in reply to Perl and Unix versus PERL and UNIX

In the case of Perl, I think it's just because of the acronym that people assume it should always be upper case. As for UNIX, the Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (http://foldoc.doc.ic.ac.uk) says:

"Unix" or "UNIX"? Both seem roughly equally popular, perhaps with a historical bias towards the latter. "UNIX" is a registered trademark of The Open Group, however, since it is a name and not an acronym, "Unix" has been adopted in this dictionary except where a larger name includes it in upper case. Since the OS is case-sensitive and exists in many different versions, it is fitting that its name should reflect this.

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Re^2: Perl and Unix versus PERL and UNIX (Unix!)
by tye (Sage) on Mar 07, 2003 at 20:30 UTC

    I write "Unix" almost exclusively for several reasons.

    • I find "*nix" rather silly:
      • It doesn't even match "Linux", "HP/UX", "AIX", "Solaris", "SunOS", etc.
      • I think it emphasises the differences between Unices (and POSIX and other Unix-like operating systems).
    • Writing "UNIX" would mean I was talking about something sanctioned by The Open Group, and I rarely talk specifically about such.
    • I was writing "Unix" before the The Open Group or Linux existed.
    I prefer to emphasize the similarities (and I try to ignore the differences when possible) and common heritage of Unix and the many systems that have been derived from it.

                    - tye (and I'm not afraid to admit when Unix falls short)
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Re: Re: Perl and Unix versus PERL and UNIX
by Nkuvu (Priest) on Mar 07, 2003 at 18:09 UTC

    Whether or not perl is an acronym (which has been disputed in this thread and others that I know of), acronyms often get adopted into the language as words unto themselves.

    For example, consider SCUBA and LASER. Both words started as acronyms, but by now it's very unusual to see them in all caps. You're a lot more likely to see them as regular words. e.g., "Shoot the scuba gear with the laser (to make unhappy divers)."

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