atw: Re: SEC: UNCLASSIFIED Past tense of 'tar'

I agree with Bede, 'tar' is an old, old word, and you need to know the true
abbreviation and it's context here. It has to be correctly and tightly
established with a specific usage and context within your application.

Don't use it otherwise, translation could become an incredible epic for you.

HTH Warren.

-----Original Message-----
From: austechwriter-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:austechwriter-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]On Behalf Of SUNTER Bede
Sent: Tuesday, 9 November 2004 16:41
To: austechwriter@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: atw: Re: SEC: UNCLASSIFIED Past tense of 'tar'


Howard,

I'd take one of two approaches here:
1. Assuming that your readership is familiar with the meaning of the word=
=20'tar' in the context, then the expected past tense would be 'tarred' -=
- exactly as in the sense of the word meaning 'I applied some tar to a bl=
eeding sheep'.

2. Don't use it at all -- especially if it's use constitutes a reading sp=
eed-hump. Write instead:
"The original tar file ... has been archived (or, if you like, tape-archi=
ved) twice".

It seems reasonable to expect that invented words follow general conventi=
ons of usage rather than invent their own anew.

Similarly if you use 'zip' or even 'gzip' as a verb, then the reader woul=
d most likely expect to see 'zipped' or 'gzipped' as the past tense -- fo=
llowing the convention of zipped, slipped, tripped etc.

'tar'ed', 'zip'ed' and 'gzip'ed' entail unnecessary re-invention. It ends=
=20up with the reader having to do too much work to understand your writi=
ng.

Bede

-----Original Message-----
From: austechwriter-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:austechwriter-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]
Sent: Tuesday, 9 November 2004 10:56 AM
To: 'Austechwriter (E-mail)'
Subject: atw: SEC: UNCLASSIFIED Past tense of 'tar'


What's the past tense of the Unix 'tar' command? (=3D tape archive)

I just came across the phrase "The original tar file ... has been
effectively tar'ed twice". This looks strange to me, but I can't think of=

anything better.=20

Has anyone come across this?


=20        Howard L. Silcock
=20             Technical Writer, EMS Program
=20              Information Systems Division


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