English Language & Usage: Multi-Layered Discourse Room

Mahnax

12:26 AM

I'm off on a three hour car ride! Farewell, all.

Kitḫ

12:45 AM

@Marthaª I made a few proof edits, but I think this post looks good.

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

2:04 AM

Hellooooooooooo......

JSBᾶngs

hey there

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

So how is the book selling going? My book suffers from lack of marketing on my part

I was thinking of trying to get it into Amazon but given that nobody knows about it I wonder if it's worthwhile

JSBᾶngs

i sold two so far

which is something, at least, seeing as i haven't even announced it yet

i'm gonna put a blog post up on tuesday

but since this book has already been published elsewhere, there's not a big hurry over it

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

2:19 AM

That's cool. Is writing your full-time job?

JSBᾶngs

oh, no. i'm a developer by day

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

@JSBᾶngs Ok. So given that what I have right now is a self-published children's book filled with illustrations (many of which are two-page spreads), what would you suggest as the single biggest thing I could do to boost sales? Amazon print-on-demand? e-book? (not sure it'd work will on most e-book readers)

JSBᾶngs

i don't know how picture books do in e-readers

not well, i'm thinking

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

I've heard of kids "books" for ipad, but the big deal about them was how the book was turned into some kind of interactive thing. That's a good idea but not really what I want to make, and besides, I don't have the skills/time to do that. Nor do I have an iPad.

(nor do I want a filthy Apple product in my house) :p

user19161

2:51 AM

@Mahnax Have fun!

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

@Jasper how fares the battle against the evil? Still holding on?

Mahnax

3:18 AM

@JasperLoy I'm here!

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

@Mahnax That message is suspiciously less than three hours after your previous one

JSBᾶngs

3:32 AM

@MrShinyandNew good answer to the guy asking about "prior"

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

@JSBᾶngs apparently he didn't think so, it's been downvoted.

Actually he's asked 3 questions and two of them are of this kind: "I think I've noticed a weird linguistic feature" and when others look into it, it seems that he's imagining it, or needs to hang around new people.

Wow, Yoichi Oishi has almost the same # of badges as me, and over 5k rep, but it's ALL QUESTIONS :)

user19161

4:11 AM

@MrShinyandNew安宇 It has been hell for many years but I will continue to work towards the miracle I hope for. Thanks!

user19161

@Mahnax I guess you have arrived at your destination. We will chat over the weekend if we are here!

user19161

@MrShinyandNew安宇 Yes, and I always wonder if Yoichi Oishi is his real name, though I think Oishi means delicious in Japanese.

Mahnax

6:21 AM

@MrShinyandNew安宇 There was a bit of an exaggeration on the length of the trip. Not on my part.

Gigili

2:20 PM

Would be extremely great if someone could explain why I got downvotes for this question to me.

-3

Q: Doesn't double negation make the sentence positive?

Possible Duplicate: Is there a rule about double negations that aren't meant as double negations (e.g. “We don't need no education”)? The conversation is: No.1: I had an incredibly complex social network. highly sophisticated friends. I was very popular. No.2:...

Is it an easy question? Basic level?

I thought I got an answer for every question I have on SE sites. Turns out I'm just imagining what I like to face or to have or to something.

Mahnax

4:32 PM

@Gigili Well, for one, it's a duplicate. In this community, obvious dupes tend to get voted down; look at what happens when you hover over the down-vote arrow: "This question does not show research effort" (that's not it in entirety, but it's the gist).

Obviously, if you are asking the same question as someone else on the same site, then you didn't research well enough.

user19161

6:10 PM

@Gigili Well, I've given up on trying to fathom these things. Life is more important than SE votes.

user19161

@Mahnax Hope you are enjoying yourself at the place.

MartyIX

6:35 PM

Hi, I would like to ask what does it exactly mean: "stand up to the challenge". (the context is: "And remember: If or when you do fail in life, it’s not an occasion to cry, it’s an opportunity to learn, grow and improve. A time get excited about the possibilities of what comes next and stand up to the challenge.") -- Thank you!

user19161

@MartyIX It means to face the challenge.

