From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Path: news.gmane.org!not-for-mail From: Tim X Newsgroups: gmane.emacs.help Subject: Re: gnu vs. xemacs Date: Fri, 29 Dec 2006 10:53:03 +1100 Organization: Posted via Supernews, http://www.supernews.com Message-ID: <877iwbshls.fsf@lion.rapttech.com.au> References: <1167219981.424569.215160@73g2000cwn.googlegroups.com> <17810.31823.986927.362052@kamaloka.dhatu> <87odpos1k3.fsf@lion.rapttech.com.au> NNTP-Posting-Host: dough.gmane.org Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii X-Trace: sea.gmane.org 1167352836 18716 80.91.229.10 (29 Dec 2006 00:40:36 GMT) X-Complaints-To: usenet@sea.gmane.org NNTP-Posting-Date: Fri, 29 Dec 2006 00:40:36 +0000 (UTC) Original-X-From: help-gnu-emacs-bounces+geh-help-gnu-emacs=m.gmane.org@gnu.org Fri Dec 29 01:40:36 2006 Return-path: Envelope-to: geh-help-gnu-emacs@m.gmane.org Original-Received: from lists.gnu.org ([199.232.76.165]) by dough.gmane.org with esmtp (Exim 4.50) id 1H05nT-0006ed-Go for geh-help-gnu-emacs@m.gmane.org; Fri, 29 Dec 2006 01:40:31 +0100 Original-Received: from localhost ([127.0.0.1] helo=lists.gnu.org) by lists.gnu.org with esmtp (Exim 4.43) id 1H05nS-0005fo-R0 for geh-help-gnu-emacs@m.gmane.org; Thu, 28 Dec 2006 19:40:30 -0500 Original-Path: shelby.stanford.edu!newsfeed.stanford.edu!headwall.stanford.edu!newshub.sdsu.edu!sn-xt-sjc-02!sn-xt-sjc-01!sn-xt-sjc-07!sn-post-sjc-01!supernews.com!corp.supernews.com!not-for-mail Original-Newsgroups: gnu.emacs.help User-Agent: Gnus/5.11 (Gnus v5.11) Emacs/22.0.92 (gnu/linux) Cancel-Lock: sha1:MLA6yqaQIz9zzKDygK4hb98gMEc= Original-X-Complaints-To: abuse@supernews.com Original-Lines: 43 Original-Xref: shelby.stanford.edu gnu.emacs.help:144389 Original-To: help-gnu-emacs@gnu.org X-BeenThere: help-gnu-emacs@gnu.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5 Precedence: list List-Id: Users list for the GNU Emacs text editor List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , Original-Sender: help-gnu-emacs-bounces+geh-help-gnu-emacs=m.gmane.org@gnu.org Errors-To: help-gnu-emacs-bounces+geh-help-gnu-emacs=m.gmane.org@gnu.org Xref: news.gmane.org gmane.emacs.help:39991 Archived-At: Matthew Flaschen writes: > Tim X wrote: >> You don't think your being a bit pedantic do you? After all, Linux is >> what GNU/Linux is commonly called. You also have lots of other >> references out there which don't include the "GNU" part, such as The >> Linux Journal, the Linux Gazette, Linux Weekly news, >> linuxquestions.org, linuxkernel.org, etc etc. > >> At least if your going to take the time to post a response, maybe add >> something for the OP in addition to correcting his colloquial use of >> Linux rather than the technically correct one. > > I don't think he's being pedantic, and the fact that the error is common > does not mean it's insignificant. It's not only technically correct, > it's ethically correct. > > As for the OP, I can't help since I've never used XEmacs. > Perhaps your right - I guess what got to me was the fact the respondent was able to take the time to correct a common error which nearly everyone is guilty of, but failed to actually address the OPs question in any way. I mean, is he going to correct every post that refers to just Linux rather than GNU/Linux? Although I understand why we should encourage people to not drop the GNU part, I suspect that basic human tendency to shorten descriptions will see Linux being used far more often than GNU/Linux. We have far greater ethical problems relating to how people use GNU software and misunderstanding regarding free software and open source than whether people use the "formal" title or not. IMO if we want users to adopt a specific terminology, we need to provide positive reinforcement to do so in addition to criticising them when they fail to. Actually assisting someone together with correcting their understandable error in terms would assist in this. Just criticism without any assistance is more likely to have the opposite affect. Tim -- tcross (at) rapttech dot com dot au