Re: Use of the first person in messages from the computer
On Fri, Feb 10, 2012 at 11:57:44AM +0000, Ian Jackson wrote:
> Wouter Verhelst writes ("Re: Use of the first person in messages from the computer"):
> > A computer cannot refer to itself, because it does not have a self.
>
> I'm sorry, but that is completely wrong.
>
> "README"
> "drink me"
> "<someone> me facit"
>
> I'm sure others can come up with many other examples, ancient and
> modern.
Examples of incorrectness in the past do not make the incorrectness
correct.
I have always felt somewhat awkward about the "README" filename; but
since it's used mostly everywhere, everyone knows what it means.
> I web searched for "inanimate object first person" and it seems that a
> common task set in writing classes is to write an essay or story in
> the first person from the point of view of an inanimate object.
>
> Or are we going to rename all our READMEs READTHISFILE ?
I'm not suggesting anything of the kind.
--
The volume of a pizza of thickness a and radius z can be described by
the following formula:
pi zz a
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