One person replied off list, referencing this:
> I apologize for setting off such a thread. I promise you, I am done > with it starting now. Is a confirmation of this: >> On Thu, Jan 28, 2010 at 10:14 PM, Patrick Cable <[email protected]> wrote: >>> >>> It's not about the powers that be at $WORK. It's about what the end >>> users interpret. >>> >>> The powers that be know the end users can be quite semantic, and want >>> to ensure the correct phrasing is used. >>> >> >> On Thu, Jan 28, 2010 at 10:30 PM, Mathew Snyder <[email protected]> wrote: >> So all this is just so they can prevent people at $WORK from crying >> about what their OS of choice is called? >> > > Not quite.. > > It's about preventing this scenerio: > $work: "Here are some rules for unix systems! Youd better follow them > okay? Really, you're responsible for this!" > $potential_user: "Ohhhh well i run LINUX thats not unix technically!!! > i found a loophole! i am so smug!" > > and replacing it with: > > $work: "Here are some rules for (broad descriptor that encompasses > everything, maybe !windows !osx). You'd better follow them okay? > Really, you're responsible for this!" > $user: "hmph. ok. i guess ill shut off services i dont need and give > (point of contact) some information on my machine." I think this is all very true and valid. It summarizes simply: "unix-like" is an ambiguous term. Even the terms "unix and linux" are not universally agreed upon. And "*NIX" is equally ambiguous, if not more. If there is need to avoid confusion, eliminate ambiguity, the best phraseology would probably be something like "Any operating system other than Microsoft or Apple." _______________________________________________ bblisa mailing list [email protected] http://www.bblisa.org/mailman/listinfo/bblisa
