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Cryptosmith (talk | contribs) Rename - Change vote to Strong Support |
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*'''Oppose''' moving it. When the concept first appeared, it was called [[control store]], but its technological flowering came out of Cambridge University and was called ''microprogramming'' by its inventors, notably Maurice Wilkes. Microcode is the newer, less formal term. Microcode already redirects to it. If "Microcode" already existed and contained significant content, then merging might be worth arguing, but that's not the case. Moving it is a waste of time that doesn't improve the quality of Wikipedia - I've done pointless moves/renames in the past, and have come to realize it's a waste of time and effort. [[User:Cryptosmith|Rick Smith]] 19:55, 31 July 2006 (UTC)
** '''Change vote to Strong Support''' - Okay, I just looked at the actual title of the article we're arguing about. The Google test shows the title ''microprogram'' is lost in the noise. Moreover, I was recently reminded that [[Maurice Wilkes]], who coined the term ''microprogramming'', has tried to enforce a very specific definition which excludes simpler forms of control store that he didn't invent. Those simpler forms are customarily referred to as ''microcode'' in the business, as are more sophisticated ''microprograms'' that incorporate Wilkes' innovations. To some extent, I wonder if we waste valuable intellectual resources arguing about things that redirect easily, but it seems to matter to someone who's willing to fiddle with the mechanics and make the change. In any case, I did a name change incorrectly early in my Wikipedia days, so this change in vote also indicates that I've developed a better understanding of the community naming policy. [[User:Cryptosmith|Rick Smith]] 15:09, 1 August 2006 (UTC)
*'''Strong Support'''. The term microcode is much more commonly used. Just do a Google search on microcode vs microprogram. For many in the general public, their first exposure to the term was the Pulitzer-prize winning book [[The Soul of a New Machine]], by [[Tracy Kidder]]: [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0316491977/sr=1-1/qid=1154385659/ref=pd_bbs_1/104-6135956-3450313?ie=UTF8&s=books]. That book generally used the term microcode. During the RISC vs CISC debates of the 1980s, the term most often used was microcode (RISC processors aren't microcoded). Do a Google search on microcode + RISC vs microprogram + RISC. Microcode is much more commonly used. In general we should use the most common term, unless there is ''overwhelming'' reason otherwise. See [[Wikipedia:Naming conventions (common names)]]. [[User:Joema|Joema]] 22:53, 31 July 2006 (UTC)
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