Re: Not so technical, but your feedback is requested

[John Hawkinson <jhawk%MIT.EDU@localhost>]

Christian Koch <cfkoch%sdf.lonestar.org@localhost> wrote on Sun, 20 Jul 2014
at 17:39:32 +0000 in <20140720173932.GA9310%SDF.ORG@localhost>:

> While on the subject, I suppose this is also true for
> /usr/share/dict/words. In my experience even that list is outdated!
> (It can also be debated what should count as a word.) For example,
> neither "kid" nor "kidding" appear, which are totally English words.

I would like to offer more than mild objection here.  /usr/dict/words
(or /usr/share/...) is a standard fixture of Unix systems, and having
a word list is extremely useful; some applications/tools/scripts
depend on it, for things like "pick a random word to name something"
(in non-cryptographic applications).

I find the words file useful, even though I don't use it for
spellchecking, and it would break my deployed systems to have it
removed.

I think it is a poor choice for removal, and the tradition is strong with it.

(As I expressed to Marc, I find the airports file useful for domestic
US airports, but I have no opinion on its removal. I am also troubled
by the blind use of "we" in the removal proposal, though.)

--jhawk%mit.edu@localhost
  John Hawkinson