[Debian-handbook-translators] translating question

[Rainer Koenig]

Hi Carsten,

Am 09.06.2012 18:51, schrieb Carsten Bachert:
> I am struggling over this expression in the Preface:
> "its automation of secondary tasks"
> 
> Why do you pronounce "secondary" in this sentence. I would have written
> "automation of tasks". So, what exactly is the difference between
> "automation of tasks" and "automation of secondary tasks"?

>From my understanding a "secondary" task is a frequently executed
task that would just keep you busy if you wouldn't automate it.

Example: Subscribing to this mailing list is a secondary task and
therefore its handled by Mailman or Majordormo. It does all the
confirmation mail and so on and so the admin can focus on much more
important "primary" tasks.

In contrary, if you work in a firm that uses Microsoft exchange the
people who setup a "mailing list" (that is in fact just a distribution
list for the addressbook) are bothered by mails like "can you put me
on the list?" or "can you remove me from the list?"

A secondary task is like a "fire & forget missile", once you have
launched it there is no need to steer it, it will do its job by itself.

Regards
Rainer
-- 
Rainer Koenig, Diplom-Informatiker (FH), Augsburg, Germany
http://koenig-haunstetten.de