RE: Today's exercise in misunderstanding English

["Handy, David" <dhandy -at- Informatica -dot- com>]

That definition on Wiktionary got me thinking: 

English is a lingua franca the world over. It naturally gets used in
different ways in different countries. I should be more chilled about
that. 

I didn't mean to offend anybody, and afterwards I realized I might have
done just that, so I offer my apologies. I wouldn't have written as I
did were it not Friday. 

That said, I would judge critically any word use that diminishes the
power of grammar. And maybe that means I don't want to simplify the
rules - as  that in turn may limit our abilities to say exactly what we
want to say. If new words or new constructions break the rules in a good
way - if they set up new rules that add to articulacy - then great. But
I don't think updation does that. 

Best,
David

-----Original Message-----
From: techwr-l-bounces+dhandy=informatica -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
[mailto:techwr-l-bounces+dhandy=informatica -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com] On
Behalf Of Handy, David
Sent: 24 April 2009 13:02
To: Gene Kim-Eng; techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
Subject: RE: Today's exercise in misunderstanding English

Buck it, Gene - buck it! 

This isn't just a matter of a new word gatecrashing the dictionary. This
is key grammar. 

The number of people who think that legalized bad grammar is a portent
of a crumbling civilization is kinda small, but it includes me; and if
we writers don't jump up and down about this, nobody will. Grammar =
expressivity. Replace sensible grammar rules with "ok, whatever" and you
limit people's ability to say *exactly* what they mean. 

By the way, I'm not jumping on Gene here, or whoever wrote the original
sentence - gramnmar is tough, time is short, and jargon happens. But
remember Gandhi - be the lexical change you want to see in the world!


-----Original Message-----
From: techwr-l-bounces+dhandy=informatica -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
[mailto:techwr-l-bounces+dhandy=informatica -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com] On
Behalf Of Gene Kim-Eng
Sent: 23 April 2009 19:35
To: techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
Subject: Re: Today's exercise in misunderstanding English

Nothing.  Just seems a wee bit late to try to buck the trend on this
one.

Gene Kim-Eng


----- Original Message -----
From: "Christopher Bolster" <christopher -dot- bolster -at- gmail -dot- com>
> What's wrong with the noun 'update'?  Seems counterintuitive to 
> replace the simple and clear with the awkward.

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