Return to BSD News archive
Path: euryale.cc.adfa.oz.au!newshost.carno.net.au!harbinger.cc.monash.edu.au!munnari.OZ.AU!news.ecn.uoknor.edu!news.cis.okstate.edu!nntp.ksu.edu!news.mid.net!newsfeeder.gi.net!news.dra.com!feed1.news.erols.com!howland.erols.net!math.ohio-state.edu!uwm.edu!alpha1.csd.uwm.edu!jgd
From: jgd@alpha1.csd.uwm.edu (John G Dobnick)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.misc,comp.unix.bsd.misc,alt.folklore.computers
Subject: Re: On the Naming of UNIX Things
Date: 15 Nov 1996 23:29:29 GMT
Organization: University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee
Lines: 31
Message-ID: <56iucp$fb5@uwm.edu>
References: <569rkk$gv0@orac.mon.rnb.com>
Reply-To: jgd@alpha1.csd.uwm.edu
NNTP-Posting-Host: 129.89.169.1
Originator: jgd@alpha1.csd.uwm.edu
Xref: euryale.cc.adfa.oz.au comp.unix.misc:26487 comp.unix.bsd.misc:1534 alt.folklore.computers:124724
From article <569rkk$gv0@orac.mon.rnb.com>, by hdavies@kzin.mon.rnb.com (Hugh J.E. Davies):
> In article <1996111206190712643@[192.159.32.2]>, swb@mercury.campbell-mithun.com (Shawn Barnhart) writes:
>
[words about why Unix command names area short and "cryptic",
because programmers don't like to type.]
> And this is the accepted explaination.
You bet it is! Why type three or four characters when
two will do? Why "copy" when "cp" suffices? Why "list" when
"ls" does fine? (Although I aliases this to "l" -- why type 2
characters when 1 willdo? :-) )
Programmers are lazy [1] typists. You like to type, become a
stenographer.
[1] lazy -- efficient of keystroke,
conservative of finger motion,
reducer of muscular activity,
preventer of keyboard wear and tear,
lovers of abbreviations,
attempting to type as fast as they think.
What? You *never* use abbreviations?
--
John G Dobnick "Knowing how things work is the basis
Information & Media Technologies for appreciation, and is thus a
University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee source of civilized delight."
jgd@csd.uwm.edu ATTnet: (414) 229-5727 -- William Safire