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Re: several wording mistakes in FAQ


From: Benno Schulenberg
Subject: Re: several wording mistakes in FAQ
Date: Thu, 19 Nov 2009 19:17:53 +0100

Hola Bob,

On Thu, 05 Nov 2009 15:32 -0700, "Bob Proulx" <address@hidden> wrote:
> Benno Schulenberg wrote:
> > If not, ´file names that start with a dot´ are not an example but
> > an explication.  Maybe write it as follows: "...I never see hidden files,
> > that is dot files, that is files whose names start with a dot..."
> 
> Unix filesystems use the convention that files that start with a dot
> are hidden files.  But the code has been ported to many other systems
> and some of those have different conventions for what makes a hidden
> file.  I know that the emphasis is on GNU systems but I didn't want to
> completely close the door on other non-GNU systems.

But the title of the item already speaks of dot files, not of hidden ones.
And the rest of the item only talks of dot files (twice adding that they
are hidden), and all the examples are about dot files.  Seeing all this
context, really only "that is" makes sense.

In my opinion there is no need to cater for other systems -- the FAQ
is located at gnu.org and it should describe GNU coreutils as clearly as
possible: don't say "for example" when the example given is the only
possibility.  Better the above suggested phrase, to closely bind together
the three possible descriptions of hidden files.


Another strange phrase appears near the end of this item about ´ls´:
"as this is a very similar theme".  Maybe: "as the sometimes surprising
behavior of the globbing character ´*´ is a very common theme".

In the title of item 28 the name of tar should be all lowercase.  I know
you resist changing titles because of posted URLs, but it's better to be
correct.  Also : s/this file this is not possible/this file is not possible/

Regards,

Benno

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