Re: Reopen bug 535: Problem with highlit regions on Linux virtual terminal

[Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>]

> Date: Wed, 8 Apr 2009 08:13:42 +0000
> From: Alan Mackenzie <acm@muc.de>
> Cc: Miles Bader <miles@gnu.org>, emacs-devel@gnu.org
> 
> > If the mark is non-nil, then the region exists.  The region may be
> > active, ....
> 
> What is the activity that this region does?  Does the region delete a
> block of characters?  Does the region jump to the start of the next
> defun?
> 
> Supposing you have a geologist inside a dead volcano, examining it,
> measuring it, chipping bits out of it.  You would call this an "active
> volcano", would you?

Sorry, Alan, but this goes waaaay beyond the limits of courtesy and
civilized discussion.  Stephen tried to explain the terminology to
you, and you are mocking him? why does he deserve that?

> This is a misuse of the word "active"

Any terminology misuses words to some extent.  "Active region" is a
well established terminology in Emacs, as Stephen points out, and it
will not change just because you happen to have difficulties with
agreeing with it.  You should simply get used to it.

> Do you have definitions of (as contrasted to a discussion around) "active
> region" and "active mark" that you could contribute to the Emacs manual?

That would be good, indeed.  The current Emacs manual begins talking
about these (in the "Mark" node) without defining them first.