[Freeciv-Dev] Re: [PATCH] more small directional cleanups

[Trent Piepho <xyzzy@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Tue, 21 Aug 2001, Raimar Falke wrote:
> 
> The term "normali[sz]e(d)" is a technical term. It means that the
> object is in the preferred/a pleasing representation. 

I'm sorry, but you're wrong about that.  Look it up!

Main Entry: normalize
1 : to make conform to or reduce to a norm or standard
2 : to make normal (as by a transformation of variables)
3 : to bring or restore (as relations between countries) to a normal condition

The sense we mean when we talk about normalizing positions is number 2.  To
make NORMAL.  Not to make normalized.  Normalized is a past participle, not an
adjective.


> > normal ~= dead       (both adjectives)
> > normalize ~= kill    (both verbs, which make the adjective true)
> > normalized ~= killed (both past particple forms of the verb)
> > 
> > It is normalized.  He is killed.         BAD!
> > It was normalized.  He was killed.       OK
> > It is normal.   He is dead.              BETTER
> 
> I agree that based on this relation it should be named your way. But
> normal isn't just explicit enough.

I think what you are saying is that normal is a common adjective, and
normalized is a technical adjective.  That's wrong.  Normal is a technical
term too.  It can mean perpendicular (like in surface normal), it has a
meanings in chemistry (like a normal solution), and in statistics (the
Gaussian distribution with a variance of 1 and mean of 0), and in math
(normalize a vector).  

If you think normal isn't clear enough, because it can mean lots of things,
then pick another proper adjective.  Like "canonical".  Or "proper".  But not
a past particple like "normalized"!