←back to thread

Programmers and software developers lost the plot on naming their tools

(larr.net)
311 points todsacerdoti | 1 comments | 11 Dec 25 18:06 UTC | HN request time: 0.219s | source
Show context
wpollock ◴[11 Dec 25 18:50 UTC] No.46235391[source]▶
If you didn't already know, what do you think a tool called "emacs" does?
replies(9): >>46235570 #>>46235591 #>>46235597 #>>46235599 #>>46235627 #>>46235628 #>>46235650 #>>46235698 #>>46239342 #
jolmg ◴[11 Dec 25 19:04 UTC] No.46235627[source]▶
It's still to his point:

> Even when engineers get creative, there’s logic: a butterfly valve actually looks like butterfly wings. You can tell how the name relates to what it actually defines, and how it can be memorable.

Editor MACroS still has a logic. It isn't just random.

replies(2): >>46235732 #>>46239152 #
wat10000 ◴[11 Dec 25 19:10 UTC] No.46235732[source]▶
A butterfly valve is a category of thing. The corresponding word for emacs would be "editor." That is entirely descriptive: an editor edits.

Picking a specific butterfly valve randomly from an internet search, I find one called the FNW FNWHPA1LSTG24.

Product types and categories get generic names, specific products often get weird names. It's true in just about every field.

replies(1): >>46235937 #
1. jolmg ◴[11 Dec 25 19:23 UTC] No.46235937[source]▶
Someone was probably the first to call their valve a butterfly valve.

Emacs can also be taken to be a category of editors. There are multiple emacs-derived editors.