5 ms·

This might be nitpicking, but I feel this is the proper site for it: the name of the system is "X Window System". There is no "X Windows", "X-Windows" or such.

by unwind 5y ago

This might be nitpicking, but I feel this is the proper site for it: the name of the system is "X Window System". There is no "X Windows", "X-Windows" or such. See the Wikipedia section [1] on nomenclature for details. [1]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/X_Window_System#Nomenclature https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/X_Window_System#Nomenclature

beervirus 5y ago
Picking nits is fine, but this seems like an irrelevant nit. Like I at least get the argument about calling Linux GNU/Linux, even if I don’t care… but this one, I’m not sure why anyone would care.
- pgtan 5y ago
  I for myself get annoyed every time I see this misspell. The name is X Window. Even microserfs can learn it.
  - beervirus 5y ago
    >microserfs Cringing intensifies.
  - DonHopkins 5y ago
    1. Thank you for getting annoyed every time. 2. The name is not "X Window". Citation: See the June 1988 "XNextEvent" newsletter, The Official Newsletter of XUG, the X User’s Group, "Things That Happen When You Say ‘X Windows’", for the definitive list of its official names, and the dire consequences of getting it wrong: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=28522534 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=28522534
- johnklos 5y ago
  Searches won't work properly because of people who don't care about correctness. That's the primary reason why some of us care.
  - beervirus 5y ago
    That ship has sailed.
    - digisign 5y ago
      Not only sailed but probably decommissioned or at the bottom of the ocean by now.
      - DonHopkins 5y ago
        They're not U-Boats!!! It's the U Boat System.
  - kalleboo 5y ago
    Both Google and Bing are smart enough to associate "X-Windows" with "X Window System"
- fortran77 5y ago
  The author of the linked article didn’t call it by the wrong name in the title. Changing the title to this incorrect name may mislead people into thinking that the person who wrote the linked content is incompetent, unqualified, or foolish.
  - marcodiego 5y ago
    Check here: http://pupngo.dk/xwinflpy/Hacklin.htm http://pupngo.dk/xwinflpy/Hacklin.htm
marcodiego 5y ago
Done.
- unwind 5y ago
  Thanks! Much appreciated.
DonHopkins 5y ago
The X-Windows Disaster https://donhopkins.medium.com/the-x-windows-disaster-128d398ebd47 https://donhopkins.medium.com/the-x-windows-disaster-128d398... >Things That Happen When You Say ‘X Windows’ >I was digging through some old papers, and ran across a 15 [now 33] year old “XNextEvent” newsletter, "The Official Newsletter of XUG, the X User’s Group", Volume 1 Number 2, from June 1988. Here’s an article that illustrates how far the usage of the term "X Windows" has evolved over the past 15 [33] years. (Too bad The Window System Improperly Known as X Windows itself [still] hasn’t evolved.) >Someone on slashdot asks, “Why is it still called X-Windows?”. Predictably, the first reply says: “It isn’t. It’s called ‘The X Window System.’ Or simply ‘X’. ‘X Windows’ is a misnomer.” >He didn’t ask why it is “X-Windows”. He asked why it’s called “X-Windows”. You’re wrong that it isn’t called “X-Windows”. It is! It’s just that it isn’t “X-Windows”. Being something is independent of being called something. >The answer to the question ‘Why is it still called X-Windows?’ is: It’s still called X-Windows in order to annoy the X-Windows Fanatics, who take it upon themselves to correct you every time you call it X-Windows. That’s why it’s called X-Windows. >The following definitive guide to the consequences of saying “X Windows” is from the June 1988 “XNextEvent” newsletter, “The Official Newsletter of XUG, the X User’s Group”, Volume 1 Number 2: >Things That Happen When You Say ‘X Windows’ >THE OFFICIAL NAMES >The official names of the software described herein are: >- X >- X Window System >- X Version 11 >- X Window System, Version 11 >- X11 >Note that the phrases X.11, X-11, X Windows or any permutation thereof, are explicitly excluded from this list and should not be used to describe the X Window System (window system should be thought of as one word). >The above should be enough to scare anyone into using the proper terminology, but sadly enough, it’s not. Recently, certain people, lacking sufficient motivation to change their speech patterns, have fallen victim to various ‘accidents’, or ‘misfortune’. I’ve compiled a short list of happenings, some of which I have witnessed, others which remain heresay. I’m not claiming any direct connection between their speech habits and the reported incidents, but you be the judge… And woe betide any who set the cursed phrase into print! >- You are forced to explain toolkit programming to X neophytes. >- Bob Schiefler says, “You should know better than that!” >- The Power Supply (and unknown boards) on your workstation mysteriously give up the ghost. >- Ditto for the controller board for the disk on your new Sun. >- Your hair falls out. >- xmh refuses to come up in a useful size, no matter what you fiddle. >- You inexplicitly lose both of your complete Ultrix Doc sets. >- R2 won’t build. >- Bob Schiefler says “Type ‘man X’”. >- Your nifty new X screen saver just won’t go away. >- The window you’re working in loses input focus. Permanently. >[...] Don wrote the chapter on the X-Windows Disaster. (To annoy X fanatics, Don specifically asked that we include the hyphen after the letter “X,”, as well as the plural of the word “Windows,” in his chapter title.)

