From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Path: news.gmane.org!not-for-mail From: "Robert J. Chassell" Newsgroups: gmane.emacs.devel Subject: Re: [comp.emacs] "Emacs" defined in Collins English Dictionary Date: Tue, 14 Jun 2005 13:10:22 +0000 (UTC) Message-ID: References: <8764whreme.fsf@tc-1-100.kawasaki.gol.ne.jp> Reply-To: bob@rattlesnake.com NNTP-Posting-Host: main.gmane.org X-Trace: sea.gmane.org 1118754674 24913 80.91.229.2 (14 Jun 2005 13:11:14 GMT) X-Complaints-To: usenet@sea.gmane.org NNTP-Posting-Date: Tue, 14 Jun 2005 13:11:14 +0000 (UTC) Cc: emacs-devel@gnu.org Original-X-From: emacs-devel-bounces+ged-emacs-devel=m.gmane.org@gnu.org Tue Jun 14 15:11:09 2005 Return-path: Original-Received: from lists.gnu.org ([199.232.76.165]) by ciao.gmane.org with esmtp (Exim 4.43) id 1DiBBu-0003iI-Lq for ged-emacs-devel@m.gmane.org; Tue, 14 Jun 2005 15:10:55 +0200 Original-Received: from localhost ([127.0.0.1] helo=lists.gnu.org) by lists.gnu.org with esmtp (Exim 4.43) id 1DiBGu-0000U3-NB for ged-emacs-devel@m.gmane.org; Tue, 14 Jun 2005 09:16:04 -0400 Original-Received: from mailman by lists.gnu.org with tmda-scanned (Exim 4.43) id 1DiBEm-0008JA-Ci for emacs-devel@gnu.org; Tue, 14 Jun 2005 09:13:52 -0400 Original-Received: from exim by lists.gnu.org with spam-scanned (Exim 4.43) id 1DiBEh-0008Fl-Fo for emacs-devel@gnu.org; Tue, 14 Jun 2005 09:13:47 -0400 Original-Received: from [199.232.76.173] (helo=monty-python.gnu.org) by lists.gnu.org with esmtp (Exim 4.43) id 1DiBEe-0008E8-OF for emacs-devel@gnu.org; Tue, 14 Jun 2005 09:13:44 -0400 Original-Received: from [69.168.108.225] (helo=rattlesnake.com) by monty-python.gnu.org with esmtp (Exim 4.34) id 1DiBD0-00074r-2n for emacs-devel@gnu.org; Tue, 14 Jun 2005 09:12:02 -0400 Original-Received: by rattlesnake.com via sendmail from stdin id (Debian Smail3.2.0.115) Tue, 14 Jun 2005 13:10:22 +0000 (UTC) Original-To: thomas.widmann@harpercollins.co.uk In-reply-to: <8764whreme.fsf@tc-1-100.kawasaki.gol.ne.jp> (message from Miles Bader on Tue, 14 Jun 2005 09:00:57 +0900) X-BeenThere: emacs-devel@gnu.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5 Precedence: list List-Id: "Emacs development discussions." List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , Original-Sender: emacs-devel-bounces+ged-emacs-devel=m.gmane.org@gnu.org Errors-To: emacs-devel-bounces+ged-emacs-devel=m.gmane.org@gnu.org Xref: news.gmane.org gmane.emacs.devel:38809 X-Report-Spam: http://spam.gmane.org/gmane.emacs.devel:38809 Thomas Widmann wrote, ... it might interest people in this group that "emacs" is defined in the new edition of the Collins English Dictionary (7th edition). The dictionary gives the plural as "emacsen", and it is defined as follows: "a powerful computer program used for creating and editing text, functioning primarily through keyboard commands". Unfortunately, the definition is wrong in two ways: * first, the definition follows RMS in saying that moving files and such is a form of editing. Such actions are a form of editing but most people do not speak that way. They speak of renaming a file as different from changing a word within a file. If the Collins English Dictionary uses his definition, it needs to explain RMS' idiosyncratic language in the definition itself. * second, Emacs is much more than an editor (unless you use RMS' definition of editing). It is simpler and shorter to say that Emacs is an integrating environment, like a command line interface or a graphic user interface. Emacs is a virtual lisp machine. Like a shell which has VI, Emacs has editing. In the same way, the various graphic user interfaces have editors and word processors, too. And you can move or rename files in all the interfaces. The Emacspeak auditory desktop, although derived from the Emacs virtual lisp machine, is a different, fourth, form of integrated user environment. See http://www.rattlesnake.com/notions/four-interfaces.html A better definition for Emacs is: "... a powerful computer program that is one of the four major integrated user environments. Like a command line interface or a graphic user interface, Emacs provides editing and other features. Although it provides various mouse commands, people often control it through keyboard commands. The Emacspeak auditory desktop is derived from this program, but is a different, fourth integrated user environment." or shorter: "Emacs is an integrated user environment, like a command line interface or a graphic user interface. It provides editing and other features. Although it provides various mouse commands, people often control Emacs through keyboard commands." People attempting humour use "emacsen" as the plural. -- Robert J. Chassell bob@rattlesnake.com GnuPG Key ID: 004B4AC8 http://www.rattlesnake.com http://www.teak.cc