Re: [Usability] remove vs delete

["Mr. Shawn H. Corey" <shawnhcorey magma ca>]

Shaun McCance wrote:
> This is, perhaps, not a clear-cut case.  You can certainly add
> your account back by entering all the information anew.  Then
> again, you can add back a file by entering all its contents
> from memory.  I would tend to use "delete" only when actual
> user data is being lost, not just some configuration stuff.
> 
> In the case of removing/deleting an account, I'd be worried
> that "delete" would carry the implication that the downloaded
> mail would disappear.  With POP, that doesn't happen.  With
> IMAP, the mail will disappear, but it's not really deleted.
> It's still on a server somewhere.

This is not a good example since user accounts are always removed, never
deleted. Think about it for a moment, it a user is deleted, his/her UID
will get reused. That means any files left on the system become assigned
to the new user; the new user can read files (or mail) left over from
before. This would be a security breach.

Adding your account back in after it has been removed means you get a
new UID, which means a new account; you can't read the old files or
mail. If you want your old account, it will have to be restored, not
"entered anew."

BTW, that was a hint, there should be a term for restoring anything that
was removed. I suggest "restore" :)


-- 
__END__

Just my 0.00000002 million dollars worth,
   --- Shawn

"For the things we have to learn before we can do them, we learn by
doing them."
  Aristotle