English Language & Usage: Multi-Layered Discourse Room - 2011-07-18 (page 4 of 7)

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4:21 PM

19

Q: Is there an alternative to bastard injection?

I most commonly am tempted to use "bastard injection" in a few cases. When I have a "proper" dependency-injection constructor: public class ThingMaker { ... public ThingMaker(IThingSource source){ _source = source; } But then, for classes I am intending as public APIs (cla...

c# .net oop dependency-injection

On the SuperCollider

second

for some reason the SuperCollider says '66'; not sure what that number means

@Jez Hotness score

I'm pretty sure there's already a starred message of mine explaining that this is derived from a combination of Votes, Views, and Age.

ah

user19161

They should put a thermometer beside each question to show the temperature.

3 hours ago, by Matt Ellen

I hope that's on the super collider

Wishes do come true!

user image

4:41 PM

back at home, cooking dinner.

@Jez @Rhodri Excellent news! :D

4:57 PM

-1

Q: is grammar or english of this line is correct ?

How to make sure the boss ,that a person can manager a office on its own is english of this line is correct? if not please suggest what is wrong and what can be done for next time making these kind of sentence . and what should i not while writing in english.

grammar indian-english

Can anyone make heads or tails of this?

5:20 PM

Yeah that one was pretty bad.

There was something about a boss...then a manager...then a self-managing office? Or a gender neutral person?

@simchona I'm far more scared of what these kind of sentences are being created for, since this is but the launch point.

@GraceNote English with the intentions of evil?

Is plausible.

@GraceNote His StackOverflow answers are just as bad. But code is a bit more easily understandable

5:28 PM

I see

So, um, how do I make head or tails of that comment by Shog9?

I am tempted to delete it, truth be told.

I just love the OP's newest comment to that question.

Which question are we talking about now?

This

@RegDwight He's trying to assist in divining the attempt of the asker.

5:31 PM

@GraceNote I'm sorry, if we answer the most god-awful questions like that, then we only attract more of them.

@GraceNote He has failed dismally

I'm aware, on both counts.

See the OP's follow-up comment.

I could answer every single Russian-to-English translation question ever posted to this site.

This is like watching sports with commentary

5:32 PM

But I don't want no vgv8s flooding our site.

"Did you see his latest play? What was he thinking!"

To me, I think it's something of a knee-jerk reaction that many of us do post-closing, where we know the question is fully inappropriate but we at least give some sort of nudge.

Good morning, one and all

@RegDwight I think deleting it and the follow-up is probably the right answer.

And just to put it in perspective: Shog was the one to compare us to Urban Dictionary. And when I told him how shocked and dismayed and saddened I was by that, he answered "GOOD!!!"

5:33 PM

@RegDwight I'm more than aware.

Mr. Disappointment

God awful!? Divining? I only left to commute home...

Hi @Shog9. Have a sit.

'morning @Reg, how's Life?

@MrDisappointment From experience, that's when everything goes down. Also, that's a long commute.

@MrD: just an unwise comment to a clueless poster, nothing to see here, move along, move along.

5:34 PM

@Shog9 Thanks, den Umständen entsprechend schlecht.

@RegDwight I did kinda follow up with a lengthy explanation of what I meant by that, AFAIK

Mr. Disappointment

@GraceNote Typical. And it's not so long, I'm just much of a ghost in these here parts at times.

@MrDisappointment Haunting is what types like us do best, I s'pose.

Mr. Disappointment

@Rhodri upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/30/…

@GraceNote Get involved! You'll have ample time for haunting when you're dead.

5:36 PM

@MrDisappointment It feels like a Carry on, that's for sure.

@z7sg Haunting is my involvement, though.

Hi ! Anyone here knows how I can create a new tag?

@Gigili If you have sufficient reputation, you just add it as a tag when doing tags on a question.

Mr. Disappointment

@GraceNote Agreed. Someone needs to know most everything without having the distraction of being intertwined.

@GraceNote But I cannot add it as a tag : "The Four basic language skills"

5:39 PM

@Gigili That's not a tag, that's a sentence!

