# "Epoch" vs "era" **URL:** \ **Category:** Uncategorized\ **Created:** [March 7, 2018, 11:30pm UTC](https://internals.rust-lang.org/t/epoch-vs-era/6941 "2018-03-07T23:30:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![gbutler](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/internals.rust-lang.org/gbutler/32/3670_2.png) [@gbutler](https://internals.rust-lang.org/u/gbutler)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2018, 6:27pm UTC](https://internals.rust-lang.org/t/epoch-vs-era/6941/41 "2018-03-08T18:27:50Z")
Maybe CRE (Coordinated Release Epoch). ---
**Author:** ![gbutler](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/internals.rust-lang.org/gbutler/32/3670_2.png) [@gbutler](https://internals.rust-lang.org/u/gbutler)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2018, 6:50pm UTC](https://internals.rust-lang.org/t/epoch-vs-era/6941/42 "2018-03-08T18:50:38Z")
As opposed to someone needing to look-up what Era/Epoch means in the context of Rust? With all due respect, I’d expect an acronym (which invites looking up its definition) to cause much less confusion than a common word that is being used to have a special/jargon meaning in Rust in isolation. ---
**Author:** ![gbutler](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/internals.rust-lang.org/gbutler/32/3670_2.png) [@gbutler](https://internals.rust-lang.org/u/gbutler)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2018, 6:57pm UTC](https://internals.rust-lang.org/t/epoch-vs-era/6941/43 "2018-03-08T18:57:39Z")
Yeah, but, just think, we could have [“NEW EDITION!”](https://www.google.com/search?num=20&newwindow=1&ei=e4ehWqTJCpGYzwLjpoTAAQ&q=YOUTUBE+BAND+NEW+EDITION&oq=YOUTUBE+BAND+NEW+EDITION&gs_l=psy-ab.3...14387.15595.0.15805.8.8.0.0.0.0.334.1019.1j3j1j1.6.0....0...1c.1.64.psy-ab..3.2.288...0i13k1j0i13i5i30k1j0i8i13i30k1.0.39o-vfcxkrI) ---
**Author:** ![Dylan-DPC](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/internals.rust-lang.org/dylan-dpc/32/3151_2.png) [@Dylan-DPC](https://internals.rust-lang.org/u/Dylan-DPC)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2018, 7:00pm UTC](https://internals.rust-lang.org/t/epoch-vs-era/6941/44 "2018-03-08T19:00:59Z")
I assume people would at least get an idea or the context if you reach epoch or era compared to CRE. ---
**Author:** ![gbutler](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/internals.rust-lang.org/gbutler/32/3670_2.png) [@gbutler](https://internals.rust-lang.org/u/gbutler)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2018, 7:05pm UTC](https://internals.rust-lang.org/t/epoch-vs-era/6941/45 "2018-03-08T19:05:58Z")
In my experience, using a familiar word to mean something specific of a technical nature usually just results in people mentally using whatever their connotations of the word are, often inappropriately, resulting in significant confusion. But, hey, just my opinion/observations. Definitely not written in stone. I will mention however, that the U.S. Military is often panned for using acronyms so often, but, there was significant psychological research and experience that backs up why they do that. It avoids confusion more than it adds to confusion. ---
**Author:** ![U007D](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/internals.rust-lang.org/u007d/32/2172_2.png) [@U007D](https://internals.rust-lang.org/u/U007D)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2018, 10:09pm UTC](https://internals.rust-lang.org/t/epoch-vs-era/6941/46 "2018-03-08T22:09:56Z")
Clicking **other** on the poll does not register my vote, but +1 for **Edition**. ---
**Author:** ![nikomatsakis](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/internals.rust-lang.org/nikomatsakis/32/5410_2.png) [@nikomatsakis](https://internals.rust-lang.org/u/nikomatsakis)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2018, 10:23pm UTC](https://internals.rust-lang.org/t/epoch-vs-era/6941/47 "2018-03-08T22:23:19Z")
I’ve been sitting on this all day. I’m starting to get quite keen on Edition myself, I have to say. ---
