Re: [gentoo-user] [OT] Horrible English
On Fri, 12 May 2017 18:15:05 +0200, Alan McKinnon wrote: > >> Causes no end of confusion when the firewall admin replies to a > >> ticket saying he'll do it and revert. > > > > I'd be complaining about someone like that the whole time. > > "Why the *beep* will you revert all changes before we can even test > > them? You *beep*" > > True story: > > I used to do exactly that, then got into horrible trouble with HR, and > disciplinary hearing and $DEITY knows what else. > > Turned out one of the fellows I called a *beep* was the CEO of our > subsidiary in Ghana Couldn't you simply explain that, as with revert, *beep* now has an alternative, non-offensive meaning ;-) -- Neil Bothwick THE BORG: Calm, Cool and Collective... pgp5VByR5CQM7.pgp Description: OpenPGP digital signature
Re: [gentoo-user] [OT] Horrible English
On May 12, 2017 6:15:05 PM GMT+02:00, Alan McKinnonwrote: >On 12/05/2017 09:37, J. Roeleveld wrote: >> On May 11, 2017 11:20:49 AM GMT+02:00, Alan McKinnon > wrote: >>> On 11/05/2017 02:09, Peter Humphrey wrote: On Wednesday 10 May 2017 23:33:37 Alan McKinnon wrote: > I you read -dev, you could have replied to the original with a >>> correct > fix :-) No good. I can't read C. I gave up in the '80s and reverted to >>> assembler. > The author isn't English mother-tongue btw [1] Maybe not, but he's only following what the typical American is >>> doing. >> (By way of explanation, 35 years ago I was made the documentation >> manager of a 200-man-year software project. Ever since then I've >>> been >> unable to read anything at all without the eye of an editor - >it's >> ruined my enjoyment of everything I read. There's no hope any >>> longer.) > > Oh noes. So you can't enjoy Pratchett? poor, poor you >:-) Sadness. > [1] Living in a country with 11 (yes, eleven!) official languages, >>> all > considered legally valid for purposes of government with equal >>> status, I > had to let go of English bias and accept that languages get >mangled. >>> All > the time. I sympathise. I couldn't live in a place like that. > Except for this new meaning for "revert". can't bring myself to >>> accept > that one, too much like gouging out eyeballs with a blunt spoon. Eh? What meaning is that? I seem to have missed it. >>> >>> In Africa, "revert" has become synonymous with "reply". >>> >>> Causes no end of confusion when the firewall admin replies to a >ticket >>> saying he'll do it and revert. >> >> I'd be complaining about someone like that the whole time. >> "Why the *beep* will you revert all changes before we can even test >them? You *beep*" > >True story: > >I used to do exactly that, then got into horrible trouble with HR, and >disciplinary hearing and $DEITY knows what else. > >Turned out one of the fellows I called a *beep* was the CEO of our >subsidiary in Ghana Hehe Which language has 'revert' and 'reply' being the same word? Personally, I'd challenge HR for allowing people with such an obvious lack of education into the company. -- Joost -- Sent from my Android device with K-9 Mail. Please excuse my brevity.
