On Tue, 27 Oct 2009 03:27 pm, Malcolm Kay wrote: > On Mon, 26 Oct 2009 08:39 pm, Polytropon wrote: > > Hi Rob, > > > > just a little terminology note (from me, Mister > > Use-the-correct-words): If you are refering to a kind of > > hard disk, use "disk" with k. Think like "diskette". If you > > are refering to optical media, use "disc" with c. Think like > > "CD = compact disc". > > An arbitrary convention adopted by you and a few other people > does not invalidate the dictionary spellings and usage. > > My Australian (Macquarie) dictionary gives the spelling in all > cases as "disc" but recognises "disk" as a chiefly US variant. > My Conscise Oxford (English) dictionary simply gives the two > spellings as alternatives but states that "disk" is the > better. My Webster's (American) gives the two forms as > alternatives without suggesting any preference. Of course > different editions of the dictionaries may give slightly > different slants but are most unlikely to actually contradict > these possibly earlier views. > > > Disk: disk pack, hard disk, disk drive > > Disc: optical disc, magneto-optical disc, disc drive > > > > In your special case, you can even say that your external > > hard disk shows up as a disc in "Windows". It's correct. > > > > I know it may sound impolite (but it is not meant to be), > > but using the correct terminology is very important if you > > want to be understood correctly. > > I find your distinctions arbitrary and quite inappropriate; > again not meaning to sound impolite. So, each to his/her own > usage but please do not be critical of those of us not > conforming to your arbirary conventions. > Further,
If we look at some acronyms associated with optical media we have: CD -> Compact Disc DVD -> Digital Video Disc but: UDF -> Universal Disk Format (The file system frequently used on CDs and DVDs) So there is no consistency here! Malcolm _______________________________________________ freebsd-questions@freebsd.org mailing list http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions To unsubscribe, send any mail to "freebsd-questions-unsubscr...@freebsd.org"
