re asynchronous x windows in zztop dps co uk gerard dps co uk gerard o driscoll writes no it isn t it is the x window system or x or x or any of a number of other designations accepted by the x consortium there is no such thing as x windows or x window despite the repeated misuse of the forms by the trade rags i used to think this way and not just about x for example incorrect english constructs such as its raining or it s window id annoy me however there comes a time when popular usage starts to dictate the way things really are in the world well yes and no i don t particularly want this discussion to spark a lengthy debate but i do think it s worth pointing out that popular usage is not always sufficient excuse in this case for example i think an appropriate parallel may be found in the pronunciation of proper names if people commonly misspelled or mispronounced your name would you feel compelled to change it probably not the same is true of x the x window system x x and related monickers are proper names in the same sense that any product name is a proper name in fact some of them are trademarked names the fact that many people get them wrong is largely beside the point as for the trade publications that promulgate things like x window or x windows or any of the other nonsensical variants one often sees consider the fact that these publications are supposedly written by journalists would you trust the facts of a journalist who couldn t be bothered to get the name of his her source right would you trust a product review by someone who got the name of the product wrong popular usage is as it may be but i for one am all for holding people who claim to be journalists to a higher standard of correctness indeed the fact that x won out over news was really down to popular opinion i know we all think it s technically superior as well x technically superior to news well in some alternate universe perhaps