@Gigili That's because that's 5 tags. Spaces are not valid in tags.

@Rhodri =D , right ..

@Gigili: why do you want that tag, dare I ask?

:-)

@GraceNote Alright, thanks

Also, there's a 25 character limit on tags, so even if you did four-basic-language-skills, you'd be one over.

5:41 PM

someone just corrected that English sentence in a comment

Mr. Disappointment

@GraceNote Remove basic. I mean, basic? Who'dya think this site is for? Uneducated riff-raff?

@Rhodri Cause I'm asking about "Strategies for developing my German speaking skills" =\

@MrDisappointment You already know my sentiments on that subject matter.

Mr. Disappointment

I'm just playing.

@Gigili Well, what are the "four basic language skills"? I don't mean what the 4 are, but I mean, as a construct, what are they and what do they convey to one who learns or masters them?

If we can isolate that, it can come much easier to identify what the actual tag for your question should be. And, possibly, how to add even greater elements to your question.

5:47 PM

@GraceNote Emm, I am not getting what you are saying ..

He's backkkkk english.stackexchange.com/questions/34755/…

user19161

@Gigili Is your wireless working now?

@simchona I don't know what to say...

@JasperLoy Hello, not yet ... =\

@GraceNote To me for noticing, or him for reposting?

5:48 PM

@Gigili Presumeably, you're asking about having a "four basic language skills" tag because there is a construct in German known as the Four Basic Language Skills, correct?

@simchona Latter. For the former, it's a good thing, quick-eyed folk are always a blessing.

@GraceNote Not really, cause I cannot use any other tags for my question ..

Mr. Disappointment

...

The new one is technically on-topic. I'm searching through the close reasons to find a good reason for getting rid of it.

I said low quality

@Gigili Then what made you settle on trying "The Four Basic Language Skills" in the first place?

5:50 PM

Yes, but that's not a valid close reason. Low quality questions should be edited.

But its not editable to a point where we don't have to explain the entire English language, with all its fine points

its almost too broad in that aspect

@waiwai933 I'd lean towards parts of "Not A Real Question"

If one of you can give me a good comment which I can use to explain to the OP why it isn't a good question, I'll close it.

Mr. Disappointment

I thought very low quality meant editing it would be to no end but a useless one.

@GraceNote My question is mostly about suggestions on speaking skill, one of the four language skills (reading, writing, listening, speaking) .. what do you recommend to choose?

5:52 PM

It's over-reaching and pretty much expecting an explanation of many fundamentals of the English language (such as the subject/predicate relationship) to get anywhere.

@Gigili Is there a "speech" tag or similar?

@MrDisappointment This is what it is intended to mean - stuff that's not even salvageable and generally destined for deletion.

@GraceNote Aha, there is. thanks a lot.

Mr. Disappointment

@GraceNote Thanks, thought I was conjuring up my own flag meanings for a second there.

While English.SE is happy to help with a lot of different aspects of English, it is very difficult for us to teach the fundamentals of the language.

The answer there needs downvoting too. "How can...?" is not an idiom.

By the way, the OP is also asking additional questions under answers

like "How can make sure boss is subject"

5:55 PM

The thing is, in its current state, it's actually not a bad question anymore.

Rahul's new comment sheds worse light

@simchona This I can address, and will do so immediately.

But then it's not specific enough because he's asking followup questions

user19161

I have also voted to close but I don't know what reason to give so I'll just go with the first person. :)

@waiwai933 Yes it is, it's two questions in one.

5:56 PM

@JasperLoy Very low quality?

it's closed, there, happy?

I voted to close as General Ref.

user19161

@simchona The first person put gen ref.

@waiwai933 Except for the part where it's ambiguous as to what exactly is the reason there is trouble with those constructs.

Oh.

5:57 PM

There's no effort on the part of the user to explain why there is trouble accepting "boss" or "can" being in the places they are, and without any further detail it's impossible for us to even judge what the author does know in order to provide an actual answer.

0

A: A problematic sentence

"How" in the beginning of this sentence is an adverb meaning "in what way". "How" is never a verb by itself; it needs a verb like "can" to have meaning. As @Adel said, "boss" is the subject so it goes before the action "make sure".

