Pim Blokland <pblokland at planet dot nl> wrote: >> I'm not sure that even all English users appreciate the computer >> related jargon and acronyms that their geek developers want to >> force them to learn and use. > > Hm... Personally I feel just the opposite. I think the computer > industry has taken too many normal words and forced new meanings > upon them. Words like program, compiler, desktop, window, folder, > mouse, &c., all have been cast into new roles; all were once > unambiguous, but nowadays they need more clarification if their > meaning is not clear from the context.
I suspect it's been centuries since "program" had only one unambiguous meaning. And I doubt many people are confused between the "compiler" of an encyclopedia or anthology and a high-level language "compiler." But hmm, "language"... there's a word whose overloading has certainly caused some confusion. -Doug Ewell Fullerton, California http://users.adelphia.net/~dewell/
