Sorry... can't help it...

[S7Guy]

[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica]
And Finally, can you imagine working for a company
that has a little more than 500 employees and has
the following statistics:
* 29 have been accused of spousal abuse
* 7 have been arrested for fraud
* 19 have been accused of writing bad checks
* 117 have directly or indirectly bankrupted at
least 2 businesses
* 3 have done time for assault
* 71 cannot get a credit card due to bad credit
* 14 have been arrested on drug-related charges
* 8 have been arrested for shoplifting
* 21 are currently defendants in lawsuits
* 84 have been arrested for drunk driving in the
last year...

Can you guess which organization this is?

Scroll down









Give up yet?













It's the 535 members of the United States Congress.
The same group that crank out hundreds of new laws each year
designed to keep the rest of us in line. [/font]

Actually, this story is an urban legend and has been on the email circuit for years. Check out http://www.snopes.com/inboxer/outrage/congress.htm

 

[Steve Bailey]

show me anywhere on this site, when someone showed them the correct verbiage, they just make snide remarks about it.

Point taken.

The word "advise" is a verb meaning "to provide counsel". The location in GiT's sentence calls for a noun. That noun is probably "advice".

The word "your" is the possesive form of the pronoun "you". The word "you're" is a contraction of the words "you are". The usage in GiT's sentence seems to call for the contraction rather than the possessive pronoun.

The word "then" is generally used in the context of time. The word "than" is used when making quantitative comparisons.

The phrase "your better then me" could be interpreted as ranking "your better" ahead of "me".

The word "to" is a preposition. The word "too" is an adverb. Prepositions are used to establish relationships between words in a sentence. Adverbs are used to modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs.

 

[rsdoran]

Actually, this story is an urban legend and has been on the email circuit for years. Check out http://www.snopes.com/inboxer/outrage/congress.htm

I have looked it up, that site proclaims it to be an urban legend but does not really refute what is stated, just points out the weak points involved.

It is possible to obtain details worse than those based on fact if someone wanted to take the time and included everyone that ever held those offices.

That I should have removed, it was not relevant to what I was trying to provide.

 

[S7Guy]

I think it is the statement that 84 of them have been arrested during the last year is the kicker. I just don't think our elected officials are as bad as people think. There are a few bad apples, but not that many.

 

[Terry Woods]

Damn... You guys really, really, need to find a life!

I just have this peeve-thing about someone saying "mute" when it should have been "moot".

"Mute" means "quiet". "To mute" means "to make quiet". "Muted" means "made quiet".

According to The World Book Dictionary, "Moot" means "debatable". However, in common parlance, "moot" means that the point is not worth debating, as opposed to debatable. In other words, in common words, if the issue under consideration is REALLY moot, then it is a "wash", as in... "six of one, vs. a half-dozen of the other"... a "moot point".

As far as I know, there is no legitimate case of "to moot" as in "to make debatable". Although, you might indeed render something "to be moot". That is, to make "not worth debating". There is a very subtle difference there, but, none the less, it is there.

Aside from that, I will certainly agree with what many of the pro-language proponents have said.

In general, if you accept language descending into... ugh, erg, grub... that is, phonetic grunts and groans... which seems to include thumb-speak, then... uhhh... doesn't that represent kind a like a backward slide in the ability of people to communicate?

Regarding Ron's phonetic-short-cut message...

The only reason that the message can be read, without misunderstanding, is because the majority of speakers/readers are very familiar with what the words should be, and they can easily connect the phonetic version to the intended, legitimate, word.

HOWEVER, just as we are now discussing incorrect verbiage, and, in the case where the verbiage is used correctly, the incorrect spelling of that verbiage... if we accept the incorrect usage of common language, where that incorrect usage simulates thumb-speak, to one degree or another, then... what happens when the words in that language are misspelled?

How far down can you go? How far down can you tolerate?
At what point do you not understand what is being communicated?

Those of us that have tried to influence certain writers to write to a higher level are ONLY trying to get those writers to write at what is recognized as a reasonable, rational, normal level!

If you accept the idea of talking like... like you don't appreciate the importance of correct and accurate communication... well, then I guess, regardless of how smart you might think you are... there is very little help/hope for you... now, or in the future... at least, not until you learn how important this really is!