Are you leaving a comment to explain what English.SE can/can't do?

Oh lor, the answers just keep getting worse.

@simchona Yes, writing it up

:1377611 Technically, 'how' is an adverb. However, it's a really bad way of putting it to a newcomer.

6:00 PM

@Rhodri Learn something new (that I should have learned before) every day. Thanks!

@Rhodri — And yet I don't see how the OP could benefit from any sensible explanation.

He's still trying to ask questions in comments. He's fighting the closing, I think

user19161

I left a comment on genesis's questions saying he can always ask in chat.

user19161

Maybe we can do the same if we want to do something like that.

@JasperLoy Moving a problem doesn't solve the problem.

6:02 PM

@JasperLoy ARE YOU TRYING TO DRIVE ME AWAY????!!!!!!!

:-) (lest there be any doubt)

@waiwai933 It does if we can no longer see the problem ;-)

user19161

@waiwai933 Congrats on getting moderatorship. You seem very mature for your age!

@MattEllen I'm not sure how moving a question from the main site into all of our collective faces counts as "no longer see the problem" ♪

@JasperLoy Thanks!

@GraceNote I was (jokingly) addressing the general point, rather than this specific case.

6:04 PM

sigh I really should know better than to get involved with online communities

2

@MattEllen We're all vested in this specific case, though! Like some kind of analogy that is very appropriate for this specific case.

The OP's sentence had a few problems, including that it wasn't really a sentence. Or intelligible.

I just got a call from someone at the Wikimedia Foundation

@nohat Uh oh?

And now I need to revise my long meta post to exclude the type of question we just had. Ugh.

6:05 PM

they want the archives of a mailing list I used to host

That's not where I thought that was going

for some litigation

yeah, no one expects calls from lawyers

I think. Actually. We'll see if it is so.

Also, Spanish Inquisition.

@waiwai933 Same page, I see.

user19161

6:06 PM

@nohat Are you in some trouble?

@GraceNote Sorry, is that short of "on the same page" or literally the same page of text?

@waiwai933 Figurative. Former, thusly.

@JasperLoy Only if by trouble you mean inconvenience

user19161

@nohat It's alright as long as it's not deep shit.

my lawyer warns me that I may be subject to subpoenas for depositions

i definitely did not sign up for that

6:08 PM

Right. you're all going on my smaller screen, so budge up.

0

Q: How can I identify subject in a sentence

e.g. How can the boss make sure that a person can manage an office on his own? How can I identify that the boss is subject ?

user19161

By the way, you can get into trouble for using internet images for your avatars too, I think.

I am considering commenting, "I have worse headaches right now, please go away."

indeed

have comment

will use

But I feel like the "please" part needs some serious editing.

6:09 PM

Can I say WTF here?

@nohat — Nobody does. Lawyers don't really care who signs up or doesn't.

@simchona You just did.

@nohat That is distressing to hear.

So is his new question valid?

user19161

@simchona I'm finee, and I see it quite often here!

user19161

6:11 PM

I think it stands for World Trade Federation.

@simchona I am not sure he even understands what "subject" means.

In any case, I am done harassing Jeff

Do elaborate.

@RegDwight So the question stands, even if he doesn't really know what his question means?

@nohat Stare not too long into the Jeff, lest the Jeff stare back at you.

6:12 PM

Have commented.

@simchona Well, that's my theory. It could be libel.

I did delete one of his posts, and undid a lot of his hasty moderation

user19161

@nohat He deleted his own question.

Ah. That's what you mean.

Well, he also deleted his only question on this site, himself.

Is there a good flag reason then?

Or just leave it until he asks 25 more questions in a comment to an answer

6:13 PM

@simchona You've got three mods in the room right now. What good would a flag be?

Flag weight

Right you lovely peeps, I need to love you and leave you.

@waiwai933 So no good.

I have meetings to go to and coffee to buy.

@Rhodri Adios, @Rhodri

6:14 PM

@GraceNote Depends on whether or not you're trying to manipulate your flag weight

@Rhodri make sure you don't mix them up!