Re: [gentoo-user] [OT] Horrible English
On 12/05/2017 09:37, J. Roeleveld wrote: > On May 11, 2017 11:20:49 AM GMT+02:00, Alan McKinnon >wrote: >> On 11/05/2017 02:09, Peter Humphrey wrote: >>> On Wednesday 10 May 2017 23:33:37 Alan McKinnon wrote: >>> I you read -dev, you could have replied to the original with a >> correct fix :-) >>> >>> No good. I can't read C. I gave up in the '80s and reverted to >> assembler. >>> The author isn't English mother-tongue btw [1] >>> >>> Maybe not, but he's only following what the typical American is >> doing. >>> > (By way of explanation, 35 years ago I was made the documentation > manager of a 200-man-year software project. Ever since then I've >> been > unable to read anything at all without the eye of an editor - it's > ruined my enjoyment of everything I read. There's no hope any >> longer.) Oh noes. So you can't enjoy Pratchett? poor, poor you :-) >>> >>> Sadness. >>> [1] Living in a country with 11 (yes, eleven!) official languages, >> all considered legally valid for purposes of government with equal >> status, I had to let go of English bias and accept that languages get mangled. >> All the time. >>> >>> I sympathise. I couldn't live in a place like that. >>> Except for this new meaning for "revert". can't bring myself to >> accept that one, too much like gouging out eyeballs with a blunt spoon. >>> >>> Eh? What meaning is that? I seem to have missed it. >>> >> >> In Africa, "revert" has become synonymous with "reply". >> >> Causes no end of confusion when the firewall admin replies to a ticket >> saying he'll do it and revert. > > I'd be complaining about someone like that the whole time. > "Why the *beep* will you revert all changes before we can even test them? You > *beep*" True story: I used to do exactly that, then got into horrible trouble with HR, and disciplinary hearing and $DEITY knows what else. Turned out one of the fellows I called a *beep* was the CEO of our subsidiary in Ghana -- Alan McKinnon alan.mckin...@gmail.com
Re: [gentoo-user] [OT] Horrible English
On May 11, 2017 11:20:49 AM GMT+02:00, Alan McKinnonwrote: >On 11/05/2017 02:09, Peter Humphrey wrote: >> On Wednesday 10 May 2017 23:33:37 Alan McKinnon wrote: >> >>> I you read -dev, you could have replied to the original with a >correct >>> fix :-) >> >> No good. I can't read C. I gave up in the '80s and reverted to >assembler. >> >>> The author isn't English mother-tongue btw [1] >> >> Maybe not, but he's only following what the typical American is >doing. >> (By way of explanation, 35 years ago I was made the documentation manager of a 200-man-year software project. Ever since then I've >been unable to read anything at all without the eye of an editor - it's ruined my enjoyment of everything I read. There's no hope any >longer.) >>> >>> Oh noes. So you can't enjoy Pratchett? poor, poor you :-) >> >> Sadness. >> >>> [1] Living in a country with 11 (yes, eleven!) official languages, >all >>> considered legally valid for purposes of government with equal >status, I >>> had to let go of English bias and accept that languages get mangled. >All >>> the time. >> >> I sympathise. I couldn't live in a place like that. >> >>> Except for this new meaning for "revert". can't bring myself to >accept >>> that one, too much like gouging out eyeballs with a blunt spoon. >> >> Eh? What meaning is that? I seem to have missed it. >> > >In Africa, "revert" has become synonymous with "reply". > >Causes no end of confusion when the firewall admin replies to a ticket >saying he'll do it and revert. I'd be complaining about someone like that the whole time. "Why the *beep* will you revert all changes before we can even test them? You *beep*" -- Joost -- Sent from my Android device with K-9 Mail. Please excuse my brevity.
Re: [gentoo-user] [OT] Horrible English
On 11/05/2017 02:09, Peter Humphrey wrote: > On Wednesday 10 May 2017 23:33:37 Alan McKinnon wrote: > >> I you read -dev, you could have replied to the original with a correct >> fix :-) > > No good. I can't read C. I gave up in the '80s and reverted to assembler. > >> The author isn't English mother-tongue btw [1] > > Maybe not, but he's only following what the typical American is doing. > >>> (By way of explanation, 35 years ago I was made the documentation >>> manager of a 200-man-year software project. Ever since then I've been >>> unable to read anything at all without the eye of an editor - it's >>> ruined my enjoyment of everything I read. There's no hope any longer.) >> >> Oh noes. So you can't enjoy Pratchett? poor, poor you :-) > > Sadness. > >> [1] Living in a country with 11 (yes, eleven!) official languages, all >> considered legally valid for purposes of government with equal status, I >> had to let go of English bias and accept that languages get mangled. All >> the time. > > I sympathise. I couldn't live in a place like that. > >> Except for this new meaning for "revert". can't bring myself to accept >> that one, too much like gouging out eyeballs with a blunt spoon. > > Eh? What meaning is that? I seem to have missed it. > In Africa, "revert" has become synonymous with "reply". Causes no end of confusion when the firewall admin replies to a ticket saying he'll do it and revert. -- Alan McKinnon alan.mckin...@gmail.com
