Comments on: The slow death of the English language http://www.edbott.com/weblog/2006/04/the-slow-death-of-the-english-language/ I write stuff. Mostly about Windows. Sometimes I get paid for it. Wed, 08 Feb 2012 01:55:06 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Ed Bott http://www.edbott.com/weblog/2006/04/the-slow-death-of-the-english-language/comment-page-1/#comment-8431 Ed Bott Sat, 08 Apr 2006 22:40:03 +0000 http://www.edbott.com/weblog/?p=1293#comment-8431 Different beast, Dennis. That's a time-capsule look at the way Microsoft writes PR releases in its own happy-talk way. It's not that different from the way other big corporations - including the Bush Administration - practice spin control. What I'm talking about is the weird jargon that 'Softies use among themselves. It's evolved over time, but it's still an odd dialect. Different beast, Dennis. That’s a time-capsule look at the way Microsoft writes PR releases in its own happy-talk way. It’s not that different from the way other big corporations – including the Bush Administration – practice spin control.

What I’m talking about is the weird jargon that ‘Softies use among themselves. It’s evolved over time, but it’s still an odd dialect.

]]> By: David H Dennis http://www.edbott.com/weblog/2006/04/the-slow-death-of-the-english-language/comment-page-1/#comment-8429 David H Dennis Sat, 08 Apr 2006 22:34:45 +0000 http://www.edbott.com/weblog/?p=1293#comment-8429 I think this is the definitive article on the topic: http://www.around.com/microspeak.html Oddly enough, it was written years ago, but it's still fresh today. D I think this is the definitive article on the topic:

http://www.around.com/microspeak.html

Oddly enough, it was written years ago, but it’s still fresh today.

D

]]> By: Ian Watkins http://www.edbott.com/weblog/2006/04/the-slow-death-of-the-english-language/comment-page-1/#comment-8419 Ian Watkins Sat, 08 Apr 2006 20:03:47 +0000 http://www.edbott.com/weblog/?p=1293#comment-8419 If you have a jaundiced view of Microsoft "Communities" then you should take a look at the worldwide SBS Community. Not only does this Community have websites and blogs, people actually meet face-to-face. I know fellow SBSers from all over the UK and Ireland, the US and Australia and have met many of them. Community can still mean Community. *You* just have to make it happen. If you have a jaundiced view of Microsoft “Communities” then you should take a look at the worldwide SBS Community.

Not only does this Community have websites and blogs, people actually meet face-to-face. I know fellow SBSers from all over the UK and Ireland, the US and Australia and have met many of them.

Community can still mean Community. *You* just have to make it happen.

]]> By: hylen http://www.edbott.com/weblog/2006/04/the-slow-death-of-the-english-language/comment-page-1/#comment-8136 hylen Fri, 07 Apr 2006 02:31:26 +0000 http://www.edbott.com/weblog/?p=1293#comment-8136 Its / It's Used interchangeably by the tech "community." http://www.wsu.edu/~brians/errors/its.html Its / It’s

Used interchangeably by the tech “community.”

http://www.wsu.edu/~brians/errors/its.html

]]> By: A View from Elsewhere : So About This Ed Bott Character... http://www.edbott.com/weblog/2006/04/the-slow-death-of-the-english-language/comment-page-1/#comment-8109 A View from Elsewhere : So About This Ed Bott Character... Thu, 06 Apr 2006 21:57:52 +0000 http://www.edbott.com/weblog/?p=1293#comment-8109 [...] So About This Ed Bott Character... So Ed Bott was wondering why so many Microsoft people start their sentences with the word "so." "So" is a weird word. It tries to mean "apparently" and "greatly" and "thus" all at once. I actually had someone tell me that starting sentences with that word made me sound smarter. I laughed since I view it as an empty filler word -- a Twinkie snack cake in the English language. It's a verbal tic many Microsofties have that gets from one thought into another. It tries to make it sound like we were listening to the last thing you said. (Don't worry: we weren't.) So why do we use this extra word? Probably because somebody smarter than us did it first and we're just copying them. Rather like the period where so many people ran around imitating a beer commercial by screaming, "Wazzup." You know: people who are smarter than we are. Published Thursday, April 06, 2006 2:49 PM by johnmont [...] [...] So About This Ed Bott Character… So Ed Bott was wondering why so many Microsoft people start their sentences with the word “so.” “So” is a weird word. It tries to mean “apparently” and “greatly” and “thus” all at once. I actually had someone tell me that starting sentences with that word made me sound smarter. I laughed since I view it as an empty filler word — a Twinkie snack cake in the English language. It’s a verbal tic many Microsofties have that gets from one thought into another. It tries to make it sound like we were listening to the last thing you said. (Don’t worry: we weren’t.) So why do we use this extra word? Probably because somebody smarter than us did it first and we’re just copying them. Rather like the period where so many people ran around imitating a beer commercial by screaming, “Wazzup.” You know: people who are smarter than we are. Published Thursday, April 06, 2006 2:49 PM by johnmont [...]

]]> By: Lloyd Hanson http://www.edbott.com/weblog/2006/04/the-slow-death-of-the-english-language/comment-page-1/#comment-8076 Lloyd Hanson Thu, 06 Apr 2006 16:07:13 +0000 http://www.edbott.com/weblog/?p=1293#comment-8076 John's blog and your blog about it obviously point in one direction as to the loss of the meaning of certain words, but there's another whole tech segment which I believe has done far worse than just skewer the meaning of a few choice words. I find the damage to literacy done by instant messaging much more offensive than redefining or de-defining a few words. I'm appalled to read blog entries or comments to such entries that appear to be written in some ancient hieroglyphic language, but in fact are just phonetic shortcuts. If they were used in text messaging, it would be one thing, but this stuff is becoming pervasive into every form of written communication. If the evolution of text messaging continues, I fear that sometime in the next decade, we'll all be reduced to a series of monosyllables, single letter expressions and some variants of the happy face. John’s blog and your blog about it obviously point in one direction as to the loss of the meaning of certain words, but there’s another whole tech segment which I believe has done far worse than just skewer the meaning of a few choice words.

I find the damage to literacy done by instant messaging much more offensive than redefining or de-defining a few words. I’m appalled to read blog entries or comments to such entries that appear to be written in some ancient hieroglyphic language, but in fact are just phonetic shortcuts. If they were used in text messaging, it would be one thing, but this stuff is becoming pervasive into every form of written communication. If the evolution of text messaging continues, I fear that sometime in the next decade, we’ll all be reduced to a series of monosyllables, single letter expressions and some variants of the happy face.

]]> By: Dave http://www.edbott.com/weblog/2006/04/the-slow-death-of-the-english-language/comment-page-1/#comment-8072 Dave Thu, 06 Apr 2006 15:26:18 +0000 http://www.edbott.com/weblog/?p=1293#comment-8072 I think you're confusing death with evolution. Listening to a Microsoftie restyle English can be as entertaining as a Southerner's "nervous as a cat in a roomful of rocking chairs" similes. Most Microsoft language travesties will fade as quickly as Microsoft Bob, they're just fads like CB radio and pet rocks. As long as we understand each other it's all good; we don't need a French-style language police to pass judgement on our communications. I think you’re confusing death with evolution. Listening to a Microsoftie restyle English can be as entertaining as a Southerner’s “nervous as a cat in a roomful of rocking chairs” similes. Most Microsoft language travesties will fade as quickly as Microsoft Bob, they’re just fads like CB radio and pet rocks. As long as we understand each other it’s all good; we don’t need a French-style language police to pass judgement on our communications.

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