Re:Linus: “I no longer feel like I can trust ‘init’ to do th...
by otterley on Tuesday July 11, 2017 @11:13AM
(#14744836)
Your point is taken that English is indeed an evolving language, but there's a strong benefit to consistency that is illustrated here.
If definitions are inconsistent in the minds of people participating in a conversation, it can muddy an issue and make people needlessly argue because they aren't communicating effectively about what they mean. It also makes it more difficult for a reader to understand the debate.
Specifically, in this discussion, when I said "breaks userspace," I and others were referring to the term of art as developed over the past 25 years, and I expected (this being HN) that others would also understand it as such and discuss accordingly. Instead, this thread has turned into a morass of misunderstanding and confusion, because still others believe the term means something else, and are arguing a tangential point as a result.
If definitions are inconsistent in the minds of people participating in a conversation, it can muddy an issue and make people needlessly argue because they aren't communicating effectively about what they mean. It also makes it more difficult for a reader to understand the debate.
Specifically, in this discussion, when I said "breaks userspace," I and others were referring to the term of art as developed over the past 25 years, and I expected (this being HN) that others would also understand it as such and discuss accordingly. Instead, this thread has turned into a morass of misunderstanding and confusion, because still others believe the term means something else, and are arguing a tangential point as a result.