Date: Wed, 07 May 2003 13:04:10 -0400 (EDT) From: John Baldwin <jhb@FreeBSD.org> To: David Schultz <das@FreeBSD.ORG> Cc: cvs-doc@FreeBSD.ORG Subject: Re: cvs commit: doc/en_US.ISO8859-1/books/handbook/disks chapter.sgml Message-ID: <XFMail.20030507130410.jhb@FreeBSD.org> In-Reply-To: <20030507084829.GB15496@HAL9000.homeunix.com>
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On 07-May-2003 David Schultz wrote: > On Wed, May 07, 2003, Hiten Pandya wrote: >> On Tue, May 06, 2003 at 11:00:18PM -0700, Doug Barton wrote: >> > > Actually, and according to my dictionary, irrelevant is more correct >> > > here. >> > >> > That wasn't my actual question. :) Let me rephrase. "Given that these two >> > words basically mean the same thing in context, what was the overwhelming >> > necessity of this change?" If the reason was, "To make the meaning >> > slightly more accurate," then we can argue the merits based on that... I'm >> > just curious. >> >> Two reasons: >> >> a) Use simple english which everyone can understand. >> Many people from the far east etc do not understand such >> words, while they can undersand ``useless'' or >> ''irrelevant''. This is also the same reason for my >> "automatic to automagic" change. >> >> b) The 'insignificant' meaning of the word `moot' is >> secondary, while it's primary meaning is the opposite > > I don't think that there's any requirement that FreeBSD > documentation read like a Henry James novel. Some people have > colorful writing styles that involve words such as > ``automagical'', ``moot'', and ``kludge'', and I'm not convinced > that this is a problem. Documentation isn't my domain, so I won't > stick my nose into this any further, but unless our translators > and other non-native English speakers have major qualms about > this kind of detail, I do consider this to be gratuitous. Agreed. automagical is a favorite word of several folks and does have a slightly different connotation from just 'automatic'. :) -- John Baldwin <jhb@FreeBSD.org> <>< http://www.FreeBSD.org/~jhb/ "Power Users Use the Power to Serve!" - http://www.FreeBSD.org/
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