hear, hear! I think that there's a real problem in CS (at least, I've sure had one!) with theorists who start by defining their own language and depart from there. If you were not standing on the ground where they created that train station, you will never be able to travel with them. WikiPedia helps a lot; that's the best starting point I know of with its multiple definition links.
Don Wilde
"There's more than one level to any answer."