MartyIX

@JasperLoy Thanks!

user19161

@MartyIX Do you speak Chinese?

MartyIX

@JasperLoy No. I'm from Europe.

@JasperLoy I got the meaning intuitively but I was unable to confirm my guess :-)

Daniel δ

6:52 PM

data.stackexchange.com

YES! It's UPDATED!

And if there were no rep cap, I find that I would have... 25822 rep!

user19161

@Danielδ Good afternoon Sir!

user19161

@Danielδ Well, with my presents you will be there in no time!

Robusto

7:11 PM

@Danielδ That's adorable.

user19161

@Danielδ Well for me it's 14743, nothing compared to yours.

user19161

@Robusto You are still way in the lead.

Mahnax

@Robusto Adorable...?

Hi @JasperLoy!

user19161

@Mahnax I guessed you just had lunch?

Mahnax

@JasperLoy No, haven't eaten yet.

stomach rumbles loudly

user19161

7:23 PM

@Mahnax Well, Robusto has funny adjectives.

Mahnax

@JasperLoy It's not often that I see him in here.

Robusto

adorable |əˈdôrəbəl|
adjective
inspiring great affection; delightful; charming: she looked just adorable | I have four adorable Siamese cats.

Mahnax

@Robusto Hmm, I just wouldn't describe reputation as adorable.

user19161

@Mahnax Actually neither do I. He is supposedly retired from both main site and chat.

Mahnax

@JasperLoy Oh, I see. Like ShreevatsaR.

Robusto

7:24 PM

@Mahnax — I didn't.

Mahnax

@Robusto Fine, I just wouldn't use adorable in that situation.

Robusto

@JasperLoy — Retired, but pop in occasionally.

@Mahnax — YMMV.

Mahnax

@Robusto What does that stand for?

Daniel δ

Your mileage may vary.

Robusto

Your mileage may vary.

Daniel δ

7:28 PM

[Thanks Google!]

Mahnax

Yeah, I googled it, and got "you make me vomit", so I was hoping that wasn't it.

user19161

Courtesy EL&U.

Mahnax

@Jasper I like the new avatar.

Daniel δ

As you can tell, I am an intrepid googler

user19161

7

Q: Usage of YMMV: Can I use it in day-to-day conversation?

I found the word YMMV in an answer to my question "How important to write down mission statement in learning English? Do I have to?", which I posted on January 6. As YMMV is a quite strange word to me, I consulted Urban dictionary, and found that it's an abbreviation of Your Mileage May Vary, mea...

phrases acronyms

Mahnax

7:29 PM

@Danielδ Haha, intrepid. That is one of my favourite words.

user19161

@Mahnax I just changed a minute ago. You are referring to the blue one?

Mahnax

@JasperLoy The body of water?

user19161

@Mahnax Ah, that's the old one now. You will see the new one soon.

Mahnax

@JasperLoy Oh okay.

I'll keep refreshing every once in a while then.

Daniel δ

Whaddayall know about yclept?

user19161

7:30 PM

@Danielδ Nothing.

Daniel δ

Interesting word, not?

dictionary.reference.com/browse/yclept

user19161

@Danielδ Yes, what is it?

Mahnax

@Danielδ "By the name of"

Right?

Daniel δ

@Mahnax Yes

From clepe.

Mahnax

@Danielδ Ah, as I thought.

Daniel δ

7:31 PM

I love OE-sounding jargon.

user19161

I was thinking to myself, if everyone were to retire after a year or so, if we keep at it for many years, our rep will eventually be at the top.

Mahnax

Hi @Barrie!

@Danielδ Me too.

user19161

@Mahnax You may now refresh browser to see refreshing flowers.

