www/gnu gnu-linux-faq.html

[Richard M. Stallman]

CVSROOT:        /web/www
Module name:    www
Changes by:     Richard M. Stallman <rms>       18/03/30 20:34:31

Modified files:
        gnu            : gnu-linux-faq.html 

Log message:
        (usegnulinuxandandroid): New question.

CVSWeb URLs:
http://web.cvs.savannah.gnu.org/viewcvs/www/gnu/gnu-linux-faq.html?cvsroot=www&r1=1.155&r2=1.156

Patches:
Index: gnu-linux-faq.html
===================================================================
RCS file: /web/www/www/gnu/gnu-linux-faq.html,v
retrieving revision 1.155
retrieving revision 1.156
diff -u -b -r1.155 -r1.156
--- gnu-linux-faq.html  31 Mar 2018 00:33:53 -0000      1.155
+++ gnu-linux-faq.html  31 Mar 2018 00:34:31 -0000      1.156
@@ -188,6 +188,9 @@
 
 <li><a href="#linuxsyswithoutgnu">Are there complete Linux systems [sic] 
without GNU?</a></li>
 
+<li><a href="#usegnulinuxandandroid">Is it correct to say &ldquo;using
+    Linux&rdquo; if it refers to using GNU/Linux and using Android?</a></li>
+
 <li><a href="#helplinus">Why not call the system
     &ldquo;Linux&rdquo; anyway, and strengthen Linus Torvalds' role as
     posterboy for our community?</a></li>
@@ -1221,6 +1224,35 @@
 from GNU/Linux is the absence of GNU.</p>
 </dd>
 
+<dt id="usegnulinuxandandroid">Is it correct to say &ldquo;using Linux&rdquo; 
if it refers to using GNU/Linux and
+using Android? <span class="anchor-reference-id">(<a 
href="#usegnulinuxandandroidlinuxsyswithoutgnu">#usegnulinuxandandroidlinuxsyswithoutgnu</a>)</span></dt>
+
+<dd>
+Far from it.  That usage is so strained that
+people will not understand the intended meaning.
+<p>
+The public will find it very strange to speak of using Android as
+&ldquo;using Linux&rdquo;.  It's like having a conversation, then
+saying you were conversing with the person's intestines or the
+person's circulatory system.</p>
+<p>
+The public <em>will</em> understand the idea of &ldquo;using
+Linux&rdquo; when it's really GNU/Linux, by way of the usual
+misunderstanding: thinking of the whole system as
+&ldquo;Linux&rdquo;.</p>
+<p>
+Use of Android and use of GNU/Linux are totally different, as
+different as driving a car and riding a bicycle.  The fact that the
+first two both contain Linux is irrelevant to using them, just as the
+fact that a car and a bicycle both have a structure of metal is
+irrelevant to using those two.  If you wish to talk about using cars
+and bikes, you wouldn't speak of &ldquo;riding metal objects&rdquo;
+&mdash; not unless you're playing games with the reader.  You would
+say, &ldquo;using cars and bikes.&rdquo; Likewise, the clear way to
+talk about using GNU/Linux and Android is to say &ldquo;using
+GNU/Linux and Android.&rdquo;</p>
+</dd>
+
 <dt id="helplinus">Why not call the system
     &ldquo;Linux&rdquo; anyway, and strengthen Linus Torvalds' role as 
posterboy for our
     community? <span class="anchor-reference-id">(<a 
href="#helplinus">#helplinus</a>)</span></dt>
@@ -1558,7 +1590,7 @@
 
 <p class="unprintable">Updated:
 <!-- timestamp start -->
-$Date: 2018/03/31 00:33:53 $
+$Date: 2018/03/31 00:34:31 $
 <!-- timestamp end -->
 </p>
 </div>