Programme [Why does the meaning ...]

--- Joe <joe@...> wrote:
> Gary Shannon wrote:
>
> >--- Michael Poxon <m.poxon@...> wrote:
> >
> ><snip>
> >
> >
> >
> >>I rather guess that this might be a
> >>clue as to why you found
> >>so many instances of "computer programme" - either
> >>as an (incorrect)
> >>reaction by some militant Brit to what he
> perceived
> >>as Americanisation of
> >>the language, or possibly as simply a substring
> >>within the phrase "computer
> >>programmer". Try putting in the search string
> >>"computer programme " - note
> >>the space at the end.
> >>
> >>
> >
> >If this were the work of a single person, or a
> hundred
> >people, I might agree with tour "militant Brit"
> >theory.  However, the phrase is ubiquitous on the
> >Internet, and the contexts clearly show that it is
> not
> >a substring of "progrmmer":
> >
> >"... pedagogical strategies in place and the
> computer
> >programme being developed ..."
> >"... the author of a computer programme is the
> natural
> >or legal person ..."
> >"... copyright in an original computer programme is
> >protected ..."
> >"... It defines "computer programme" as a set of
> >instructions expressed in words codes ..."
> >"... representations of a computer programme. Ideas
> >and basic ..."
> >"... My theory is that our entire universe is a
> >computer programme, running on an alien species
> >computer ..."
> >"... any computer programme, data or information in
> >that computer ..."
> >
> >Try the search yourself.  If usage is the final
> >authority then "computer programme" is correct.
> >
> >
> >
>
> I disagree.  I bet that none of those are by
> programmers.  I think
> specialists get to define the terms in a given
field.

Quite a few are legal firms dealing in intelectual
property cases.  But out of 63,000+ hits it seems
pretty dangerous to assert that NONE of them are
programmers.

A large number are on software firm's webpages and in
user manuals and documents related to commercial
software products.

Refining the search to look for "computer programme "
on .edu sites only shows that at least 435 colleges,
universities and engineering schools use that
spelling.

Searching on Amazon.com turns up at least a page of
technical books with titles like:   "Computer
programmes for circle and strip loads on layered
anistropic media by W. Jill Harrison" and "DEEBAR: a
BASIC Interactive Computer Programme for Estimating
Mean Resonance Spacings by M. Booth"

Here is a dictionary entry of interest:

http://www.hyperdictionary.com/dictionary/computer+programme


Here's a citation from the Mirror newspaper:

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/24by7panews/tm_objectid=14109563&method=full&siteid=50143&headline=computer-programme-predicts-heart-attack-risk-name_page.html

here's a cite from BBC:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/low/health/326748.stm

I rest my case.  Usage makes it correct.

--gary

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