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From: ken@ihuxq.UUCP (ken perlow)
Newsgroups: net.flame
Subject: Re: Chris's Major Conniption
Message-ID: <1279@ihuxq.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 10-Oct-84 23:55:47 EDT
Article-I.D.: ihuxq.1279
Posted: Wed Oct 10 23:55:47 1984
Date-Received: Sat, 13-Oct-84 04:35:23 EDT
References: <605@trwspp.UUCP>, <826@dual.UUCP> <1271@ihuxq.UUCP>, <830@dual.UUCP>
Organization: AT&T Bell Labs, Naperville, IL
Lines: 50

--
>> Well, Ken.  I'm stunned.  I had until now had a goodly amount of
>> respect for you, but it appears that this was unwarranted.

Sorry, but it looks like your warranty has expired.

>> My kind, eh?  Yes, I'm a doddering old maid schoolmarm turned
>> techno-twit.  And you, when was the last time you picked up an
>> English text and actually *read* it?  Third grade, you say??? 
>> Well, I'm sorry you have this problem with remembering the rules
>> and following them.  I guess people of *your kind* (sic) belong
>> in an anarchy like the net.

>> I do plenty of serious writing, and I am fully aware that manuals
>> of style disagree, et cetera, et cetera, blah, blah, blah...
>> I make no pretense of defending the immutability of the rules of
>> grammar, but I *do* try to follow them.  If I am reading something
>> and it's unclear to me because some asshole decided he was exempt
>> from following the rules, that, to me, is a problem.  It is a window
>> on the mind of the person who writes, clearly or otherwise.

>> Helen Anne Vigneau

You know something, Helen--you're OK!  I think we're about even now in
the character assassination dept.  You've really reached to put words
in my mouth (and I'm only 5' 7", as I've been since the early 60's,
note correct uses of the apostrophe).  "...turned techno-twit"--
nice phrase.

I think we both agree that grammar *IS* a set of rules, but not
*arbitrary* ones.  These rules are the window on orderly thought,
the rules--like subject-verb agreement--you find in books on English.
There are also numerous arbitrary rules which constitute what we
call style.  To write "IC's" rather than "ICs", for example, or
"Charles's" instead of "Charles'", is a purely stylistic consideration
for which the only hard-and-fast rule is "be consistent".  Rules of
style are hard to remember--that's what style manuals are for--but
easy to follow.  Aren't they?

As for the "third grade" bit, well, back in my writing days I had
readers call me a lot worse.  I had editors call me a lot worse.
And they were often right.  As was I in noting your obstinacy on
punctuation, and you in noting my deficiency in manners.
-- 
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