Mahnax

@JasperLoy Old one was better, IMO.

user19161

@Mahnax Well I decided to change to a pink theme instead of blue theme for once, just did so for my blog too. It's a bit ... girlish.

Mahnax

7:35 PM

@JasperLoy Um, not a fan... Sorry.

user19161

4

Q: "In person" equivalent for inanimate objects

This is much easier to explain by example. So you might hear someone say this photo of her is ok, but she looks much better in person. I am looking for the equivalent of "in person" that applies to things, e.g., A photo of the house is on the museum's homepage, but it is more impressive [in...

noun-phrases

user19161

I actually like my answer best, though it is not adequately appreciated.

Daniel δ

@Barrie nice to meet you!

user19161

I predict @barrie will overtake Robusto by the end of next year.

Daniel δ

@JasperLoy I'm afraid I have to second @Mahnax

@JasperLoy At the rate both are going, I predict the same in nine months.

Mahnax

7:38 PM

@Danielδ Ah, finally. Someone in here agrees with me about something.

@Danielδ Yeah, Barrie is an English tank.

user19161

@Mahnax Nah, we both agree that KFC thighs are the best.

Mahnax

It smells like onions here.

user19161

@Mahnax I am a broken tank.

Mahnax

@JasperLoy True.

Daniel δ

Barrie is going up >5K per month, and will be >60K in nine months

Mahnax

7:39 PM

@Danielδ So long as he doesn't get bored.

user19161

@Mahnax Why? Flowers don't smell like onions.

Mahnax

@JasperLoy No, in the house where I am.

Daniel δ

@Barrie: You there?

Mahnax

@Danielδ He does not speak.

Daniel δ

Listening to our lunatic ramblings?

Mahnax

7:40 PM

Right @BarrieEngland?

user19161

@Danielδ I think we have pinged him enough!

Mahnax

He's trying to figure out what level of lunacy we've achieved.

Daniel δ

25 secs ago, by Jasper Loy

@Danielδ I think we have pinged him enough!

user19161

@Mahnax I agree.

Mahnax

@Danielδ He posted that after I pinged him!

Daniel δ

7:41 PM

@Mahnax He was talking to me, though.

I figured I had to pass the buck.

Mahnax

@Danielδ Well, I stopped pinging him :P

@Danielδ Unnecessary, as it were.

Daniel δ

As it were, yes.

user19161

He probably thinks Dan, Matt and Jas are three lunatics, which is true in different ways.

Mahnax

@JasperLoy Yep!

Daniel δ

@JasperLoy Mahnax isn't a lunatic? As it were?

Were it?

user19161

7:44 PM

@Danielδ That day I congratulated Hugo on achieving 10k! I was following in your crazy footsteps!

Mahnax

@Danielδ I don't understand the question.

user19161

@Danielδ Well, neither are you then!

Mahnax

And... he's gone.

Daniel δ

@Mahnax Jasper said Matt was a lunatic, but not you. ??!

Mahnax

He is reporting back to He Who Shall Not Be Named about us.

@Danielδ I am a Matt!

user19161

7:45 PM

@Danielδ Mahnax is also Matthew!

Yar!

Duh.

Mm, onions.

@Mahnax Yarghh!

Well, I have to go. hOPE u 2 lunatics get it all sorted owt.

Mahnax

@Danielδ Gimme yar gold, laddie.

@Danielδ Kthxbai!

@Danielδ U can has nice dayyz?

user19161

7:47 PM

@Mahnax Why is kthxbai so popular nowadays?

Mahnax

@JasperLoy Idk is lolspk is lotz ofz funzz.

I can write in Chinese using the trackpad on my MacBook Pro!

user19161

@Mahnax How?

Mahnax

匹

user19161

@Mahnax You know Chinese?

Mahnax

@JasperLoy I push control + shift + space, then I just write with my finger.

@JasperLoy Nope!

Just drew a random character.

user19161

7:50 PM

@Mahnax That's awesome.

Mahnax

Once you start drawing, it suggests characters.

