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Subject:Re: filesystem or file system? From:Stuart Burnfield <sburnf -at- au1 -dot- ibm -dot- com> To:"TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com> Date:Mon, 16 Aug 2004 19:43:03 +0800
> What about "Operating system" vs. "Operatingsystem?" If there is a
> rule that covers how File system is spelled, wouldn't those same
> rules apply to Operatingsystem? I cringe whenever I see filesystem.
> What about filesizes or filemenu? Sorry folks, filesystem is wrong :>)
I'm with the folks who say 'go with your audience'. Most Linux/UNIX
people would be used to 'filesystem', most Windows people
wouldn't notice, I suspect.
Leaving that aside for a sec, there does seem to be a bit of a
pattern depending on whether you're talking about an attribute
of an object or a term for a collection of things:
File name = the name of a file
File type = the type of a file
File size = the size of a file
File menu = a menu called File
Filesystem is not an attribute of a file. To me, it's along
the same lines as 'database'.
I don't know where "Operating system" fits in this--it's not really
the same sort of system as a filesystem, but it's also not an
attribute of a 'thing'.
> Filesystem is however frequently used in Linux documentation,
> which makes sense as they like to do things differently. I like
> to follow the mainstream and use Microsoft Windows ;)
Yes, those Linux/UNIX people do have that terrible habit
of going back in time and doing things differently for no
good reason. Remember the forward slash/backward
slash fiasco?
---
Stuart Burnfield
Information Developer
Australian Programming Centre
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