On Sat, Mar 23, 2013 at 6:54 AM, David Tubbs <davet...@tiscali.co.uk> wrote:
> At 23:46 22/03/2013 +0000, you wrote: > >> > >> >If contributors - no matter how correct they may be - choose to >> 'publically' >> >correct (even humiliate) contributors here [as I am unashamedly >> attempting >> >to do now] the excellent spirit we all usually enjoy will be spoiled and >> >some would-be contributors will become/remain 'lurkers'. We shall all be >> >the poorer then. >> > >> >John in Wales >> > >> > > Oh dear, what a load of pomp. > > I have lurked for a shorter time than the rest of you, may be 8 years, but > it didn't take me long to realise Tony is quite a pedant. > > If the group was not so precious about OT I would have chipped in earlier > re Bill Waugh, I knew a namesake many years agowhen living in Geordie land. > His name was pronounced as Billy Yuff. When Eviilyn published his diaries > in the 60's I recall a cartoon, son asks father "what did you do in the > war?". > > So why is Wii pronouncwd Wee ? > What is a Wius ? like so many radii, > > Perhaps Wey aye is too Geordie. > > But back to the SUBJECT ! ! > > Why are all these geeks so unwilling to change the subject heading ? > A lurker knows that the real matter will have drifted off after about ten. > > > ______________________________**_________________ > QL-Users Mailing List > http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/**smsqe.htm<http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm> > I'm amazed we've got this far into the conversation without someone quoting Monty Python, (either 'This parrot is dead!' or the Roman grammar scene from 'Life of Brian'). Not only does spelling, bunktuation, grammar and emphasis have regional variation; it also has variation through time. This is so severe that the powers that be have to continuously publish updated versions of the publishing style manuals. I was taught, for example, that commas were not to be sprinkled liberally into sentences as if there were a European Comma Mountain. No, they should be used cautiously. They should give rise to a pause in the flow of a spoken voice. When used in pairs, if the text between the pair of commas was deleted it should not change the meaning of the sentence. It was very hard for me to understand that the rules I was taught were more restrictive than the norm. Now, I am burning off the comma supply as if the expiry date was coming up. To those who to struggle with ambiguity in communications with others, I say this: you're not right. You're not wrong either. They might be wrong, or they might simply have a more fluid and carefree grasp of English. QL-Users is not a classic tome to be passed down through the ages; some great work of literature. It is a string of sometimes-hastily crafted notes passed back and forth under the school desk. The many quips over the years about typos in QL Today did something to make the magazine more personal and human. These were not highly trained authors practicing their craft. They were QLers helping a fellow user. Which is, interestingly, also the primary purpose of this list. -- Dave Park Sandy Electronics, LLC d...@sinclairql.com _______________________________________________ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