@JasperLoy I know!

user19161

@Mahnax Many have said Mac OS is the best OS in the world.

Mahnax

[wrote last message with trackpad]

@JasperLoy I would agree with them.

user19161

@Mahnax Well I am still using Debian. Yay!

Robusto

I use both Mac OS X Lion and Windows 7. The difference is rather slight these days.

Mahnax

7:53 PM

@Robusto I have not used Win7 much before.

user19161

@Robusto I think Mac has run out of names. I wonder what the next version will be called.

Robusto

It's the first really good OS from Microsoft.

@JasperLoy — Sabertooth!

Mahnax

@Robusto Hey, hey.... Windows ME!

user19161

I think Win 8 will be out next year.

user19161

It is supposed to come with a built-in pdf viewer I heard.

Robusto

7:54 PM

@Mahnax — Another county heard from. I can only say that ME was voted in the top 25 worst technology products of all time. (I think.)

user19161

Maybe a partnership with Adobe, I dunno.

Robusto

Yep: #4 — pcworld.com/article/125772-2/…

user19161

I really hate the new gmail youtube blogger interface.

user19161

I also hate the new SE one.

Robusto

Mahnax

7:56 PM

@Robusto I hated it.

Robusto

Agreed.

Mahnax

@Robusto That's pretty bad.

@JasperLoy No good.

@JasperLoy leaves.....returns

Lunchtime! Bye all.

Robusto

Welcome, @BarrieEngland.

Barrie England

Hiya all. Just trying to see how things work here.

Robusto

@BarrieEngland Please, no foul language in chat. Work is a four-letter word.

Barrie England

8:05 PM

OK. Hiya all. Just trying to see how things function here.

Robusto

The chat interface is excellent. Sometimes the badinage is as well.

Barrie England

Is nearly everyone here in the US?

Robusto

Not hardly.

Barrie England

Does anyone know how Stack Exchange is financed? Does anyone make any money out of it?

Robusto

There may be a simple majority from the U.S., but the serious users tend to be from all over.

@BarrieEngland — They make money from ads, like most other enterprises. The great majority of users are linked here from other sites. If you're a new-entry user, you see ads.

If you Google some kind of programming question, chances are the top hits are to SE sites.

Daniel δ

8:12 PM

@BarrieEngland See this meta.SO question:

25

Q: How does Stack Overflow, Meta Stack Overflow, etc. make money?

How do Stack Overflow, Meta Stack Overflow, etc. stay up? Someone has got to pay for the infrastructure and people's wages. So how do these sites make money? Is it purely through the tiny advert visible to Internet Explorer users (but not Firefox with Adblock!)? If you vote down please specif...

discussion advertising money-making

Oh wait... this one's better:

59

Q: What is Stack Overflow's business model?

I once answered a question that asked how Stack Overflow makes money, but that was before the time of VC. Now, Stack Overflow has cash, and they have an ever-growing list of employees, but where's the business model? The Experts-Exchange team took the time to answer its own Q&A about its si...

discussion stackexchange business business-model

@BarrieEngland I am American, but I think I'm in the minority on that point.

Barrie England

Thanks. I haven't noticed any ads.

Robusto

That's because you stop seeing them after you hit a certain reputation threshold.

Barrie England

Oh, right. Can't remember what I saw when I joined. I'm still surprised it pays.

Robusto

"Many little makes a mickle." — Benjamin Franklin

He probably cribbed that from some English proverb. Franklin was a notorious plagiarist.

I remember as an undergraduate discovering a piece that he had cribbed almost verbatim from The Spectator.

Barrie England

Often quoted erroneously and nonsensically as 'many a mickle makes a muckle'.

Mahnax

8:30 PM

@BarrieEngland He speaks!

Strunk & White is mine.

Daniel δ

8:50 PM

I am enjoying watching the front page fill up with 10K+ users.

@Mahnax Hurrah!

I see you recently earned Deputy, too; congrats!