**Author:** ![gbutler](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/internals.rust-lang.org/gbutler/32/3670_2.png) [@gbutler](https://internals.rust-lang.org/u/gbutler)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2018, 10:39pm UTC](https://internals.rust-lang.org/t/epoch-vs-era/6941/48 "2018-03-08T22:39:18Z")
Agree. Although I would prefer the acronym CLE (Coordinated Language Edition) that can be shortened to just Edition informally, but, in official announcements, etc, always lead with something like: > The Rust 2018 Coordinated Language Edition (CLE) is now released...This CLE contains....The release files are...Rust-Linux-CLE2018-1.6.7.deb etc. ---
**Author:** ![aturon](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/internals.rust-lang.org/aturon/32/3272_2.png) [@aturon](https://internals.rust-lang.org/u/aturon)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2018, 12:15am UTC](https://internals.rust-lang.org/t/epoch-vs-era/6941/49 "2018-03-09T00:15:54Z")
> [@nikomatsakis](#): > > I’ve been sitting on this all day. I’m starting to get quite keen on Edition myself, I have to say. Same! ---
**Author:** ![johnthagen](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/internals.rust-lang.org/johnthagen/32/2005_2.png) [@johnthagen](https://internals.rust-lang.org/u/johnthagen)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2018, 3:24am UTC](https://internals.rust-lang.org/t/epoch-vs-era/6941/50 "2018-03-09T03:24:03Z")
FWIW, “epochs/editions” in Rust are pretty similar to “standards” in C and C++. For example, CMake uses `CMAKE_CXX_STANDARD` variable to control whether to use C+98,11,14 etc. A difference is that Rust is promising to allow different modules to be complied with different standards in the same compilation unit. I suppose a problem with Rust trying to reuse this term is that Rust doesn’t have a formal standard/reference? ---
**Author:** ![Caemor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e495f1/32.png) [@Caemor](https://internals.rust-lang.org/u/Caemor)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2018, 10:50am UTC](https://internals.rust-lang.org/t/epoch-vs-era/6941/51 "2018-03-09T10:50:45Z")
The vote doesn’t work. My Favorites are Epoch / Edition ---
**Author:** ![gbutler](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/internals.rust-lang.org/gbutler/32/3670_2.png) [@gbutler](https://internals.rust-lang.org/u/gbutler)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2018, 2:53pm UTC](https://internals.rust-lang.org/t/epoch-vs-era/6941/52 "2018-03-09T14:53:47Z")
> [@johnthagen](#): > > I suppose a problem with Rust trying to reuse this term is that Rust doesn’t have a formal standard/reference? Yet. ---
**Author:** ![aturon](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/internals.rust-lang.org/aturon/32/3272_2.png) [@aturon](https://internals.rust-lang.org/u/aturon)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2018, 4:47pm UTC](https://internals.rust-lang.org/t/epoch-vs-era/6941/53 "2018-03-11T16:47:11Z")
I’ve re-written the [roadmap blog post](https://github.com/rust-lang/blog.rust-lang.org/pull/231) to use “edition” rather than “epoch”, and I think it’s great! Thanks, all, for pushing us in this direction. ---
**Author:** ![jonh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/dec6dc/32.png) [@jonh](https://internals.rust-lang.org/u/jonh)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2018, 2:21pm UTC](https://internals.rust-lang.org/t/epoch-vs-era/6941/54 "2018-03-13T14:21:07Z")
After a few failed searches of synonyms and antonyms since I view the name pretty much only as a sale tool, (technical choice not important.) Was searching for something like vintage but modern. Eventually came to; **Rust Ultra 2018** ---
**Author:** ![Dylan-DPC](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/internals.rust-lang.org/dylan-dpc/32/3151_2.png) [@Dylan-DPC](https://internals.rust-lang.org/u/Dylan-DPC)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2018, 4:10pm UTC](https://internals.rust-lang.org/t/epoch-vs-era/6941/55 "2018-03-13T16:10:38Z")
We have settled on edition so I guess we can close this discussion 😁 ---
**Author:** ![notriddle](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/internals.rust-lang.org/notriddle/32/14082_2.png) [@notriddle](https://internals.rust-lang.org/u/notriddle)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2019, 1:00am UTC](https://internals.rust-lang.org/t/epoch-vs-era/6941/56 "2019-01-31T01:00:00Z")
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