes PPT,s clear division of labor, no interference.”
   • AI researchers retort: “DS (DeepSeek) can tune parameters, DS (DolphinScheduler) can schedule tasks, the combination is the perfect entity!”
2. Suffix Differentiation Technique
   • It is proposed to rename DolphinScheduler as “DScheduler” and DeepSeek as “DSeek,” but the public rejected it, saying, “Why not just call them ‘Dolphin’ and ‘Deep Sea Fish’ to avoid internal competition?”
3. Ultimate Mysticism

   • Developers suggest: “Let DolphinScheduler integrate with the DeepSeek model to generate poetic logs for scheduling tasks - keeping the acronym while riding the traffic wave.” Example:

     Task node 14451413115008,Failed as resolutely as Qu Yuan throwing himself into the Miluo River,But don't panic, after three automatic retries,Finally, ‘SUCCESS’ illuminates the mountains and rivers!

The War of Acronyms, the Symbiosis of Technology

Perhaps, the battle over the “DS” acronym is a microcosm of technological evolution:

• DolphinScheduler reminds us that the value of basic tools never fades - even if the acronym is “stolen,” it remains the unsung hero of the data pipeline.
• DeepSeek proves that breaking through the circle in technology needs “poetry and the distance” - an AI that can write code is common, but one that can empathize with Qu Yuan is rare.

Finally, an appeal to all developers:

If you happen to encounter a confused newcomer asking, ‘What is DS?’ Please kindly reply:——For big data, use Dolphin; for AI, use Deep Sea Fish,Both are DS,But it is recommended to check the documentation first,To avoid awkward conversations in meetings.