Mahnax

9:31 PM

@Danielδ Merci! I am enjoying getting some of these badges. I want Marshal! (750 flag weight)

user19161

@Mahnax Good good.

user19161

@Danielδ Good good.

user19161

theta is the gretest below 2k editor here. I approved many of his edits.

user19161

@Mahnax Did you give me presents just now or was it daniel?

user19161

@Danielδ Did you give me presents just now or was it mahnax?

user19161

9:44 PM

I have yet to figure out the person who gave me 12 presents that day.

Mahnax

10:40 PM

@JasperLoy Not I.

user19161

@Mahnax Then it must be @daniel who gave out the presents.

Mahnax

@JasperLoy Must be. I give a few now and then too.

user19161

@Mahnax What are you doing over there?

Mahnax

@JasperLoy Nothing productive.

user19161

@Mahnax I have a feeling that someone here just gave me some presents. Shh.

Mahnax

10:48 PM

@JasperLoy ahem Uh, it wasn't, um, me.

@JasperLoy I only award them when you start talking about them, otherwise I forget.

user19161

@Mahnax Well, it has become a habit for me to give out presents everyday to at least one person.

Mahnax

@JasperLoy Good, good.

user19161

@Mahnax Maybe you can reach 10k by the end of next year, and I will reach 20k.

Mahnax

@JasperLoy I hope so! I'm getting somewhat close to 3k.

user19161

@Mahnax I think aiming for 10k a year is a comfortable rate.

Mahnax

10:52 PM

@JasperLoy Sure.

I could probably achieve that; almost 3k in ~3 months.

user19161

@Mahnax The inner demons have been very strong these few days. I am hanging in there. I hope my first wish is realised at the end of next year. Pray for me.

Mahnax

@JasperLoy I do, and will continue to do so.

user19161

@Mahnax It is weird that you do not have spicy there, only original for KFC.

Mahnax

@JasperLoy It is odd!

user19161

But do you know what it tastes like?

Mahnax

10:56 PM

@JasperLoy No.

When I travel to Singapore some day, I shall try it.

user19161

Basically the skin is breaded and the whole piece becomes slightly spicy.

user19161

It is really not that hot.

Mahnax

@JasperLoy Yum... I could really go for some chicken right about now, actually. We are having a turkey dinner in half an hour! Hurray!

user19161

@Mahnax Ah the North Americans always have turkey for thanksgiving and Christmas season!

user19161

I tried turkey a few times, tastes like chicken.

user19161

10:58 PM

Actually I still prefer chicken, maybe I've not tried enough turkey recipes.

user19161

And I tried frog legs too which also taste like chicken.

user19161

I think frog is the most exotic meat I have eaten, never tried turtle or snake.

Mahnax

@JasperLoy Weird.

I've never had frog.

user19161

And I try not to eat meats obtained from killing the animal in a very cruel way, like boiling them alive. I think it should be outlawed.

Mahnax

@JasperLoy As in lobster?

user19161

11:00 PM

@Mahnax I'm not sure about lobster, but I've seen it done on TV, can't remember for what.

Mahnax

@JasperLoy Hmm. Lobster is delicious, but expensive. I have only had it 2 times.

user19161

I kill cockroaches in where I stay, but there was once I saw a cockroach on the road side and it was overturned. Since it did not cause me any nuisance, I turned it over to free it from its struggle.

Mahnax

@JasperLoy How kind of you.

user19161

@Mahnax But some people here think I am evil because they have no idea of who I am.

Mahnax

@JasperLoy Why would they think that?

user19161

11:03 PM

@Mahnax Well because sometimes I do certain things which are misinterpreted. Here as in real life.

Mahnax

@JasperLoy Oh, such as?

user19161

@Mahnax Same, around a couple of times.

user19161

@Mahnax Hmm better not bring up here.

Mahnax

@JasperLoy Did you enjoy it?

