I agree with much of what you said, but this:
> "log in", "login"?
Is a bad example, because these two have taken on two slightly different meanings: the spaced version is the verb, and the single word version is the noun.
> "log in", "login"?
Is a bad example, because these two have taken on two slightly different meanings: the spaced version is the verb, and the single word version is the noun.
Also, I, for one, still favor e-mail, but I'm definitely in the minority there.
What we do need is a more reasonable set of conventions that are well harmonized with the mechanics of the language.
e.g. Shall we use "login" as a verb? Then we're going to get verb tenses like "logined" and "logining". Are we, collectively, okay with that? Then fine, we'll use that.
If we don't like that then we won't compound the words in the verb usage and continue on with "logged in" and "logging in".
But then we'll have this weird case where the verb "log" almost always means "to keep a record of", except when followed by "in" or "out". But languages tend to not like this kind of exceptionalism and we'll probably be in a state where we keep evaluating just compounding them and applying the existing tensing rules.
Another reason I prefer sign in is because there's less discord about its usage. I have never seen anyone try to write signin. Maybe they'll hyphenate it, but even then people seem less inclined to use sign-in as a verb compared to login.
- He will log in to the system.
- What's your login?
- Please sign in.
- That's the sign-in table over there.
Along these lines, does the button/link describe the action (click the button to log in) or the type of button (the login button).
The question of whether to to use sign in or log in is separate.
I go back and forth on prescriptivist vs descriptivist versions of language, though at the end of the day, languages that are in use change. I think it makes sense to create the equivalent of a stylebook for a publication or site so that there's consistent usage (prescriptivist), but understand that there are going to be inconsistencies across the use of language as a whole (descriptivist).