Git said...
"... show me anywhere on this site, when someone showed them the correct verbiage, they just make snide remarks about it."

Uhhh... Git? Did you happen to look at Post #1 in this thread? Post #1 completely counters your comment.

I said... "mute", then "moot", then I said... "Look it up!"

Saying "Look it up!" is NOT a snide remark! It is, in fact, nothing more, or less, than an invitation to assure one's self that the presented information is really true.

And, regarding the Congressmen...
Let he that is without sin cast the first stone.

A B-J? Come on... get real!

 

[RussB]

As far as I know, there is no legitimate case of "to moot" as in "to make debatable".

This thread could be "to moot".

 

[rsdoran]

What is your point?

We all make mistakes from time to time, whether it is typographical, mis-spelling, or grammatical.

In this thread you chastised me for responding before a few days had passed, why wait when I did not understand what was said. I basically responded to those that had already responded.
http://www.plctalk.net/qanda/showthread.php?t=25540&page=1&pp=15

To prove my point that we all make mistakes, look at what you stated in this post (#17) in the above referenced thread:
http://www.plctalk.net/qanda/showpost.php?p=177590&postcount=17

I personally feel I have nothing to be ashamed of pertaining to my spelling and grammar abilities, considering I have not had a grammar class in over 35 years. I am aware that my writing composition is not collegiate level but it is not an important issue to me at this time.

For many it is not a major concern, especially while online and time may be short. If we have to be literary correct on this or any site then many of use may as well not bother with it.

As I mentioned before, these type errors have happened numerous times with other members, some worse then what you brought up. I wonder why you have never bothered to correct them and why it is an issue now.

By the way, you did not correct the person that made the "mute point" comment, just made a big issue. Did you take the time to think that the person that wrote that may not have realized he mis-spelled the word so has no clue to what this is about?

So what are we suppose to do if we can not write English in perfect literary form?

 

[bernie_carlton]

As if this topic hasn't strayed here and there (hear and their?) I must say that I learned more of my English grammer in Latin class than in any English class. I had 4 years of Latin in high school. Having to be ultra aware of parts of speech, tense, gender and all the other little aspects of our language, with a stern teacher standing over you (the scene in Monty Python's 'Life of Brian' with the Roman centurion providing a Latin lesson is NO EXAGGERATION), makes for very quick learning.

 

[CaseyK]

Thre is NO SUCH THING as a "mute point"!!!
The correct phrase is... "moot point". Look it up!

Haven't you ever been married?

There are two types of "MUTE POINTS".

First, your wife makes a point, and you better be mute about it.

Second, You make a point and wish your wife was mute about it.

Now, I say this becuase I told my wife "NO" eight weeks ago. Seven weeks ago she went to stay with her sister for a month, and never came back.

While the situation is now a moot point, it is also a "Mute Point", since I am enjoying the silence.

Best regards.....kc

 

[jvdcande]

Tank God I'm no native English speaker. When I make a mistake I can always claim it's because my native language is Dutch .
On the other hand, I've been reading this thread with great interest and I've learned a thing or two about English nobody ever told me when I was learning the language. Conclusion: even a "moot" thread has it's value.

Kind regards,

 

[Money4Nothing]

I've been reading this thread with great interest and I've learned a thing or two about English nobody ever told me when I was learning the language. Conclusion: even a "moot" thread has it's value.

Kind regards,

I've been reading this thread with great interest, and I have not learned a thing!


$

 

[Stephen Luft]

Terry,

You should know, just as well as most regulars here, which once a thread is posted, there is no telling where it will end up.

In many cases a question is posted, in need of specific information. The thread will evolve based on the responses. The direction will ultimately depend on these responses.

In some instances, an opinion is sought after, which leads to an open door for many opinions and thus the potential for the thread to go off in many directions, not related to the original question.

In this case, neither of the above applies. You made a statement that included an action - "look it up."

There are over 20,000 members, each with their interpretation of your statement and thus their own opinion. Some will respond, and have. Others will view and decide not to respond.

Your title to the thread implies that you had to post your commment - "Sorry... can't help it..."

