Re: [Monotone-devel] mtn command, extension, and MIME type

[Shaun Jackman]

2006/1/3, Julio M. Merino Vidal <address@hidden>:
> I really fail to see what's the problem with keeping the long
> 'monotone' name and leave the user define his own alias iff he
> wants too.

Because if many people alias monotone to mtn, the latter form is
likely to start showing up in short scripts, on mailing lists, and
generally just virally work it's way around. This will eventually lead
to an entry in the monotone FAQ:
        Q. What is the mtn command?
        A. It is a colloquial form of monotone. You may create
        this symlink or alias yourself, if you like.
It would be easier to simply create the link as part of the installation.

> The full word 'monotone' is highly descriptive and is unlikely to collide
> with other programs, whereas 'mtn' may be difficult to understand for
> a first-time user (imagine if 'mtn' came bulitin with the system)

The single word 'monotone' isn't terribly descriptive. It doesn't, for
example, tell me that the command is a version control system. I'll
have to read the man page for that. Reading the man page for 'mtn'
will give me the same information.

> and might cause conflicts some day with another utility.

In the world of UNIX utilities, he who grabs the three-letter-acronym
first wins.

Cheers,
Shaun