On Sat, Oct 06, 2007 at 01:05:02AM -0400, Máirín Duffy wrote:
I don't really see the word "feature" as computer
jargon.
People's faces have features. My stove, refrigerator, and dishwasher
have features. My car has features. Movies have featured actors and
actresses, and the main show is considered the 'feature'.
Is it just a translation issue?
It's certainly *also* a non-jargon word, but it also has additional layers
of meaning for software. For example, from ESR's Jargon File:
There's a related joke that is sometimes referred to as the "one-question
geek test". You say to someone "I saw a Volkswagen Beetle today with a
vanity license plate that read FEATURE". If he/she laughs, he/she is a
geek.
The fact that this makes for a "test" is an indication that there is some
special meaning. And I think it's particularly that special meaning in the
slogan that's resonating with people.
--
Matthew Miller mattdm(a)mattdm.org <
http://mattdm.org/>
Boston University Linux ------> <
http://linux.bu.edu/>