Re: Not so technical, but your feedback is requested

[Christian Koch <cfkoch%sdf.lonestar.org@localhost>]

On Sun, Jul 20, 2014 at 03:16:54PM -0400, John Hawkinson wrote:
> 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 In my experience even that list is outdated!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.

I had no idea it was such a mainstay. I just personally have no use for it. If
the purpose of /usr/share/dict/words is to have a big list of words (as opposed
to a definitive collection of all words) then I suppose removing it isn't very
helpful after all.

Meanwhile, if the purpose of /usr/share/misc/airport is to have a definitive and
complete list of airports, then it seems that online resources are simply more
comprehensive.

-Christian