Mail Archives: cygwin/2000/03/06/05:46:21
Glenn, you say it: "the phrase "forward slash" is very descriptive".
I think *everybody* understands that, even without many word of explanation.
And: Where the hell is Redmond ????
Kristof Doffing
Lufthansa Systems GmbH
FRA AD/NET
FAC, Hugo-Eckener-Ring, A.8.02
60549 Frankfurt/Main
Germany
Tel.: 069/696-92630
Fax: 069/696-92062
EMail: kristof DOT doffing AT LHSystems DOT com
Privat:
Viktoriastraße 28 64293 Darmstadt Tel.: 06151/999892
470er GER-4881
> ----------
> Von: Glenn Spell[SMTP:glenn AT gs DOT fay DOT nc DOT us]
> Antwort an: cygwin AT sourceware DOT cygnus DOT com
> Gesendet: Sonntag, 5. März 2000 17:18
> An: cygwin AT sourceware DOT cygnus DOT com
> Betreff: What is a "forward slash" (Was: changing mount)
>
> On 5 Mar 2000 around 12:47PM (+0200) Michael Hirmke wrote:
>
> > Use forward slashes for the mount command.
>
> Michael, this is not directed at you. I've been in the closet with
> this for years hoping someone else would bring it into the public
> eye... I'm tired of waiting... now is the time!
>
> This is a slash: /
>
> This is a backslash: \
>
> There is no such thing as a "forward slash".
>
> The phrase "forward slash" is very confusing.
>
> What is a forward slash. Well, it's probably not a slash because its
> very name implies that it is something other than a slash. It's name
> indicates that it's something like a slash but different. Hmm...
>
> ...well, the phrase "forward slash" is very descriptive. In American
> and English writing and reading the starting point is always at the
> top left. From there things progress forward across to the right and
> down to the bottom.
>
> Starting at the top left and progressing in a "forward" direction
> we arrive at "\" as the representation of a so-called "forward
> slash". This seems reasonable since a "forward slash" must be
> something other than a slash.
>
> But wait, that symbol already has a name... backslash. A backslash
> tends to "point" towards the backside of the character following it,
> hence the name "backslash".
>
> So, if there were to be such an thing as a forward slash it would
> indeed be the exact same thing as a backslash. Why use two words
> to describe something that already has a very descriptive and
> recognizable name. That only makes sense if you live, work, and have
> your being in Redmond.
>
> In Redmond, a lot of folks don't live in the real world. If the
> phrase "forward slash" originally came from Redmond, and I strongly
> suspect that it did, then there's no way to know what it really
> means.
>
> Actually, I'm waiting for folks to start using the phrase "backward
> slash"... then it will really get interesting.
>
> -glenn
>
> --
> ________________________________________ _ _____
> ) )_ _ (__\____o /_/_ |
> ) Glenn Spell <glenn AT gs DOT fay DOT nc DOT us> ) >-----._/_/__]>
> )________________________________________) `0 |
>
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