What is a "Distributed" Data Processing System?

Words have only one purpose in a technical context–the transmission of information. When they fail to do that, they lead to confusion and misunderstanding. "Distributed data processing" and "distributed processing" are two phrases which illustrate that axiom. Like many other words in the lexicon of the computer professional, these have become cliches through over-use, losing much of their original meaning in the process. This paper is an attempt to reverse that trend.