Re: [gentoo-user] [OT] Horrible English
On Wednesday 10 May 2017 23:33:37 Alan McKinnon wrote: > I you read -dev, you could have replied to the original with a correct > fix :-) No good. I can't read C. I gave up in the '80s and reverted to assembler. > The author isn't English mother-tongue btw [1] Maybe not, but he's only following what the typical American is doing. > > (By way of explanation, 35 years ago I was made the documentation > > manager of a 200-man-year software project. Ever since then I've been > > unable to read anything at all without the eye of an editor - it's > > ruined my enjoyment of everything I read. There's no hope any longer.) > > Oh noes. So you can't enjoy Pratchett? poor, poor you :-) Sadness. > [1] Living in a country with 11 (yes, eleven!) official languages, all > considered legally valid for purposes of government with equal status, I > had to let go of English bias and accept that languages get mangled. All > the time. I sympathise. I couldn't live in a place like that. > Except for this new meaning for "revert". can't bring myself to accept > that one, too much like gouging out eyeballs with a blunt spoon. Eh? What meaning is that? I seem to have missed it. -- Regards Peter
Re: [gentoo-user] [OT] Horrible English
On Wednesday 10 May 2017 10:57:30 Neil Bothwick wrote: > On Wed, 10 May 2017 10:09:26 +0100, Peter Humphrey wrote: > > > Be advised that switching from an older version to GCC 6 will ... > > > > Those first three words are redundant; they add nothing. > > Except for those of us that are paid by the word ;-) Like ISO9001 quality auditors? No, they seem to be paid by the stack inch. > I learned grammar by reading the collected plays of Ernie Wise, so I > write proper like what he did! I'm sure we've all noticed... ;_) -- Regards Peter
Re: [gentoo-user] [OT] Horrible English
On 10/05/2017 11:09, Peter Humphrey wrote: > "Can not" should be "cannot" (different meaning). > > I did say this is all off-topic. Apologies to anyone who feels aggrieved. I > could have suggested several other improvements as well, so I could say I've > let you off lightly. ;-) I you read -dev, you could have replied to the original with a correct fix :-) The author isn't English mother-tongue btw [1] > > (By way of explanation, 35 years ago I was made the documentation manager of > a 200-man-year software project. Ever since then I've been unable to read > anything at all without the eye of an editor - it's ruined my enjoyment of > everything I read. There's no hope any longer.) Oh noes. So you can't enjoy Pratchett? poor, poor you :-) [1] Living in a country with 11 (yes, eleven!) official languages, all considered legally valid for purposes of government with equal status, I had to let go of English bias and accept that languages get mangled. All the time. Except for this new meaning for "revert". can't bring myself to accept that one, too much like gouging out eyeballs with a blunt spoon. -- Alan McKinnon alan.mckin...@gmail.com
Re: [gentoo-user] [OT] Horrible English
On Wednesday 10 May 2017 10:11:36 Walter Dnes wrote: > On Wed, May 10, 2017 at 10:09:26AM +0100, Peter Humphrey wrote > > > On Tuesday 09 May 2017 14:29:16 Walter Dnes wrote: > > > It's a feature, not a bug. There's a news item being worked on in > > > the Gentoo dev list. I'd normally just link to a mail archive, but > > > it's > > > too new to have been archived yet. Here's a copy of the proposed news > > > item. > > > > (Quoting order changed.) > > > > Sorry, Walter, but I just couldn't let this go. Reading it hurt too > > much. > > > > English grammar has very few hard-and-fast rules, but one is absolutely > > sacrosanct: every verb agrees in number with its subject. If I'd been > > guilty > > of this at school I'd have earned myself a stiff rebuke: > I was merely quoting the post verbatim. Don't shoot the messanger. No, I didn't mean to. I know it wasn't your wording. > I hereby volunteer you to join the Gentoo-dev list and help clean up the > grammar of the news item. :-) I don't think that's a very good idea. I find too often that I don't know when to stop, and I'd hate to make enemies of the entire dev team! > It's currently undergoing technical changes, and the draft has changed > somewhat. Well, let's hope it's improved in more ways than one... -- Regards Peter
