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>> The article was a short piece on security awareness for the company
newsletter. The first two paragraphs started like this:
>>
>> "Like a lot of people, ...
>> "These emails are frauds."
>>
>> The paragraphs were was changed to: "Like a lot of people, ...
>> "These are fraud emails."
[snip]
>Your edits changed the meaning.
I think there's a misunderstanding -- I wrote the original, and my boss edited it.
I believe we may be in violent agreement.
>A "fraud email" is not the same thing as "a fraud."
>
>"A fraud" is widely accepted as term to indicate a deal, offer, or condition
>where somebody or something is making a fraudulent claim.
>
>A fraud email is an email that was forged or falsified. A fraud email does not,
>necessarily mean the information in the email is fraudulent.
Thank you, thank you, thank you for explaining to me why I was so stuck on "fraud" rather than "fraudulent." That's _precisely_ it, but I couldn't articulate my reasoning any more sensibly in my head than "I want the noun-ess of fraud, not the adjctive-ness!" Which I didn't say, as I didn't think it would go over very well. I am talking about the fraud scheme itself; the emails are just an instrument.
>Your boss is describing a situation that is "a fraud" not "fraudulent emails."
>
>I'd say your bosses original version was fine and you should accept his/her
>edits. Furthermore, just because something is grammatically correct doesn't
>mean it makes sense. Most people are not as obsessed with grammar as tech
>writers. The goal is communication, not perfection.
>
>Next time, ask your boss what he means to say rather than just making the
>change and assuming you know better. Understand the context and the purpose of
>the words. Grammar is intended to help clarify content, not alter it.
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