Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site umcp-cs.UUCP
Path: utzoo!linus!decvax!harpo!seismo!rlgvax!cvl!umcp-cs!speaker
From: speaker@umcp-cs.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.cog-eng
Subject: Re: expert-friendly: are long names a waste of time?
Message-ID: <3577@umcp-cs.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 4-Nov-83 20:14:16 EST
Article-I.D.: umcp-cs.3577
Posted: Fri Nov  4 20:14:16 1983
Date-Received: Mon, 7-Nov-83 22:29:45 EST
References: <570@minn-ua.UUCP> <6061@watmath.UUCP>
Organization: Univ. of Maryland, Computer Science Dept.
Lines: 37


	Once I know the long names for things, I can find out the system
	abbreviations if I need them.  But I don't have to
	remember arbitrary names right from the start.

Hmmmm... I find just the opposite is true.  That is, long names
confuse and cloud the issue.  Consider what you might call the
program that lists your directories...

"list_directories"
"show_directories"
"directory"
"list"
"catalog"
"directory_list"
"files"
"list_files"
"show_files"

etc, etc.  Who knows WHAT it might be!  The Unix 'ls' is
much easier to remember because I associate 'ls' with
listing my directories.  I don't have to go through the
intermediate step of figuring out what the abbreviation is for.
'ls' seems to be a word or entity all to itself and I associate
it immediately with seeing my directories.

The same is true with a seemingly meaningless word like 'grep'.
Sometimes I feel I could use this in everyday conversation,
the meaning is so well defined in my head.  And in fact...
I and some of my friends DO use it as such.

To each his own.
-- 

					- Speaker-To-Stuffed-Animals
					speaker@umcp-cs
					speaker.umcp-cs@CSnet-Relay