English Idiom in Unix: Directory Recursively

[rusi]

On May 20, 2:21 am, Rikishi42 <skunkwo... at rikishi42.net> wrote:
> On 2011-05-18, Hans Georg Schaathun <h... at schaathun.net> wrote:
>
> > Now Mac OS X has maintained the folder concept of older mac generations,
> > and Windows has cloned it.  They do not want the user to understand
> > recursive data structures, and therefore, naturally, avoid the word.
>
> You imply they want to keep their users ignorant of these structures, as if
> to keep something valuable from them. Wouldn't it be more honest, more to
> the point and much simpler to state they don't NEED the user to understand
> recursive - or indeed any other - data structures? And that the user doesn't
> NEED to understand or know about them, just to use them?
>
> After all they are users. They use their system for fun, learning or work.
> Even a very competent or advanced use of a tool (computer, car, mobile phone,
> fridge, TV, radio, toilet) in no way implies an understanding of it's inner
> workings. Nor the need, nor the desire.
>
> PS: Isn't this thread much ado about nothing?  :-)
> It starts with the misconception (or should I say confusion?) between
> performing a recursive job and using a recursive tool to do it. And then it
> blazes off in these huge discusions about semantics to define a definition
> of an abstraction of a alleady theoretical problem.
>
> Glorious, just frelling glorious.    :-)
> We have an expression for that. But I'll avoid using it, since it has the
> word 'masturbation' in it...
>
> And PPS: the P(P)S's don't specifically refer to your posting.
>
> --
> When in doubt, use brute force.
>                 -- Ken Thompson

Well...
I was rethinking my earlier argument with Ian Kelly about the
similarity/differences between recursion in theory and in CS.
On rethinking my position I come to the conclusion that I am arguing
like an chimp -- and therefore not making my real point which is that
that recursion is more widespread in computer science than is
recognised.
This is discussed separately here

http://groups.google.com/group/comp.lang.python/browse_thread/thread/212e6477262125e9#

[I agree with you Xah that recursion is a technical word that should
not be foisted onto lay users.]