by unwind 5y ago

beervirus 5y ago

Picking nits is fine, but this seems like an irrelevant nit. Like I at least get the argument about calling Linux GNU/Linux, even if I don’t care… but this one, I’m not sure why anyone would care.

pgtan 5y ago
I for myself get annoyed every time I see this misspell. The name is X Window. Even microserfs can learn it.
- beervirus 5y ago
  >microserfs Cringing intensifies.
- DonHopkins 5y ago
  1. Thank you for getting annoyed every time. 2. The name is not "X Window". Citation: See the June 1988 "XNextEvent" newsletter, The Official Newsletter of XUG, the X User’s Group, "Things That Happen When You Say ‘X Windows’", for the definitive list of its official names, and the dire consequences of getting it wrong: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=28522534 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=28522534
johnklos 5y ago
Searches won't work properly because of people who don't care about correctness. That's the primary reason why some of us care.
- beervirus 5y ago
  That ship has sailed.
  - digisign 5y ago
    Not only sailed but probably decommissioned or at the bottom of the ocean by now.
    - DonHopkins 5y ago
      They're not U-Boats!!! It's the U Boat System.
- kalleboo 5y ago
  Both Google and Bing are smart enough to associate "X-Windows" with "X Window System"
fortran77 5y ago
The author of the linked article didn’t call it by the wrong name in the title. Changing the title to this incorrect name may mislead people into thinking that the person who wrote the linked content is incompetent, unqualified, or foolish.
- marcodiego 5y ago
  Check here: http://pupngo.dk/xwinflpy/Hacklin.htm http://pupngo.dk/xwinflpy/Hacklin.htm

marcodiego 5y ago

Done.

unwind 5y ago
Thanks! Much appreciated.

DonHopkins 5y ago

The X-Windows Disaster https://donhopkins.medium.com/the-x-windows-disaster-128d398ebd47 https://donhopkins.medium.com/the-x-windows-disaster-128d398... >Things That Happen When You Say ‘X Windows’ >I was digging through some old papers, and ran across a 15 [now 33] year old “XNextEvent” newsletter, "The Official Newsletter of XUG, the X User’s Group", Volume 1 Number 2, from June 1988. Here’s an article that illustrates how far the usage of the term "X Windows" has evolved over the past 15 [33] years. (Too bad The Window System Improperly Known as X Windows itself [still] hasn’t evolved.) >Someone on slashdot asks, “Why is it still called X-Windows?”. Predictably, the first reply says: “It isn’t. It’s called ‘The X Window System.’ Or simply ‘X’. ‘X Windows’ is a misnomer.” >He didn’t ask why it is “X-Windows”. He asked why it’s called “X-Windows”. You’re wrong that it isn’t called “X-Windows”. It is! It’s just that it isn’t “X-Windows”. Being something is independent of being called something. >The answer to the question ‘Why is it still called X-Windows?’ is: It’s still called X-Windows in order to annoy the X-Windows Fanatics, who take it upon themselves to correct you every time you call it X-Windows. That’s why it’s called X-Windows. >The following definitive guide to the consequences of saying “X Windows” is from the June 1988 “XNextEvent” newsletter, “The Official Newsletter of XUG, the X User’s Group”, Volume 1 Number 2: >Things That Happen When You Say ‘X Windows’ >THE OFFICIAL NAMES >The official names of the software described herein are: >- X >- X Window System >- X Version 11 >- X Window System, Version 11 >- X11 >Note that the phrases X.11, X-11, X Windows or any permutation thereof, are explicitly excluded from this list and should not be used to describe the X Window System (window system should be thought of as one word). >The above should be enough to scare anyone into using the proper terminology, but sadly enough, it’s not. Recently, certain people, lacking sufficient motivation to change their speech patterns, have fallen victim to various ‘accidents’, or ‘misfortune’. I’ve compiled a short list of happenings, some of which I have witnessed, others which remain heresay. I’m not claiming any direct connection between their speech habits and the reported incidents, but you be the judge… And woe betide any who set the cursed phrase into print! >- You are forced to explain toolkit programming to X neophytes. >- Bob Schiefler says, “You should know better than that!” >- The Power Supply (and unknown boards) on your workstation mysteriously give up the ghost. >- Ditto for the controller board for the disk on your new Sun. >- Your hair falls out. >- xmh refuses to come up in a useful size, no matter what you fiddle. >- You inexplicitly lose both of your complete Ultrix Doc sets. >- R2 won’t build. >- Bob Schiefler says “Type ‘man X’”. >- Your nifty new X screen saver just won’t go away. >- The window you’re working in loses input focus. Permanently. >[...] Don wrote the chapter on the X-Windows Disaster. (To annoy X fanatics, Don specifically asked that we include the hyphen after the letter “X,”, as well as the plural of the word “Windows,” in his chapter title.)