@Rhodri Have fun meeting coffee.

Jinx in spirit.

:D

user19161

@MattEllen Have you paid your bills?

@waiwai933 Flagging for flag weight alone is a good reason to lose flag weight.

6:15 PM

@JasperLoy thanks! I have about ten minutes ago :)

@GraceNote See? Want to lose flag weight = now is a good time to flag. :)

@RegDwight Point taken.

Technically we're even five mods right here right now.

So.

Got it.

@RegDwight you're saying you're aware of the problem?

6:17 PM

@MattEllen Which problem?

You don't need anyone else to point it out?

Also, what is a "problem"?

Man, I am so angry with ngrams right now!>:(

@z7sg you misspelled "always".

How can I tell what is the subject "problem" ?

6:17 PM

@z7sg You should buy Tangrams, then. They're full of tesselated fun!

@RegDwight one of those things when you try to go to a meeting and end up sleeping with a hooker on your anniversary

@MattEllen Had to look up "hooker". Also, "try".

"To" ?

That one I know!

It's less than 3!

@GraceNote Will that dissipate my anger?

6:19 PM

@z7sg If all else fails, use fire.

The Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch

Jun 16 at 13:55, by RegDwight

user image

MMM I wish I had a fire.

May 1 at 21:42, by Robusto

user image

There you have some. Light a match.

user19161

@RegDwight I've seen this many times.

user19161

6:21 PM

Haha.

@JasperLoy Tell that to certain pips who haven't.

Robusto used to nuke stuff from orbit big time. Now he's retired.

@RegDwight — I didn't retire from nuking stuff from orbit. Nobody really retires from that, you know.

Did Martha retire from thwacking? I hope not?

I do see @Martha lurking. But she's more into Java these days. Also, JavaScript.

@Cerberus — Martha has become more of a slacker than a thwacker lately.

@Martha: SLACK!

6:26 PM

Ever thought about nuking everyone and everything out of existence?

@z7sg — Who would we laugh at if we did that?

I don't have any nukes myself... could I borrow a couple from one of you chaps until, say this time next week?

user19161

Obama said nuculear, or was it Bush?

@Robusto Some extraterrestrial observers might have a brief giggle about it.

@JasperLoy Bush.

6:28 PM

LOL ZOMG the earthers just blewed themselfs up!

I leave for a long celebratory lunch and I return to this?

-6

Q: A problematic sentence

I wrote the sentence: How to make sure the boss, that a person can manager a office on its own I'm told the grammatically correct sentence is: How can the boss make sure that a person can manage an office on his own? I have some questions about the grammar: Why is can added after ho...

What the hell have you people been doing in my absence?

Right, sorry, I forgot to delete.

@Robusto Your turn to seduce her.

@Kit There's a whole lot more where that came from.

(How the heck did you find it at all, at -6?)

6:32 PM

@RegDwight It was on my front page.

Must been active questions?

To wit, the user has gone from 101 reputation to 69 reputation in the span of less than an hour.

@Cerberus — Huh?

@GraceNote Yowch.

That's a hard way to enter a community.

@Robusto To lure her back!

user19161

@GraceNote Good observational skills. You should be a spy.

6:33 PM

@GraceNote I still hold the record for the most downvotes, IIRC.

-7 is nothing.

user19161

@RegDwight You mean you downvoted or were downvoted?

@JasperLoy "should be" is a very interesting misspelling of "are". It's quite uncommon in my variety of English.

@Kit The first question was asking if the sentence "How to make sure the boss ,that a person can manager a office on its own" is correct, and if not, what could be fixed and what should be done for future sentences of the same type.

@JasperLoy I was.

The second question, you just saw, and the third question was a follow up asking how to realize that "boss" is the subject of the sentence.

6:36 PM

Also, don't forget this:

english.stackexchange.com/questions/15494/…

(10k only)

@RegDwight Same user?

Sure.

March 8th.

user19161

@RegDwight My favourite answer, which I have deleted to get the peer pressure badge, for 10k users to see, is the one on the paraprosdokian question involving an elephant.

