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From: trb@ima.UUCP (Andrew Tannenbaum)
Newsgroups: soc.misc
Subject: Re: Down with engineerlish!
Message-ID: <235@ima.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 3-Oct-86 12:52:14 EDT
Article-I.D.: ima.235
Posted: Fri Oct  3 12:52:14 1986
Date-Received: Wed, 8-Oct-86 05:58:51 EDT
References: <741@scc.UUCP> <6128@alice.uUCp>
Reply-To: trb@ima.UUCP (Andrew Tannenbaum)
Organization: Interactive Systems, Boston
Lines: 42

In article <6128@alice.uUCp> ark@alice.UucP (Andrew Koenig) writes:
> > You're right, there is no such word in the English language as 
> > "functionality".

> Real easy: "function" and "functionality" mean two different things.

Functionality is in my dictionary.  (Under functional, Webster's Ninth
Collegiate Dictionary, Merriam-Webster 1983 red hardcover.)  If you like,
you can insist that it doesn't exist.  Humor yourself.

I say down with sweeping generalizations (NOT generalities).

To a programmer, initialize does not mean start.  To initialize means
to set variables to their initial values.  To a programmer, a variable
isn't just a parameter or an attribute.  When some haughty lexicographic
irregular poo-poos something she doesn't understand (technical jargon,
in this instance) just because she once saw some business woman with a
three piece suit and a shmatte around her neck use the word finalize,
all I can do is assume that she is complaining about something of which
she knows not.

Here are some ize verbs from /usr/lib/w2006.

	authorize capitalize characterize criticize
	generalize initialize minimize organize
	realize recognize stabilize summarize utilize

They all have nouns associated with them.  What arbiter of style
decided that it was ok to verbize these nouns, or nounize these verbs?

I hate the word finalize.  (Set variables to their final values?  ;-)
In fact, I have never heard an engineer use the word finalize, though I
have heard (pompous) engineering managers use the word, along with their
whole raft of silly catch phrases.  Yes, I'm generalizing.  So take me
to mod.legal.  Yes, there are engineers who are lousy writers and
communicators.  But I find that engineers, with their backgrounds in
problem solving, are often clear thinkers and communicators when compared
to people who you'd think would be better communicators - politicians,
sales, and marketing people.  When a person puts down "engineerlish" without
being quite specific, I just chalk it up to ignorance.

	Andrew Tannenbaum   Interactive   Boston, MA   +1 617 247 1155