Bug 84851

Summary:	Misplaced apostrophe in "FreeBSD Porter's Handbook"
Product:	Documentation	Reporter:	Colin Percival <cperciva>
Component:	Books & Articles	Assignee:	jcamou
Status:	Closed FIXED
Severity:	Affects Only Me
Priority:	Normal
Version:	Latest
Hardware:	Any
OS:	Any

Description Colin Percival freebsd_committer

2005-08-12 20:10:18 UTC

The title "FreeBSD Porter's Handbook" implies that there is only one 
FreeBSD Porter (or at very least, that there is only one Porter who 
uses said Handbook).

Fix: 

s/'s/s'/

"FreeBSD Porter's Handbook" -> "FreeBSD Porters' Handbook"

Comment 1 jcamou freebsd_committer

2005-08-12 22:14:01 UTC

Responsible Changed
From-To: freebsd-doc->jcamou

Grab it.

Comment 2 Pav Lucistnik freebsd_committer

2005-08-12 23:12:12 UTC

I believe this is incorrect. Look around, it's always

Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy

not

Hitchhikers' Guide To The Galaxy

...

-- 
Pav Lucistnik <pav@oook.cz>
              <pav@FreeBSD.org>

Comment 3 Gary W. Swearingen 2005-08-13 00:47:27 UTC

Colin Percival <cperciva@FreeBSD.org> writes:

>>Description:
>
> The title "FreeBSD Porter's Handbook" implies that there is only one 
> FreeBSD Porter (or at very least, that there is only one Porter who 
> uses said Handbook).

The fact that people will infer that is enough reason to change it,
but it doesn't imply what you say.  The handbook is for each FreeBSD
porter; it is a porter's handbook -- and so it may be called The
FreeBSD Porter's Handbook.  See two similar examples of commercial
book titles below.

This issue is bikeshed-color issue, unless the FDP has settled on 
something different, which, based on http://www.freebsd.org/docs.html
and (the) "FreeBSD Handbook", it has not.

(BTW, these titles should start with "The", IMO.)

>From intro(1) manpage:
-- "the BSD user environment"
   Change to "the BSD users' environment"?

>From (the) "FreeBSD Handbook":

-- "User group" and "Users Groups"
   Change to "Users' group"?

-- "Alpha User's Questions"
   Change to "Users' Questions"?

-- * The FreeBSD Corporate Networker's Guide, published by
     Addison-Wesley, 2000. ISBN: 0201704811
   A book title -- Can't be changed.

-- * Ferraro, Richard F. Programmer's Guide to the EGA, VGA, and
       Super VGA Cards. 3rd ed. Reading, Mass. : Addison-Wesley,
       1995. ISBN 0-201-62490-7
   A book title -- Can't be changed.

Similar arguments have been held for the names of groups of users.

Sorry, but a reasonable case could be made for any of these
The FreeBSD Porter Handbook
The FreeBSD Porters Handbook
The FreeBSD Porter's Handbook
The FreeBSD Porters' Handbook

But since I prefer the latter I'm not really opposing the change;
just the need for it.

Comment 4 Gary W. Swearingen 2005-08-13 01:21:19 UTC

Colin Percival <cperciva@FreeBSD.org> writes:

>>Description:
>
> The title "FreeBSD Porter's Handbook" implies that there is only one 
> FreeBSD Porter (or at very least, that there is only one Porter who 
> uses said Handbook).

The fact that people will infer that is enough reason to change it,
but the title doesn't imply that.  The handbook is for each FreeBSD
porter; it is a porter's handbook -- and so it may be called The
FreeBSD Porter's Handbook.  See two similar examples of commercial
book titles below.

This issue is bikeshed-color issue, unless the FDP has settled on 
something different, which, based on http://www.freebsd.org/docs.html
and (the) "FreeBSD Handbook", it has not.

(BTW, these titles should start with "The", IMO.)

> From intro(1) manpage:
-- "the BSD user environment"
   Change to "the BSD users' environment"?

> From (the) "FreeBSD Handbook":

-- "User group" and "Users Groups"
   Change to "Users' group"?

-- "Alpha User's Questions"
   Change to "Users' Questions"?

-- * The FreeBSD Corporate Networker's Guide, published by
     Addison-Wesley, 2000. ISBN: 0201704811
   A book title -- Can't be changed.

-- * Ferraro, Richard F. Programmer's Guide to the EGA, VGA, and
       Super VGA Cards. 3rd ed. Reading, Mass. : Addison-Wesley,
       1995. ISBN 0-201-62490-7
   A book title -- Can't be changed.

Similar arguments have been held for the names of groups of users.

Sorry, but a reasonable case could be made for any of these
The FreeBSD Porter Handbook
The FreeBSD Porters Handbook
The FreeBSD Porter's Handbook
The FreeBSD Porters' Handbook

But since I prefer the latter I'm not really opposing the change;
just the need for it.

