David Laight wrote; 

 > Aidan Kehoe wrote; 
 >
 > > "Data" is the plural of "datum."
 >
 > Actually, in most computer documentation it is used as a 'mass noun'.
 > As such 'data is returned' is correct [1].
 >  
 > Since English is a language defined by its usage, there is nothing
 > wrong (except the inconsistency).

If you read the report through, it's the inconsistency I'm trying to fix. I,
personally, prefer the "it's a plural" view, but I'm happy to write up a
patch to elimate the plural usage in favour of the singular. I don't think
that is in tune with the (pseudo-?)academic spirit of BSD, though.
 
 > The www.opengroup.org/onlinepubs/009604499/functions/read.html page has,
 > for instance, 'until there is no more data to be retrieved.'

And in "The Design and Implementation of 4.4BSD" it's consistently used as a
plural. (I will cite examples if you want, but I don't have the book to
hand, so it will take day or so.) I submit that that's more the direction we
should go in.

  > Compate to the use of other mass nouns like 'water'.

"Information" would be the more apposite comparison. 

-- 
"I have heard the swelling cry of the English speaking peoples of the
world, and it tells me their cause is served best by flaming the few
complacent asses on usenet." -- T. Samant, 29 June 1997