tags 445089 fixed-upstream
thanks
"compatibility" it is then. Changed in 2.68.
A. Costa wrote:
> On Thu, 04 Oct 2007 20:20:27 +0200
> Michael Kerrisk <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
>
>>> minimize -inter-operability problems.
>>> +compatibility problems.
>> Why do you want to change the wording here?
>
> 1) The more positive connotations of 'interoperability' conflict with
> the always negative "problems"; 'compatibility' is relatively neutral.
>
> 2) In the definitions below, note how 'interoperability' encompasses
> hardware, so it's the more general term -- since 'man services' is pure
> software, an implication of hardware is surplus.
>
> From The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (27 SEP 03) [foldoc]:
>
> compatible
>
> <jargon> Different systems (e.g., {programs}, {file formats},
> {protocols}, even {programming languages}) that can work
> together or exchange data are said to be compatible.
>
> See also {backward compatible}, {forward compatible}.
>
> (1998-01-15)
>
>
> interoperability
>
> The ability of software and hardware on multiple machines from
> multiple vendors to communicate.
>
> 3) Try saying these out loud a few times, which sounds better?
>
> minimize interoperability problems.
> minimize compatibility problems.
>
> (Caveat -- balancing the metre of a phrase can imbalance a sentence or
> paragraph.)
>
>
> Anyway, "inter-operability" (with hyphen) got flagged as not being in the
> dictionary, if nothing else it should lose the hyphen.
>
> Which all goes to show that advocating substitutes is "expensive".
> Pending some way to reduce the "cost" of such edits; perhaps what's
> needed is some Fowler-like compilation of undesirable technical phrases
> and their preferred forms, which when automated could refer curious
> parties to some appropriate entry. Not today though!
>
--
Michael Kerrisk
maintainer of Linux man pages Sections 2, 3, 4, 5, and 7
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