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I just never heard "decide" by itself used as a transitive verb before.
So maybe technically, it's okay, but it sounds weird.
-----Original Message-----
From: Pinkham, Jim [mailto:Jim -dot- Pinkham -at- voith -dot- com]
Sent: Thursday, December 11, 2008 8:59 AM
To: Downing, David; Combs, Richard; Lauren; quills -at- airmail -dot- net;
techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
Subject: RE: "Gage"
Just to play the devil's advocate: Why can't one decide a loan? How is
that different from deciding a boxing match or a court case, especially
the latter? The judge decides, for instance, whether to rule in favor of
the plaintiff. But if we say that she decided the case, the meaning is
clear.
-----Original Message-----
From: techwr-l-bounces+jim -dot- pinkham=voith -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
[mailto:techwr-l-bounces+jim -dot- pinkham=voith -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com] On
Behalf Of Downing, David
Sent: Wednesday, December 10, 2008 4:06 PM
To: Combs, Richard; Lauren; quills -at- airmail -dot- net;
techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
Subject: RE: "Gage"
I'll concede that the verbing of "text" and "message" may be a necessary
evil. Using the single word "decide" doesn't work in my case, however,
because you can't "decide a loan." What you do is make a decision
whether to approve, reject, or whatever, the loan application. By that
figuring, I supposed you'd have to defend "decision" as a verb, but I
still refuse to use it unless I'm made to.
-----Original Message-----
From: Combs, Richard [mailto:richard -dot- combs -at- Polycom -dot- com]
Sent: Wednesday, December 10, 2008 4:52 PM
To: Downing, David; Lauren; quills -at- airmail -dot- net;
techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
Subject: RE: "Gage"
Downing, David wrote:
> I would call it "sending a message," although I concede that then you
> have three words instead of one. As I said before, I can't bring
myself
> to write about "decisioning a loan." I still feel compelled to write,
> "making a decision on a loan," and I'll keep doing that until our
editor
> tells me it's not acceptable.
I agree wholeheartedly regarding "decisioning," but it and "messaging"
aren't really analogous.
"Decisioning" is an abomination because it's a verbification where none
was needed. There's already a perfectly good verb for expressing that
concept: "deciding"
OTOH, the verbing of "message" and "text" is much more defensible
because it lets us express new concepts more concisely. "Texting" is to
"sending a text message" as "deciding" is to "making a decision."
Richard
Richard G. Combs
Senior Technical Writer
Polycom, Inc.
richardDOTcombs AT polycomDOTcom
303-223-5111
------
rgcombs AT gmailDOTcom
303-777-0436
------
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