RE: Inconsistency in meaning of "user options"

[Drew Adams]

    > - "Option" means choice.

    Why do we then have to distinguish between variables and faces?

Because faces didn't exist when the term was coined for Emacs.

    Does not option comprise both? If it does then I think option
    is a good term to use here.

Yes, that's what I said in the second alternative I proposed ("starting from
scratch").

    > - If we chose to reserve "user option" for user-settable
    >   variables (those that have `*' as doc-string first char or
    >   are defined with defcustom),

    Do I misremember, was not those going to be converted to defcustoms, or?

Even if that were decided, it would not affect existing external libraries.
The terminology we adopt should (also) address the case of non-customizable
user variables. They exist; they will continue to exist in the future,
unless we neuter `*'. Personally, I see nothing wrong with them, except that
their existence adds more confusion to the Customize/customize mix.

    > On another subject, I think it's unfortunate that the terms
    > "customize" and "customizable" have been appropriated for a
    > particular kind of customization (using Custom buffers) -
    > especially in an editor (++) that is all about
    > customization (not Customization). It makes communicating about
    > customization much more complex and confusing. It would be a
    > lot better if Customize were called Foobar or Whatever.

    That would maybe be good. Perhaps could we use these terms?:

    1) user options
    2) custom options (to be distinguished from "Custom options" ;-)

    I guess the meaning here is obvious, but just in case: 1 -
    those can not be set with Custom, 2 - those can be set with custom.

No, the meaning is not obvious, at least in American English. Something that
is "custom" (e.g. a "custom motorcycle") is something that _has been_
customized. The term to use for customizable is "customizable", not
"custom".

It's also not clear to me what you gain by changing "Custom" to "custom", if
your meaning of "custom" is "Custom" (can be set with Custom). My point was
precisely to find some term that is different from "custom", to avoid
confusion.