Re: [PATCH] doc: replace jargon word "impact" with "effect"/"affect"

From: Felipe Contreras <felipe.contreras@gmail.com>
Date: Jun 13, 2021, 14:06 UTC
Message-ID: <60c610f04b288_41f2b208ce@natae.notmuch>
In-Reply-To: <20210613114007.GF8544@kitsune.suse.cz>

Michal Suchánek wrote:

> On Sat, Jun 12, 2021 at 06:13:02PM -0500, Varun Varada wrote:
> > On Thu, 27 May 2021 at 09:35, Michal Suchánek <msuchanek@suse.de> wrote:

Show 5 quoted lines

> > > That's only opinion, not evidence.
> > 
> > Hence, the dictionary definitions, which are evidence. If people are
> 
> The dictionaries provide definition, not usage guidelines.

What do you think definitions are?

A definition is there because many people use the word that way.

Show 9 quoted lines

> > Yes, there essentially is. It's called a dictionary. If you don't
> > respect the value of dictionaries, you're tacitly claiming that anyone
> 
> I don't consider opinions tangentially related to dictionary content a
> proof of anything.
> 
> Also it has been pointed out that dictionaries don't agree on the
> precise definition - hence no final authority. The laguage use varies,
> and dictionaries also reflect that. Even the use of word 'impact'.

You need to understand what dictionaries do: they describe current usage.

If some dictionaries say "impact" and "affect" are not 100% synonyms, that means some people don't consider "impact" and "affect" to be synonymns.

Period.

Show 11 quoted lines

> > > This will bring in reviews that focus on hairsplitting when the
> > > formulation with 'impact' reads better than 'effect' and where the
> > > change does not make it read any better so it should not be changed.
> > >
> > > It also brings in reviews of the sort that simply say that use of
> > > 'impact' is OK, and there is no need to change.
> > 
> > That's an "if". This, however, is a situation where multiple people
> 
> We already received such reviews as response to your patch. It's not
> what-if.

In case you haven't been following this thread closely, you are the only person that says the use of "impact" is OK. One person said "impact" was OK for him, but he didn't say anything of anybody else. Another person asked if they were synonyms. That's it.

I say Varun should resend the patch separate from all other patches, explain why they aren't synonyms and mention for the record that one person objects to the change.

It's OK to merge patches where one person objects.

-- 
Felipe Contreras