Is not level scaling in the sense most people refer to it. In Oblivion certain enemies might start at level 20 and only scale to level 40 or start at 1 and end at 10. That's the idea. So yeah, the devs wouldn't put a base level 20 in your path while you're likely under level 10. They'd use the enemies that scale from level 1 to 10 instead. Sometimes trash mobs get thrown in and whatnot because of course they do so you'd still encounter things that only scaled to a lower threshold.
I don't care what most people call something.
As a scientist and an engineer, the consensus argument means nothing to me.
As the guy above you posted, "Level scaling is a gameplay conceit used in some RPGs to provide a continuous, consistent challenge to the player. As the player's character rises in level, aspects of the world will change to accommodate that character's growth. The most basic form of level scaling will increase the level of the enemies encountered, allowing their power to grow in step with the player. However, level scaling may also influence other aspects, such as the type and quality of loot found or the availability of certain quests." This is exactly what I said, but of course, the idiots will start splitting hairs to make it seem as though what I said is not that at all.
Level scaling exists in all RPGs as it is the main reason why people play RPGs. It is a powerwank to see your toon that can barely take on goblins in the beginning barely take on dragons later. And yet, if you give the goblins mage levels, you can get the same kind of challenge. From a game design point of view, there really isn't a big difference if it is level 21 goblin mage or an ancient red dragon. They are both level appropriate challenges for a level 20 toon. The enemy had scaled up from level 1 to level 20 because of the PC. That is level scaling. If level scaling do not occur, then the entire RPG genre would be dead. There is simply no point in high level characters going around nuking everything in sight with no repercussions at all. That is boring as hell. And that is why it doesn't happen in RPGs.