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Re: Active versus passive (WAS Displays versus Appears-Which One? )
Subject:Re: Active versus passive (WAS Displays versus Appears-Which One? ) From:Rebecca Stevenson <rstevens -at- atg -dot- com> To:"TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com> Date:Tue, 19 Dec 2000 11:31:17 -0500
At risk of being labeled a postmodernist by the conservatives and stating the
obvious by the postmodernists - words *don't* have precise meaning (and yes I
know, we just had a thread about using "precise" inaccurately! :-). If they did,
we'd all understand each other all the time, and human civilization would
probably look quite different from it's actual state.
I'd love to be enlightened on the "true" meaning of "to convince," though, since
the example you give is certainly in common usage.
Rebecca Stevenson
Technical Writer
Art Technology Group
Herman Holtz wrote:
> I have the feeling that many of those who grew up in the movie-radio-tv
> era have simply not read enough to have developed an ear for language. When
> I read of someone "convincing" someone else to do something, it sets off an
> alarm in me immediately. What good is it to have words with precise meaning,
> such as "convince," if we misuse them so badly? That is a principal pet
> peeve of mine, although I have others, of course. - Herm
>
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