php.net |  support |  documentation |  report a bug |  advanced search |  search howto |  statistics |  random bug |  login
Doc Bug #62762 Incorrect/unnecessary verbage
Submitted: 2012-08-06 20:36 UTC Modified: 2012-08-09 23:51 UTC
From: tom at happyalienproductions dot com Assigned:
Status: Wont fix Package: Filesystem function related
PHP Version: 5.3.15 OS: Windows 7
Private report: No CVE-ID: None
View Add Comment Developer Edit
Welcome! If you don't have a Git account, you can't do anything here.
You can add a comment by following this link or if you reported this bug, you can edit this bug over here.
(description)
Block user comment
Status: Assign to:
Package:
Bug Type:
Summary:
From: tom at happyalienproductions dot com
New email:
PHP Version: OS:

 

 [2012-08-06 20:36 UTC] tom at happyalienproductions dot com
Description:
------------
---
From manual page: http://www.php.net/function.delete#refsect1-function.delete-description
---

This documentation entry has wording that could be considered judegemental and/or insulting. It is unnecessary to state the the entry for delete is a 'dummy' entry to 'satisfy' those looking the 'wrong' place. The wording for this entry is very condescending and has no place in technical documentation.

A simple statement that the page has been redirected from another is all that is needed. A good example of how this kind of thing should be done can be found at Wikipedia.com.


Patches

Add a Patch

Pull Requests

Add a Pull Request

History

AllCommentsChangesGit/SVN commitsRelated reports
 [2012-08-07 01:20 UTC] aharvey@php.net
I believe you've misinterpreted the use of the word "dummy" here: it's in the 
adjective meaning of "placeholder", not the vaguely insulting noun form.
 [2012-08-07 01:20 UTC] aharvey@php.net
-Status: Open +Status: Wont fix
 [2012-08-09 23:51 UTC] tom at happyalienproductions dot com
Yes, I understand the usage of that particular word. That word, in and of itself 
is not the issue. The primary issue is that the phrase

"This is a dummy manual entry to satisfy those people who are looking for 
unlink() or unset() in the wrong place."

is unnecessarily condescending, as though your are speaking to an annoying 
sibling or co-worker. The secondary, and perhaps most important issue is that it 
is simply technically incorrect: one need not "look in the wrong place" for this 
term, one simply types the word 'delete' into the search field on the PHP 
documentation web page and this entry is presented TO them.

The word 'delete' is a perfectly reasonable word to search for in a programming 
language reference. If it is not a valid term for the reference being searched, 
then display a message notifying the searcher of that fact. Do not assume that 
you have determined the "true meaning" of their inquiry, produce a result, and 
then proceed to tell them that THEY have looked in the WRONG place!
 
PHP Copyright © 2001-2024 The PHP Group
All rights reserved.
Last updated: Thu Mar 28 20:01:28 2024 UTC