From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.4.4 (2020-01-24) on polar.synack.me X-Spam-Level: X-Spam-Status: No, score=-1.3 required=5.0 tests=BAYES_00,INVALID_MSGID autolearn=no autolearn_force=no version=3.4.4 X-Google-Language: ENGLISH,ASCII-7-bit X-Google-Thread: 111d6b,328622178ec8b832 X-Google-Attributes: gid111d6b,public X-Google-Thread: 103376,8775b19e3c68a5dc X-Google-Attributes: gid103376,public X-Google-Thread: 109fba,a03ae7f4e53958e1 X-Google-Attributes: gid109fba,public X-Google-Thread: 10d15b,328622178ec8b832 X-Google-Attributes: gid10d15b,public X-Google-Thread: 1014db,a03ae7f4e53958e1 X-Google-Attributes: gid1014db,public X-Google-Thread: 114809,a03ae7f4e53958e1 X-Google-Attributes: gid114809,public X-Google-Thread: 1094ba,a03ae7f4e53958e1 X-Google-Attributes: gid1094ba,public From: docdwarf@clark.net () Subject: Re: Which language pays most -- C++ vs. Java? Date: 1998/02/12 Message-ID: <6bvg02$4q5@clarknet.clark.net>#1/1 X-Deja-AN: 324524836 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit References: <6at330$7uj$1@mainsrv.main.nc.us> <01bd3756$552bf060$efd9cdcf@ms112188.mindspring.com> <6bv2oe$8sp@clarknet.clark.net> <01bd37cf$fa30c4e0$56dacdcf@ms112188.mindspring.com> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=ISO-8859-1 Organization: Clark Internet Services, Inc., Ellicott City, MD USA Newsgroups: comp.lang.java.misc,comp.lang.c,comp.lang.c++,comp.lang.fortran,comp.lang.cobol,comp.lang.smalltalk,comp.lang.ada Date: 1998-02-12T00:00:00+00:00 List-Id: In article <01bd37cf$fa30c4e0$56dacdcf@ms112188.mindspring.com>, Eric Clayberg wrote: >docdwarf@clark.net wrote in article <6bv2oe$8sp@clarknet.clark.net>... >> In article <01bd3756$552bf060$efd9cdcf@ms112188.mindspring.com>, >> >> >You might be surprised to discover that his sentence is *correct* based >> >upon what is being taught in schools these days. >> >> That is precisely why I asked that particular question. >> >> >The sex-neutral use of >> >"they" and "their" to refer to a single person is now in common usage >> >(including the mainstream media) and is being taught in most business >> >writing courses (at least it was seven years ago when I went through B' >> >school). >> >> Would you be so kind as to post an example of this? > >For someone how is so concerned about the purity and preciseness of >language, I'm surprised you would ask such an ambiguous question. The World is full of lovley surprises... what is Life without a bit of Uncertainty? >What are >you referring to by "this"? Do you mean: > [snippage] > >3) An example of it being taught in a business writing course? Exactly. >Mine was >over seven years ago, so I am not inclined to dig any of that stuff out of >the attic (assuming I still have it). I do recall quite clearly that the >word "they" was taught to be an acceptable gender-neutral *singular* >pronoun for business communication. This is the crux of my problem... memory is a rather... 'malleable' medium whereas a text is a bit more enduring. There can easily be a bit of difference between 'I remember the book as saying' and looking into the actual texts, hence my request. >I recall it so clearly because (at the >time) it struck my ear as being odd as well. It strikes me oddly as well, which is why I ask for a text to which I might refer rather than the vagaries of memory. >The usage is so common now >that I don't even notice it and actually use it myself when the need >arises. The ability to change is also wonderful, aye. > >Languages are living things. New words enter them and old words fall out of >use all the time. New meanings and usage patterns for old words are >introduced regularly (if not the dictionary folks would have been out of >work long ago). I could not agree more; were this not the case we would all be speaking as did Chaucer. >What you might perceive as a crisis for the language, I >perceive as a natural evolution. I do not recall my calling anything a 'crisis'... a 'crisis' is an 'AAAIIIEEEE!!!', I used a simple 'BLEARGH!'. >Just as our ancestors would be appalled at >how we have distorted the language over the years, so must we be appalled >at how our children will continue to distort the language in the future >(and the present ). As we say in German, plus ca change, plus c'est la meme chose. >As I said before, you might as well get used to it. Compare and contrast (another... distasteful and overused phrase) this sentiment with Thomas' admonition about not going gently into the night... hee hee hee. DD