814938 - String review: use of "can not" vs "cannot" in Gaia

Status: RESOLVED WONTFIX

(Firefox OS Graveyard :: Gaia, defect)

Description

[Francesco Lodolo [:flod]]

In the past I remember a similar bug for Firefox (bug 418290).

Right now Gaia is using consistently "can not" instead of "cannot". Should this be fixed?

Comment 1

[Matej Novak [:matej]]

I was the one who made the call to use "can not" instead of "cannot." I'd prefer to keep it that way, but if there is a history (and/or rule in place) of using "cannot" in our products, we can change it back.

Comment 2

[Chris Jones [:cjones] inactive; ni?/f?/r? if you need me]

Based on what?  Strunk & White uses "cannot".

Comment 3

[Matej Novak [:matej]]

(In reply to Chris Jones [:cjones] [:warhammer] from comment #2)
> Based on what?  Strunk & White uses "cannot".

Personal preference, mostly. I think "can not" more clearly distinguishes it from "can" and helps the "not" stand out if you're just skimming. I also find "cannot" inconsistent with other usage (i.e. English doesn't do "couldnot" or "donot"). But seeing as AP Style also prefers "cannot," I'm fine to change it back.

Comment 4

[Chris Jones [:cjones] inactive; ni?/f?/r? if you need me]

Yeah, the "Standard English" usage I've been taught all my life is "cannot".

You would stay busy for a while trying to normalize all the inconsistencies in English ;).

Comment 5

[Matej Novak [:matej]]

(In reply to Chris Jones [:cjones] [:warhammer] from comment #4)
> Yeah, the "Standard English" usage I've been taught all my life is "cannot".
> 
> You would stay busy for a while trying to normalize all the inconsistencies
> in English ;).

I was taught to avoid unnecessary compounds like "cannot," "into," etc. where they mean the same thing together or separate, but yes, unfortunately I can't fix English as much as I'd like.

Comment 6

[Francesco Lodolo [:flod]]

I count around 20 strings with "cannot", and a little less with "can not" (sometimes both forms in the same sentence).

@matej
Should we consider this a lost cause and mark this bug as wontfix?

Comment 7

[Matej Novak [:matej]]

(In reply to Francesco Lodolo [:flod] from comment #6)
> I count around 20 strings with "cannot", and a little less with "can not"
> (sometimes both forms in the same sentence).
> 
> @matej
> Should we consider this a lost cause and mark this bug as wontfix?

Hopefully we can at least make this consistent during Stephany's copy audit. Marking wontfix for now. Thanks.