Most diction decisions, like choosing the keyword nil over NULL seem inconsequential. Sure, n-i-l is probably faster to type then shift+n-u-l-l, but the difference is too small to matter. Both terms are clear.
However after today I’m convinced that the C++ convention of using the keyword this, over self, was a mistake. “This” is just too common of a pronoun. It’s too easy to say something like “..this is invalid..”, and leave people wondering if you meant that-this or self-this.
I’d be interested to know the reasoning behind choosing the ambiguous keyword “this” over the precedent “self”.
I plan to refer to “this” as “self” whenever possible for a time, to see if it’s less confusing, even to habitual C++ users.