Re: [gentoo-user] [OT] Horrible English
On Wed, 10 May 2017 13:50:40 +0100, David W Noon wrote: > > Except for those of us that are paid by the word ;-) > > ... those of us *who* are paid by the word. ... :-) who/that/what/is it's all the same price ;-) -- Neil Bothwick Fill what's empty, empty what's full, scratch where it itches. pgp2imYDuf61F.pgp Description: OpenPGP digital signature
Re: [gentoo-user] [OT] Horrible English
On Wed, May 10, 2017 at 10:09:26AM +0100, Peter Humphrey wrote > On Tuesday 09 May 2017 14:29:16 Walter Dnes wrote: > > > It's a feature, not a bug. There's a news item being worked on in > > the Gentoo dev list. I'd normally just link to a mail archive, but it's > > too new to have been archived yet. Here's a copy of the proposed news > > item. > > (Quoting order changed.) > > Sorry, Walter, but I just couldn't let this go. Reading it hurt too much. > > English grammar has very few hard-and-fast rules, but one is absolutely > sacrosanct: every verb agrees in number with its subject. If I'd been guilty > of this at school I'd have earned myself a stiff rebuke: I was merely quoting the post verbatim. Don't shoot the messanger. I hereby volunteer you to join the Gentoo-dev list and help clean up the grammar of the news item. It's currently undergoing technical changes, and the draft has changed somewhat. -- Walter DnesI don't run "desktop environments"; I run useful applications
Re: [gentoo-user] [OT] Horrible English
On Wed, 10 May 2017 13:50:40 +0100 David W Noonwrote: > those of us *who* are paid by the word. *whomst pgpDeD8naDnBF.pgp Description: OpenPGP digital signature
Re: [gentoo-user] [OT] Horrible English
On Wed, 10 May 2017 10:57:30 +0100, Neil Bothwick (n...@digimed.co.uk) wrote about "Re: [gentoo-user] [OT] Horrible English" (in <20170510105615.7340c...@digimed.co.uk>): [snip] Except for those of us that are paid by the word ;-) ... those of us *who* are paid by the word. ... :-) -- Regards, Dave [RLU #314465] *-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-* dwn...@ntlworld.com (David W Noon) *-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
Re: [gentoo-user] [OT] Horrible English
On Wed, 10 May 2017 10:09:26 +0100, Peter Humphrey wrote: > > Be advised that switching from an older version to GCC 6 will ... > > Those first three words are redundant; they add nothing. Except for those of us that are paid by the word ;-) I learned grammar by reading the collected plays of Ernie Wise, so I write proper like what he did! -- Neil Bothwick "A computer is like an Old Testament god, with a lot of rules and no mercy." \xA0-- Joseph Campbell pgp2hJ4FTs6iI.pgp Description: OpenPGP digital signature
[gentoo-user] [OT] Horrible English
On Tuesday 09 May 2017 14:29:16 Walter Dnes wrote: > It's a feature, not a bug. There's a news item being worked on in > the Gentoo dev list. I'd normally just link to a mail archive, but it's > too new to have been archived yet. Here's a copy of the proposed news > item. (Quoting order changed.) Sorry, Walter, but I just couldn't let this go. Reading it hurt too much. English grammar has very few hard-and-fast rules, but one is absolutely sacrosanct: every verb agrees in number with its subject. If I'd been guilty of this at school I'd have earned myself a stiff rebuke: > An indicator are linker errors ... [...] > [Additionally, following Gentoo policies, the default-off use-flags > nopie (only present in Hardened) and nossp are replaced starting with > gcc-6 by default-on use-flags pie and ssp.] No; they are replaced, by the developers, with those flags. > Be advised that switching from an older version to GCC 6 will ... Those first three words are redundant; they add nothing. > ... relocation R_X86_64_32 against `.rodata.str1.1' can not be used > when... "Can not" should be "cannot" (different meaning). I did say this is all off-topic. Apologies to anyone who feels aggrieved. I could have suggested several other improvements as well, so I could say I've let you off lightly. ;-) (By way of explanation, 35 years ago I was made the documentation manager of a 200-man-year software project. Ever since then I've been unable to read anything at all without the eye of an editor - it's ruined my enjoyment of everything I read. There's no hope any longer.) -- Regards Peter