Comment 5 Ceri Davies 2005-08-13 10:54:27 UTC

On 12 Aug 2005, at 20:02, Colin Percival wrote:

> The title "FreeBSD Porter's Handbook" implies that there is only one
> FreeBSD Porter (or at very least, that there is only one Porter who
> uses said Handbook).

 > "FreeBSD Porter's Handbook" -> "FreeBSD Porters' Handbook"

It's fine as it is.  It's a handbook for a FreeBSD Porter.

The bookshelf in this room has "The Robot Builder's Bonanza" and  
"PostgreSQL Developer's Handbook" on it. There is nothing of the form  
of "Porters'" there.
Collins make a set of books called "Rambler's Guides".

Really, it's good.

Ceri
-- 
Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm
not sure about the former.                        -- Einstein (attrib.)

Comment 6 Gary W. Swearingen 2005-08-13 22:36:57 UTC

Sorry if you've gotten this before; I seem to have an e-mail problem.

Colin Percival <cperciva@FreeBSD.org> writes:

>>Description:
>
> The title "FreeBSD Porter's Handbook" implies that there is only one 
> FreeBSD Porter (or at very least, that there is only one Porter who 
> uses said Handbook).

The fact that people will infer that is enough reason to change it,
but the title doesn't imply that.  The handbook is for each FreeBSD
porter; it is a porter's handbook -- and so it may be called The
FreeBSD Porter's Handbook.  See two similar examples of commercial
book titles below.

This issue is bikeshed-color issue, unless the FDP has settled on 
something different, which, based on http://www.freebsd.org/docs.html
and (the) "FreeBSD Handbook", it has not.

(BTW, these titles should start with "The", IMO.)

> From intro(1) manpage:
-- "the BSD user environment"
   Change to "the BSD users' environment"?

> From (the) "FreeBSD Handbook":

-- "User group" and "Users Groups"
   Change to "Users' group"?

-- "Alpha User's Questions"
   Change to "Users' Questions"?

-- * The FreeBSD Corporate Networker's Guide, published by
     Addison-Wesley, 2000. ISBN: 0201704811
   A book title -- Can't be changed.

-- * Ferraro, Richard F. Programmer's Guide to the EGA, VGA, and
       Super VGA Cards. 3rd ed. Reading, Mass. : Addison-Wesley,
       1995. ISBN 0-201-62490-7
   A book title -- Can't be changed.

Similar arguments have been held for the names of groups of users.

Sorry, but a reasonable case could be made for any of these
The FreeBSD Porter Handbook
The FreeBSD Porters Handbook
The FreeBSD Porter's Handbook
The FreeBSD Porters' Handbook

As if it matters, I like the change, and am just noting that change is
not needed and that the title will need to be changed in several documents.

Comment 7 Gary W. Swearingen 2005-08-13 22:40:59 UTC

Sorry if you've gotten this before; I have a mailer problem here.

Colin Percival <cperciva@FreeBSD.org> writes:

>>Description:
>
> The title "FreeBSD Porter's Handbook" implies that there is only one 
> FreeBSD Porter (or at very least, that there is only one Porter who 
> uses said Handbook).

The fact that people will infer that is enough reason to change it,
but the title doesn't imply that.  The handbook is for each FreeBSD
porter; it is a porter's handbook -- and so it may be called The
FreeBSD Porter's Handbook.  See two similar examples of commercial
book titles below.

This issue is bikeshed-color issue, unless the FDP has settled on 
something different, which, based on http://www.freebsd.org/docs.html
and (the) "FreeBSD Handbook", it has not.

(BTW, these titles should start with "The", IMO.)

> From intro(1) manpage:
-- "the BSD user environment"
   Change to "the BSD users' environment"?

> From (the) "FreeBSD Handbook":

-- "User group" and "Users Groups"
   Change to "Users' group"?

-- "Alpha User's Questions"
   Change to "Users' Questions"?

-- * The FreeBSD Corporate Networker's Guide, published by
     Addison-Wesley, 2000. ISBN: 0201704811
   A book title -- Can't be changed.

-- * Ferraro, Richard F. Programmer's Guide to the EGA, VGA, and
       Super VGA Cards. 3rd ed. Reading, Mass. : Addison-Wesley,
       1995. ISBN 0-201-62490-7
   A book title -- Can't be changed.

Similar arguments have been held for the names of groups of users.

Sorry, but a reasonable case could be made for any of these
The FreeBSD Porter Handbook
The FreeBSD Porters Handbook
The FreeBSD Porter's Handbook
The FreeBSD Porters' Handbook

As if it matters, I like the change, and am just noting that change is
not needed and that the title will need to be changed in several documents.

Comment 8 jcamou freebsd_committer

2005-08-15 01:35:58 UTC

State Changed
From-To: open->closed

cperciva agrees to close this pr.  No changes were made.