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Subject:datastore vs data store From:Cynthia KILMER <cynthia_kilmer -at- EFFIX -dot- FR> Date:Tue, 27 Jul 1999 16:58:41 +0200
Ward wrote:
Both spellings of this term show up in my company's documentation.
This term doesn't show up in style guides but I lean toward the
datastore (one word) rendering as it's close to database.
And Kathi wrote:
3. Lastly, although this is just my opinion, I have a 'pet peeve'
about people (in general) making up words to suit their needs. I
may be dating myself, but when I was a little girl, I learned the
word priority. If I had to make a list of priorities, I was
"setting my priorities." Nowadays, because it has been used so
often, the dictionary actually accounts for the word prioritize.
I know that language should be forever growing, but as I said, I
don't like it when people make up words to suit their needs.
And I reply:
Kathi, you are in a field that by its very nature is evolving faster than any other field has in history. It has only been in recent years that computers have become generalized and technology
accessible both in the workplace and home. A few years ago, words (and concepts) like database, Internet, software and online did not exist. They were created to accommodate new demands. You say
you "don't like it when people make up words to suit their needs", but how do you think words like driveway, mailbox and dishwasher made their way into our everyday language? Isn't the issue really
about whether Ward wishes to resolve a conceptual issue - which could be central to his product - by spelling the term as one word?
I've worked in companies where terms like online and realtime have been spelled as one word, two words, and hyphenated. Frankly, I don't think it really matters, as long as it is consistent.
Language evolves. The rules we learned in school should be considered parameters to which we can make adjustments according to circumstances and needs. There is so little agreement as it is on
questions like punctuation and spelling among even those sources that are considered authoritative. Therefore, it is simply important to be aware of the rules of conventional usage, then make a
conscious choice and stick with it!
