From owner-freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG Mon Oct 26 12:07:48 2009 Return-Path: Delivered-To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.freebsd.org (mx1.freebsd.org [IPv6:2001:4f8:fff6::34]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id B93711065676 for ; Mon, 26 Oct 2009 12:07:48 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from freebsd@qeng-ho.org) Received: from fileserver.home.qeng-ho.org (blue.qeng-ho.org [217.155.128.241]) by mx1.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 4717E8FC15 for ; Mon, 26 Oct 2009 12:07:47 +0000 (UTC) Received: from fileserver.home.qeng-ho.org (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by fileserver.home.qeng-ho.org (8.14.3/8.14.3) with ESMTP id n9QC7jbD026927; Mon, 26 Oct 2009 12:07:45 GMT (envelope-from freebsd@qeng-ho.org) Message-ID: <4AE59111.5060403@qeng-ho.org> Date: Mon, 26 Oct 2009 12:07:45 +0000 From: Arthur Chance User-Agent: Thunderbird 2.0.0.23 (X11/20090830) MIME-Version: 1.0 To: Polytropon References: <20091026110905.f802174a.freebsd@edvax.de> In-Reply-To: <20091026110905.f802174a.freebsd@edvax.de> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Cc: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Subject: Re: WD External Disc Drive X-BeenThere: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5 Precedence: list List-Id: User questions List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Mon, 26 Oct 2009 12:07:48 -0000 Polytropon wrote: > Hi Rob, > > just a little terminology note (from me, Mister Use-the-correct-words): > If you are refering to a kind of hard disk, use "disk" with k. > Think like "diskette". If you are refering to optical media, > use "disc" with c. Think like "CD = compact disc". > > Disk: disk pack, hard disk, disk drive > Disc: optical disc, magneto-optical disc, disc drive Um, I don't want to get into spelling flames but from where I'm sitting (the UK) "disk" is the American English spelling and "disc" is the British English spelling of the same word which means in general a flat thin round thing and in computing a (usually) spinning flat thin round thing used for non-volatile storage. The distinction you make is one I've not come across before, and I've worked with computers for nearly 40 years. I think it's better to simply qualify dis[ck] with an adjective to disambiguate as necessary and accept that the US had a spelling reform that the UK didn't so both forms are valid and interchangeable. See also: program v. programme, colour v. color, etc. :-)