Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/5/84; site reed.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!allegra!bellcore!decvax!tektronix!reed!bifrost From: bifrost@reed.UUCP (Alan Schmidt) Newsgroups: net.flame Subject: Re: Poor English (here too) Message-ID: <1058@reed.UUCP> Date: Thu, 7-Mar-85 17:15:15 EST Article-I.D.: reed.1058 Posted: Thu Mar 7 17:15:15 1985 Date-Received: Sun, 10-Mar-85 07:23:03 EST References: <4800002@umn-cs.UUCP> <390@abnji.UUCP> Reply-To: bifrost@reed.UUCP (Alan Schmidt) Organization: Reed College, Portland, Oregon Lines: 46 Summary: > > Why is it that the "word" ORIENTATE seems so popular in > >computer circles? The verb is ORIENT!! > > orient (phonetics) the verb forms all fall into the catagory > of "to place in a > particular relation to the points of a compass" > > orientate is listed as "to orient" Uh, hate to burst your balloon, but "orient" is correct. Orientate is also correct, however. I prefer the former merely because it's shorter, but if it makes your socks go up and down to use long words, that's fine with me. > > It strikes me as singularly appropriate that computer jocks > >are incapable of using human languages with any facility. > >They can not write; neither can they spell. Any analyses? > > Thanks alot. "A lot" is two words. I usually dislike generalizations like the above. Prejudices are ugly. However, the shoe seems to fit in this case.... (Hmm, I feel that I'm being subliminally affected by net.singles, but I don't know how) > > Anyhow, considering that persons acquiring degrees in > >computer related fields will probably spend at least as > >much time writing ENGLISH as computer programs, I find it > >disheartening to find so little emphasis on communications > >skills in CS departments. > > Ever try to write a thesis? Aw, come on. Theses aren't proof of facility with a language unless they're theses on English Comp. And GOOD theses at that. YOU may have a great literary mind. I've seen spelling and grammatical errors on the net that I haven't seen since the sixth grade, though, and it embarasses me to find that my fellow programmers write so horribly. You may not be a member of these troubled masses. No one said you were. But don't try to deny that they exist. Heimdal (Alan Schmidt) ..tektronix!reed!bifrost "When you are going to die, a wombat is better than no company at all." -- R. Zelazny