Re: [Groff] Inappropriate info page!

[Werner LEMBERG]

[please use `reply to all'; I'm CCing the groff list]


> I added a screenshot of my info page.
[omitted here]

Thanks.

> It can quite easily be seen that there is an inappropriate reference
> to anyone using inches as backward and obviously using very low cost
> computer equipment.  This is a slur and most unprofessional.

Well, it's not meant as a slur at all.  I consider it funny –
hopefully, you are reading the various responses on the groff mailing
list...

> I guess they can’t get the staff nowadays.  It’s a strong self
> opinion that has no place in a (highly thought of?) documentation.

IMHO this sentence (written by an US citizen, BTW) is clearly
ironical.

> Nasa converting to metric in 2007 has very little relevance as it
> was 1961 when man landed on the moon, not 2007.

Uh, oh, you are joking, aren't you?  It was July 20th, 1969.

> We kept our inches, feet and miles despite you European idiots,
> because we know you can’t work out what fractions are.

Aah, humour!  `Idiots' should not be a slur, right?  And you are
correct: Using 3/19" screws that don't fit into my 2/13" holes would
drive me crazy – it is soo obvious which of the two values is
larger :-)

> We’ll be away from your nonsense soon enough.

Yep.  The USA will soon trump everything.

> Whatever, opinions like this have no place.  Besides, we all still
> use points don’t we….. 72 to the inch?  Suppose typesetters are
> backwards too?

You are right again.  Using points is indeed problematic, mainly
because there are so many definitions of `point', for example
`PostScript points' with 72pt = 1in (I'm sure this was introduced by a
US company just to confuse us Europeans even more), `TeX points' with
72.27pt = 1in, the point value from the ATA (American Typefounders
Association), which today is 72.29pt = 1in, etc., etc.

Whatever: I'm no longer maintaining groff, so whoever is going to
change the text, it's not me.


    Werner