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No, it's not a question of offending some victim group, it's just that
the terms do not accurately reflect all such devices or configurations.
Some devices (such as light pens) have the buttons in configurations
where the terms don't make sense, and some people (often southpaws)
reconfigure the device drivers so the "left" mouse button is on the
right.
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From: geoff-h[SMTP:geoff-h -at- MTL -dot- FERIC -dot- CA]
Sent: Friday, May 03, 1996 9:27 AM
To: Multiple recipients of list TEC
Subject: Re. Leftmoused button?
I must be missing something here... why would we possibly
want to avoid using "left, middle and right" to describe
the buttons on a three-button mouse? Have the meanings of
these words changed recently without my noticing? Are we
being politically correct (not offending southpaws) or
politically incorrect (not offending centrist Democrats and
Republicans)?
These terms (left etc.) are all well-accepted for mice and
their mutant kin (trackballs etc.), and are common enough
in most user documentation to constitute a standard.
Dimly yours,
--Geoff Hart @8^{)} geoff-h -at- mtl -dot- feric -dot- ca
Disclaimer: Speaking for myself, not FERIC.
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