Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!linus!decvax!microsof!uw-beaver!ubc-visi!mprvaxa!sonnens From: sonnens@mprvaxa.UUCP Newsgroups: net.nlang,net.flame Subject: Linguistic Violations Message-ID: <240@mprvaxa.UUCP> Date: Fri, 15-Jul-83 15:38:58 EDT Article-I.D.: mprvaxa.240 Posted: Fri Jul 15 15:38:58 1983 Date-Received: Sat, 16-Jul-83 13:31:47 EDT Lines: 28 "There are a lot of people who cant read; there are even more who dont want to read." - Usenet contributor Substitute `spell' for `read', particularly after the semicolon, and the statement applies to this author. Although I usually find her messages of interest, the annoying mannerism of deliberately* omitting apostrophes is causing me to quit her long messages early. (*I'm assuming it's not from ignorance!) This author also doesn't follow the standard convention of separating sentences by two spaces. This convention is: 1. `logical', since sentences are a unit `up' from words; 2. `aesthetic', since the text is less cramped and easier to read; 3. `pragmatic', since a text editor can only do operations on sentences if they are distinguished from the rest of the text, e.g., the vi operands `(' and `)'. Since many people violate this convention, I've become used to the practice, and try not to let it affect my perception of the content. I can't say the same for all other such violations, including a boycott of apostrophes. Usenet contributors might keep in mind that grammatical or spelling `innovations' may detract from the message they want to present. Dan (Nitpicker) Sonnenschein Language Consultant Microtel Pacific Research