Yes you could have helped it...

You didn't have to say anything. The replies are directly related to your action of posting your comment. Others have chosen to respond because that is their free will choice, just as it was yours to make known how you feel about such a statement that is often incorrectly applied.

And therefore, it is my choice to respond to something you referenced...

FYI...if you are going to quote someone, make sure to reference who you quote and where you got the quote from...John 8:7 - Jesus our Messiah, speaking to many of the religious leaders of Israel, who brought them a woman caught in the act of adultery...thus testing Him as to how to deal with her, according to Torah.

God Bless,

 

[Steve Bailey]

I've been reading this thread with great interest, and I have not learned a thing

Not even that you've been wasting your time reading the thread?

 

[Money4Nothing]

Not even that you've been wasting your time reading the thread?

Just because I didn't learn anything, doesn't necessarily mean I wasted my time.

There's something to be said for brain-cell-killing entertainment value.

$

 

[rsdoran]

Long Winded

The point of my earlier post was meant to lighten the subject to have some fun, but it appears that is not wanted. What is unique about my first reply is it explains why people can read it without a problem; alas we had to be given another’s opinion of why it was readable.


Oh my, I used an apostrophe s with a word, that translate to another is doesn’t it? No, an apostrophe is used to show possession, form contractions, and with abbreviations, numbers, and letters. The apostrophe may also be after the s with a possessive plural noun.


When it comes to writing composition the rules involved are strange to say the least, which has been the hardest aspect of writing for me to understand. Single space or double space the composition; single space the composition but double space between paragraphs. Paragraph, what is it? It is a unit of thought that discusses a limited idea pertaining to a subject; therefore I have now broken the writing composition guidelines, I have discussed multiple ideas in one paragraph.


Did I use a semicolon? How did that get in there and why? You use them between independent clauses or to separate items in a series. Oh my, now I have brought up independent clauses, should I start another paragraph and discuss them? I will not at this time. I will state that a colon may also separate independent clauses.


When I first started using computers there was no internet, there were services like Compuserve that would allow you to connect via modem with other people. The most common method was through a bulletin board, BBS. At that time I was using a 300 baud modem and everything was text, which was limited; therefore people started using slang or abbreviations. In the early days you got charged per minute of connection time, with a 300 baud modem this did not allow you much time to get things done. The technology improved with faster modems, the internet, and services started offering monthly rates with a fixed amount of minutes, which meant it was a little cheaper but still did not allow a lot of time. Then, in the mid 90’s, AOL goes unlimited. This was great and AOL chat rooms were filled to capacity most of the time but text went by so fast in chat rooms people still had to write fast and use short paragraphs. This just created more need for slang and abbreviated terms to communicate online.


We now have high speed connections with numerous options of communicating with others. The internet is a melting pot of people from all over the world, which means there are numerous languages involved. It appears that English is the dominant language with many countries, societies, or cultures developing it as a second language. What is strange is that the English countries rarely, if ever, attempt to have a second language. Another aspect of this melting pot of people that connect to the internet is you will come into contact with people of varying educational levels. There will be cases of those highly educated that can not spell, some can spell but will be weak on technical issues. Online with other people I would think the first objective would be developing communications which allows concepts and ideas to be exchanged, how this is accomplished is not as important as doing it; therefore correct grammar or spelling may not be as important as some would think.


What is my point in this long winded dissertation? I think I spelled all the words properly, used punctuation properly, and used paragraphs to separate ideas. The key is did I actually say or communicate anything of specific value, probably not. Language is a tool used to communicate; as long as the thoughts of people can be given to others then communications has been established. The use of proper literary composition is not always necessary.

What is my point in writing this long winded dissertation? I do not have one; I just like to write and now have the time to do it.

Addendum: I wrote this in MSWord. I used single spacing between lines, double spacing between paragrphs, and indented the beginning of each paragraph. The editor for some reason did not cooperate with either spacing or indentation of the paragraphs. This may be my lack of knowledge using the Vbcodes or it may be an aspect of the editor, I do not know yet. The point is how do we write properly if the capabilities of where we write does not automatically allow it?

The last is in no way meant to criticize the forum in any manner.