RFC: deprecation of nve(4) in 10-STABLE and removal from 11-CURRENT

[Matthew Rezny]

> Hi, Reference:
> > From:		David Chisnall <theraven at freebsd.org>
> > Date:		Thu, 6 Feb 2014 18:52:43 +0000
> 
> David Chisnall wrote:
> > On 6 Feb 2014, at 18:34, Julian H. Stacey <jhs at berklix.com>
> > wrote:
> > 
> > > Best avoid the obscure word `Deprecated' in manuals:
> > >  It's not common/ plain English.  Maybe a geek import, or USA
> > >  dialect ?  It's not easily internationaly understood English.
> > >  Best make manuals easier for non native English speakers (&
> > > native English too ;-).  I am British born & bred, whether in
> > > English speaking circles in UK or Germany I never hear or read
> > > 'deprecated' unless its in BSD context.  Few native English
> > > speakers I know will be immediately sure of the meaning, it's too
> > > obscure.
> > 
> > I'd strongly disagree with this.  Deprecated is, perhaps, only in
> > common use as jargon, but it's very widespread within the tech
> > field.  I don't think I've ever read an API reference that doesn't
> > include the word, for example, and it's even a keyword in many code
> > documentation tools.  For example, JavaDoc supports @deprecated and
> > gcc / clang include an __attribute__((deprecated)) that generates a
> > compile-time warning whenever anyone tries to call a deprecated
> > function.  
> > 
> > I've not come across the word outside of tech uses, but I've also
> > not come across the term network interface outside of tech
> > circles.  Deprecated, in this use, may be jargon, but it's very
> > widespread jargon, and requesting it not be used sounds like asking
> > for words like driver or processor also be avoided.
> > 
> > David
> > (Also a native English speaker, although familiar with the
> > unofficial fork from Leftpondia)
> 
> Uh Huh ;-)  http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Leftpondia
> American 1620 fork of English deduced.
>   1620: When a Mayflower butter maid Deprecated a milk maid giving 20
> ounces to a pint, & confused USA liquids down to 16 ounces.  (Beware
> man units).
> 

dep·re·cate [dep-ri-keyt]
verb (used with object), dep·re·cat·ed, dep·re·cat·ing.
1. to express earnest disapproval of.
2. to urge reasons against; protest against (a scheme, purpose, etc.).
3. to depreciate; belittle.
4. (Archaic) to pray for deliverance from.
Origin: 1615–25;  < Latin dēprecātus  prayed against, warded off (past
participle of dēprecārī ), equivalent to dē- de- + prec ( ārī ) to pray
+ -ātus -ate1

Based on those dates, if it once was an Americanism, then perhaps it
is the word that started that fork. If the form of English you are
currently using has failed to backport this word in the nearly 400
years following, then perhaps you are using a deprecated fork of the
English language.

> Amerian is not always best international English.  It's a big early
> variant of English, but other native English speakers round the
> globe well outnumber American I believe.  (Start with a map of the
> Commonwealth), & many 2nd language people too will help define
> international English, (as José Manuel Barroso, EU commission
> president, said), not just natives, eg British or Americans etc,
> will get to shape international English.
> 
> Americans often seem to find it harder to grasp what's internationaly
> portable English, as opposed to American, perhaps because a large
> country makes a higher percentage of language experience internal
> national usage.
> 
British often find it hard to understand their form of English isn't
still the only form. Each country has it's own form with particular
mutations. I am a well-traveled American currently living in central
Europe. My experience in countries in which English is not the primary
language has been that the form of English in use tends to be closer to
American than British in terms of vocabulary (excepting heavy usage of
a few odd Britishisms prevalent in Europe but not elsewhere). Spelling
is less clearly in favor of one or the other. Of all the English
speakers, it is ironically the British that I most often have trouble
understanding.

> FreeBSD's manual writers, especially non native English manual
> writers, should not copy Americanisms &/or bad nomenclature from
> one manual to another, but ask themselves if they know better words,
> to make it easier also for other non native English to read.  eg
> Deprecated is not common English.
> 
As for the manuals, the important part is that the choice of English
dialect is consist. Switching between American and British spelling in
a document or set of documents is jarring. Being that the manuals are
technical, it is expected they will use technical jargon with great
liberty. There should be no effort to hinder that. Ideally all the
documentation is proofread by multiple native English speakers.

> PS Light relief:
> http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20140206-can-drones-be-hacked
> 
> Cheers,
> Julian
> -- 
> Julian Stacey, BSD Unix Linux C Sys Eng Consultant, Munich
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