@JasperLoy Oh, okay.

user19161

@Mahnax Yup, but I have not tried crayfish which is similar. I just had quite a lot of abalone gotten with some free vouchers!

Mahnax

11:05 PM

@JasperLoy I have never tried either.

user19161

@Mahnax And I love the MOS burger fried mussels. It was what got me started on mussels.

Mahnax

@JasperLoy Hm, I've not had mussels either.

user19161

@Mahnax Do you like Taco Bell? I used to eat the cheese fries there.

Mahnax

@JasperLoy Yes! TB is delicious.

user19161

@Mahnax Ah yes, but not tuberculosis.

Mahnax

11:07 PM

@JasperLoy No. What is the menu like at the Taco Bell there?

user19161

There is no shortage of shopping centres and fast food here.

user19161

@Mahnax Er, I haven't gone for a few years I think. But mostly various wraps.

Mahnax

@JasperLoy Apparently, there is only one Taco Bell in Singapore.

user19161

@Mahnax IIRC it's next to KFC as well.

Mahnax

@JasperLoy What is IIRC?

user19161

11:10 PM

@Mahnax The question you just answered I voted as too localised but gave you a present.

user19161

@Mahnax If I recall correctly.

Mahnax

@JasperLoy Merci.

@JasperLoy Ah.

@JasperLoy Apparently, it's a KFC/TB/PH.

user19161

@Mahnax IIRC that is also a chocolate brand.

user19161

@Mahnax PH?

Mahnax

@JasperLoy Interesting.

@JasperLoy Pizza Hut.

user19161

11:12 PM

@Mahnax What time do you have what you always call supper there?

Mahnax

@JasperLoy Supper, dinner, same thing, btw. Usually between 5 and 6 PM.

user19161

@Mahnax Oh here supper would mean a snack after dinner.

user19161

And tea would mean one before dinner.

Mahnax

@JasperLoy Hm, interesting. What time do you have dinner?

user19161

@Mahnax Around 7 plus.

Mahnax

11:14 PM

@JasperLoy Most families here are like that, but we eat earlier than most.

user19161

I guess you go to bed earlier in winter.

Mahnax

@JasperLoy No.

user19161

@Mahnax Between 5 and 6 would be dinner time when I was in the military.

Mahnax

@JasperLoy Conscription?

user19161

@Mahnax Si.

Mahnax

11:15 PM

@JasperLoy Did that contribute to any of your difficulties?

user19161

@Mahnax Well, not really.

Mahnax

@JasperLoy That's good. How long was your service?

user19161

@Mahnax 2.5 years. I saw Barrie dropping a few messages just now after we left.

Mahnax

@JasperLoy 2.5 years was mandatory?!?!?

user19161

@Mahnax Yes.

Mahnax

11:18 PM

@JasperLoy Oh my...

@JasperLoy Is it democratic in Singapore?

user19161

@Mahnax Well, I don't care about politics. I just wanna recover and get on with my life now.

Mahnax

@JasperLoy Indeed, but is it?

user19161

@Mahnax There was a time when I was idealistic and wanted to change many things in the world but that phase is over.

user19161

@Mahnax Well, I am not an expert in the definition of such terms so cannot comment appropriately.

Mahnax

@JasperLoy Okay.

user19161

11:20 PM

A simple term like communism may have a few different meanings.

Mahnax

I shall look it up.

user19161

Then there are socialism and marxism.

user19161

Sometimes wikipedia is a bit confusing too.

user19161

@Mahnax I think it is supposed to be though.

Mahnax

@JasperLoy Marx's Communist Manifesto was not short. So also, the definition of Communism cannot be short.

@JasperLoy That's good.

user19161

11:22 PM

@Mahnax Many things in life are not clear cut. Sometimes you say something is like this but in reality it is like that.

Mahnax

@JasperLoy So it is not good...?

Anyways, I need to help make dinner. Goodbye.

user19161

@Mahnax Enjoy turkey!

Transcript for

English Language & Usage: Multi-Layer…