While I would have to place myself in the "Richter" camp on this as well, I understand the point these articles are trying to make, and I don't know if I really disagree with their implementations, except possibly from an aesthetic point of view. My thinking is: 1. Dispose() has a clear definition and purpose regardless of type. If the type has unmanaged resources, and it may be important to release those resources in a time-critical manner, then the type will likely benefit from a Dispose() method. 2. Close() has a somewhat less well-defined purpose that is affected by the type on which it is implemented. It has a high-level meaning that applies in most places (i.e. "To stop or obstruct some kind of operation or behavior") and means the same thing to most people, but the specifics of how to "Close" an instance of a type are potentially specific to the type itself, as are the rules about re-opening the instance, how closing affects state, etc. There are clearly some cases where Close() and Dispose() might effectively mean the same thing, as the first article suggests, but there are obviously others (e.g. SqlConnection) where the intent of the developers was to make the methods behave differently. Both are okay in my book, but what can't get overlooked is that while Close() may or may not be implemented on a disposable type, the IDisposable interface ( thus Dispose() ) *must* be implemented, or unexpected results may ensue. In those cases where Close() and Dispose() are interchangeable, the word "Close" may be considered more "user friendly" or less confusing than "Dispose", and so a case can be made for implementing a Close() method that simply masks the Dispose() method. In general though, I'd prefer a more expository API (one that had both methods marked public, if the developers really felt that strongly about it), but that's just me, and the decision really boils down to developer preference and the consuming client's perceived level of understanding. Have a good one.
The most exciting phrase to hear in science, the one that heralds the most discoveries, is not 'Eureka!' ('I found it!') but 'That's funny...’
