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Re: filesystem or file system?

Subject: Re: filesystem or file system?
From: Bruce Byfield <bbyfield -at- axionet -dot- com>
To: "TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com>
Date: Sun, 15 Aug 2004 15:29:32 +0000


Johan Hiemstra wrote:


File system, as in two words, is far out the most common, and IMHO the
only correct version.
Filesystem is however frequently used in Linux documentation, which
makes sense as they like to do things differently. I like to follow the
mainstream and use Microsoft Windows ;)


Ok, I'll rise to the bait. It's hot and I need a break from the article I'm writing.

"Far out the most common"? Hardly. A search on both terms on Google returns 3 million for "file system" and 3.6 million for "filesystem."

As for your contention of a Linux/Windows split in terminology: True, a search for "fat32" with both spellings shows that "file system" is more common. But both spellings are healthily represented. Similarly, "ext2" and "filesystem" is more common, but you can also find plenty examples of the other spelling. So, while there is some truth in what you say, you can defend either usage in either context.

Furthermore, additional searches suggest that the split, so far as it's significant, is more UNIX/Windows than Linux/Windows.

Leaving aside the questions of what is mainstream (since Windows supports only 3 filesystems/ file systems and Linux supports at least a couple of dozen), personally I'd question taking any company as an authority on spelling.

At any event, in talking about spelling, "correct" is a concept that has very limited relevance. Writers should be more concerned about what the audience expects. If your readers are going to be surprised by "file system," then you should use "filesystem." The same is also true in reverse. You want readers to concentrate on what you're saying, and not to be distracted by how you're saying it.

Then, too, consider your time. Is the use or non-use of a single space really something that needs more than five seconds of your time? The chances are very good that nothing you write is going to change the course of English spelling singlehandedly.

--
Bruce Byfield
http://members.axion.net/~bbyfield

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RE: filesystem or file system?: From: Johan Hiemstra

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