From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Path: main.gmane.org!not-for-mail From: Bob Nelson Newsgroups: gmane.emacs.help Subject: Re: why `view-lossage' is called so? Date: Mon, 05 May 2003 00:49:41 GMT Organization: EarthLink Inc. -- http://www.EarthLink.net Sender: help-gnu-emacs-bounces+gnu-help-gnu-emacs=m.gmane.org@gnu.org Message-ID: References: NNTP-Posting-Host: main.gmane.org X-Trace: main.gmane.org 1052095923 13525 80.91.224.249 (5 May 2003 00:52:03 GMT) X-Complaints-To: usenet@main.gmane.org NNTP-Posting-Date: Mon, 5 May 2003 00:52:03 +0000 (UTC) Original-X-From: help-gnu-emacs-bounces+gnu-help-gnu-emacs=m.gmane.org@gnu.org Mon May 05 02:52:01 2003 Return-path: Original-Received: from monty-python.gnu.org ([199.232.76.173]) by main.gmane.org with esmtp (Exim 3.35 #1 (Debian)) id 19CUCy-0003Vn-00 for ; Mon, 05 May 2003 02:52:01 +0200 Original-Received: from localhost ([127.0.0.1] helo=monty-python.gnu.org) by monty-python.gnu.org with esmtp (Exim 4.10.13) id 19CUC8-0002U9-05 for gnu-help-gnu-emacs@m.gmane.org; Sun, 04 May 2003 20:51:04 -0400 Original-Path: shelby.stanford.edu!newsfeed.stanford.edu!cyclone.bc.net!sjc70.webusenet.com!news.webusenet.com!newsfeed1.earthlink.net!newsfeed.earthlink.net!stamper.news.pas.earthlink.net!newsread2.prod.itd.earthlink.net.POSTED!not-for-mail Original-Newsgroups: gnu.emacs.help User-Agent: tin/1.5.12-20020427 ("Sugar") (UNIX) (Linux/2.4.18-27.7.x (i686)) Original-Lines: 35 Original-NNTP-Posting-Host: 67.30.4.33 Original-X-Complaints-To: abuse@earthlink.net Original-X-Trace: newsread2.prod.itd.earthlink.net 1052095781 67.30.4.33 (Sun, 04 May 2003 17:49:41 PDT) Original-NNTP-Posting-Date: Sun, 04 May 2003 17:49:41 PDT Original-Xref: shelby.stanford.edu gnu.emacs.help:112769 Original-To: help-gnu-emacs@gnu.org X-BeenThere: help-gnu-emacs@gnu.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1b5 Precedence: list List-Id: Users list for the GNU Emacs text editor List-Help: List-Post: List-Subscribe: , List-Archive: List-Unsubscribe: , Errors-To: help-gnu-emacs-bounces+gnu-help-gnu-emacs=m.gmane.org@gnu.org Xref: main.gmane.org gmane.emacs.help:9264 X-Report-Spam: http://spam.gmane.org/gmane.emacs.help:9264 drf5n@mug.sys.virginia.edu wrote: > On 26 Apr 2003, [iso-8859-2] Janusz S. Bie? wrote: >> The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (06 Jun 01) says: >> >> lossage > ... >> >> I see no relation between the meaning of the word and the results of >> `view-lossage' commands. > I think of it as more of a lossage-recovery tool: If you need to > view-lossage, you've probably experienced an unexpected lossage. It might > make better sense named as 'view-keyboard-log' or 'view-keystroke-log', > but I've always had a hard time guessing the right keywords for emacs > commands. Cleverness (or outright obscurity) often prevails over clarity when it comes to Emacs naming conventions. A few examples come to mind: hippie-expand comint ange-ftp - If you search long enough, hard enough and deep enough, there's some rationale for the naming convention employed by Emacs. Getting to know the relationship between the names and the functionality afforded is probably a ``rite of passage'' for a user to have any hope of entering the exalted sect in RMS' church of Emacs. -- =============================================================================== Bob Nelson -- Dallas, Texas, USA (nelsonbe@earthlink.net) http://www.oldradio.com/archives/nelson/open-computing.html Good engineering is just finding the right wrench to pound in the correct screw