Re: [Usability] Re: Proposal + RFC: Improving the Bugzilla layout

[Ryan McDougall <ryan mcdougall telusplanet net>]

On Mon, 2004-03-15 at 15:44 +0100, Jonathan Vaughan wrote:
> 
> Simplify the UI by all means, but don't change well-established terms unless
> you have an overwhelming reason to - it will only make it harder for the user
> in the long run.
> 
> Jonathan
> 

I'm a mathematician as well as a computer scientist, so I understand
jargon. In math as well as music, the jargon words have precise meaning.
I could tell you about Riemann Zeta function, convex polytopes, or
algebraic p-adic numbers, and if you were a mathematician you would know
with complete preciseness what I was talking about. These words are
filled with lots a profound semantic meaning and implication, and for a
mathematician they have a precision beyond measurement.

The problem with "bug", is that no such preciseness exists. You
certainly found a nice definition, but I could easily find people who
think it means something slightly different. Look at the definition you
gave me, it includes practically *anything* that doesn't quite work
right. In the given context what exactly does "high quality" mean, what
does "deviates" mean? 

Lacking a feature is a bug. Crashing is a bug. Working different than
somebody expects is a bug. Not knowing how to use your own software is a
bug. Is there no value in differentiating any of the above? Should all
those things be called by one name? I guess thats what you are arguing.

Look, I'm not going to destroy the preciseness and clarity of computer
jargon by preferring not to use an ambiguous term, because that word has
none of the above features.

Quite frankly I find the emotional attachment to the word "bug",
surprising and not totally rational. I'm not trying to reinvent a
complex linguistic tradition, I'm just ditching an imprecise and
overloaded word with three explicitly defined terms. Whats wrong with
being explicit?? Thats exactly why special music terms exist!

Regardless, this is getting way off topic. It appears my efforts are
largely masturbatory. :_(

Cheers,
Ryan