For those of us who don't have 10k, what was the question about documentation?

user19161

Here it is english.stackexchange.com/questions/15028/….

user19161

6:38 PM

That's the elephant one.

I wonder if the question censor will trigger eventually.

@simchona Wall of text, then a wall of text we were supposed to critique, then some more text.

user19161

@cerberus Do give me your comments on my answer english.stackexchange.com/questions/15028/…

user19161

I find that very funny, a great work of art!

@RegDwight Did you give it to Writers?

6:41 PM

@JasperLoy This question could use a much better title. Maybe even include that it's about a Paraprosdokian in the title.

@Kit I am not sure that a) it was possible back then and b) I was a mod already.

I'll suggest an edit if I think of a good title before someone else swoops in.

@JasperLoy Uhm, I think you got those down-votes because most people find your secondary interpretation far fetched.

@GraceNote Maybe we should lead with "how to use a dangling modifier for humorous effect."

@Robusto Go away. I'm trying to w-o-r-k.

@RegDwight And a thwack for you as well, young man.

6:42 PM

@Martha It is working!

@Kit I think the question seems less about the utility and more the comprehension of the humor.

user19161

@Cerberus Right, but I find my answer really funny! Of course, my sense of humour is a bit weird.

I wish Martha would join the Faction. She'd thwack the Tartarus out of our enemies.

@Martha I am humbled and honored, especially given how I didn't even deserve it.

@JasperLoy Okay, but that doesn't take away the fact that it is far fetched!

6:44 PM

@GraceNote Well, if you insist on being so rational and thoughtful about it, then I shall return to work. Nyah!

user19161

@Cerberus Right, just like my imagination.

@Kit Understood.

Probably!

@Cerberus — No. She would merely introduce Baby Picture decks. And if that happens, I'm out. Period.

Hey, as long as they do the job. You wouldn't have to face them as here.

6:49 PM

@JasperLoy vgv8 gave that answer a +1. That alone means it needed to be deleted. ]:>

user19161

@Martha Right, I must confess I do love vgv8 as a person.

@Martha Speaking of, I haven't heard any news about that fellow. Been gone still?

user19161

@GraceNote suspended till 2013.

vgv8, Novosibirsk, Russia

1 3 17

meaning idioms vocabulary expressions writing-style technical single-word-requests

@JasperLoy That's... I guess until past the end of time.

6:51 PM

@GraceNote I believe the suspension period was 1000 days. It remains to be seen whether he will get the Anne Boleyn treatment at the end of it.

What was the deal with that user? Lots of junk?

@Kit Yes, and a demonstrated inability to learn.

@Martha — Everyone's always sticking up for Anne Boleyn. Nobody ever gives Henry VIII's side a sympathetic treatment.

Same questions you mean, or failed to adapt?

@Robusto She was a pretty big whiner. And she slept around a lot. I'd have chopped her head off too.

Latter.

You know this room? Its incomprehensibility was nothing compared to his.

And he was terribly querulous.

6:54 PM

Yes, poor Henry was rather unlucky with his choice of wives I guess.

Unlucky... he was a spoiled brat!

user19161

@GraceNote Right, because 2012 is the end of time.

@Martha Ooh, that's the one @nohat slammed, ain't it?

@Kit I only have experience with the user elsewhere on the network, but vgv8 demonstrated a strong incapability to listen and learn. Stubbornness mixed with a dangerous level of literal interpretation.

@Cerberus No he was the victim of circumstance!

@GraceNote I'll put him on the pimp slap list, then.

user19161

6:58 PM

@grace Since I loved the guy so much (as a person), I asked on meta meta.english.stackexchange.com/questions/824/…

He did the best he could in a difficult situation.

@JasperLoy I never really knew him and I'm not going to judge him on these interactions, so I'm not going to say either leaning.

Those women didn't exactly make it easy for him either.

user19161

@matt How did your cooking go? Robusto had steak yesterday.

@JasperLoy Honestly? I don't really buy into the whole thing, except with the notion that if it were ending then I'd have a smile on my face.

It'd mean that science loses, and honestly that's all I'll need to hear.

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