12-08-2009
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Join Date: Dec 2009
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The Language of the Unix World should Change
We should put an end to saying "orphan", "kill child", "zombie".
Anyone,
We should change the awful metaphors used in the language of managing Unix processes. I believe that this still humbly local initiative hides a great importance of how the world of Unix looks and feels to every user.
Example:
No more "kill". Use stop, remove or whatever else. It doesn't matter if that's already taken, we will always have vast language reserves.
If a process can be called a child/parrent then it should not be "killed" and "reaped", but collected. I prefer the playground to the graveyard, don't know about you.
Think about the already present "forest" metaphor. We could have roots an branches again. Or to seas, flows and rivers. Or flocks and packs. Or kings, counts, servants and agents. If we could "dam", "stem", "draw", why should we kill?
Since this is standard, it can change. One shouldn't think about how great a challenge it, one should just start walking against it.
You might feel this is irrelevant to what is actually done with a computer system and what it's for. But it's a fact that metaphors are used in illustrations of knowledge as well as in making the world we live and work in ours. If we care for what we wear and what you have in the house, why shouldn't you care of the words and ideas with which you express what you are doing?
I start today by creating links/aliases for the commands I don't like to hear on each of the 50 or so real and virtual machines I set foot on.