RE: Open vs Appear, Yet Again (was: "RE: WG: Newbie question - GUI terminology")

["Combs, Richard" <richard -dot- combs -at- Polycom -dot- com>]

Dubin, David wrote: 
  
> Only in magic does something appear. 
> Since we are dealing with software technology, we know that there is a
> cause: you clicked on something and an effect: something 
> happens. <snip>  

Nonsense! Apparently, a number of tech writers believe that "appear"
means "to come into existence or view by magic or without regard for
cause and effect." I recommend that they buy dictionaries and work on
vocabulary. In the meantime, here is Merriam-Webster's entry (from
m-w.com) for "appear": 

Function: intransitive verb
Etymology: Middle English apperen, from Anglo-French aparer, aparoir,
from Latin apparEre, from ad- + parEre to show oneself
1 a : to be or come in sight <the sun appears on the horizon> b : to
show up <appears promptly at eight each day>
2 : to come formally before an authoritative body <must appear in court
today>
3 : to have an outward aspect : SEEM <appears happy enough>
4 : to become evident or manifest <there appears to be evidence to the
contrary>
5 : to come into public view <first appeared on a television variety
show> <the book appeared in print a few years ago>
6 : to come into existence <hominids appeared late in the evolutionary
chain> 

And here's the American Heritage entry (from dictionary.reference.com): 

1. To become visible: a plane appearing in the sky. 
2. To come into existence: New strains of viruses appear periodically. 
3. To seem or look to be: appeared unhappy. See Synonyms at seem. 
4. To seem likely: They will be late, as it appears. 
5. To come before the public: has appeared in two plays; appears on the
nightly news. 
6. Law. To present oneself formally before a court as defendant,
plaintiff, or counsel. 

Notice the complete absence of references to magic. Notice that
airplanes, viruses, people, books, and the sun all appear, and they all
do so without help from supernatural agents and without violating the
law of causation. 

Harrumph!
Richard
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