Unless I am misunderstanding Abram’s post, I think he’s suggesting that those ambiguities are there anyway and that the best we can realistically do is try to control them.
I’m not sure what giving every variable a unique name corresponds to when translated into conversation. If variables correspond to words, then that seems to mean having no standard general-purpose vocabulary at all which I think is plainly impossible. I’m guessing you have something else in mind.
Going to the other extreme (the position I think Abram was suggesting you might endorse) and never using “local” definitions seems to become, in the programming analogy, only using global variables, which seldom ends well. But I think these extreme cases suggest that the analogy may not be close enough to enlighten more than it confuses.
Unless I am misunderstanding Abram’s post, I think he’s suggesting that those ambiguities are there anyway and that the best we can realistically do is try to control them.
I’m not sure what giving every variable a unique name corresponds to when translated into conversation. If variables correspond to words, then that seems to mean having no standard general-purpose vocabulary at all which I think is plainly impossible. I’m guessing you have something else in mind.
Going to the other extreme (the position I think Abram was suggesting you might endorse) and never using “local” definitions seems to become, in the programming analogy, only using global variables, which seldom ends well. But I think these extreme cases suggest that the analogy may not be close enough to enlighten more than it confuses.
Consider my reply to Raemon to also be a reply to your comment.