English Language & Usage: Multi-Layered Discourse Room

user174558

19:07

I got 5 downvotes today for a correct answer, LOL.

user174558

This site is finished.

PhMgBr

@WillHunting Linky?

user174558

And before you comment, I also know why I got them.

user174558

@PhMgBr Never mind, we discussed this just now already, lol.

question_asker

it's finished I tells ya! curtains! it's all over for ol Ee El and You

PhMgBr

19:08

@WillHunting And you didn't avoid the downvotes, because?

user174558

Users imposing "rules" on others when there are different interpretations of the rules.

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

@WillHunting Shiny? the glossy finish of ABS plastic isn't shiny enough?

user174558

@PhMgBr Because of my principles. I insist that my answers must be written in a certain way for this site.

PhMgBr

Oh well

user174558

I am not going to bend my interpretation to suit another's interpretation of the "rules", LOL

user174558

19:12

But sometimes, I leave my comments to the comments there, and people still downvote, proving they cannot read. But in this case, I deleted them.

user174558

Before I downvote, I click on every link, read every comments etc. Then I think.

user174558

It's easy to see some negative comment there and click downvote.

user174558

It's also easy to see some long answer with a lot of "quotes" and then click upvote, LOL. These "rules", LOL.

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

Honestly I'm not sure why you're complaining that people don't like your answer. It's a very minimal answer and you've been told how you could improve it. You don't want to, fine. But why should other people accept that? They have higher expectations.

user174558

The thing is, there are tons of answers like that on the site. Do they get 5 downvotes?

PhMgBr

19:18

How is that relevant?

Gauge the content in the answer.

What does it have to do with other answers?

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

@WillHunting I don't know. I haven't checked those other answers.

PhMgBr

If you see crap, you should downvote crap, not add to crap.

user174558

Anyway, I am not really complaining, since I got 11 upvotes.

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

But also, it's possible that people disagree with our answer and are simply downvoting for other reasons than "they don't like how you wrote it".

user174558

So basically, I got 100 points, more than the other answers.

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

19:20

Now, if it's the case that you haven't convinced all your readers, such that they are downvoting you, you could improve things by bolstering your answer with evidence and discussion.

user174558

So I should feel blessed.

user174558

@Mr.ShinyandNew安宇 I understand. But probably, they saw the comments there left by a 20k user and decided to downvote, just saying.

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

@WillHunting sure, probably that's some of the DVs.

PhMgBr

@WillHunting Well, the downvote is supposed to prompt some editing.

user174558

The good thing about downvotes is that sometimes people pity me and then give me upvotes to counter them.

user174558

19:22

@PhMgBr In this case, I will stick to my principles.

PhMgBr

It isn't successful when you invalidate them with "downvoters are blind".

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

@WillHunting which principle is that? The principle of not providing evidence? The principle of encouraging link rot?

PhMgBr

It makes you get older, but if you always think the criticism is smarter than you, you'll improve.

Whether that belief is right or wrong.

user174558

@Mr.ShinyandNew安宇 To me, link rot only applies if the answer is in the link, but the answer is already in my answer. It is self-contained.

user174558

@PhMgBr I disagree with that.

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

19:24

@WillHunting The answer is a pure assertion. Anyone can assert anything. The evidence is in the link.

PhMgBr

@WillHunting Why?

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

I could write an answer that says "Guys is not gender neutral. Never use that" and without further evidence, my answer should have the same weight as yours; more even, since my rep is higher which would make me more authoritative.

PhMgBr

Also you're Shiny.

And new.

user174558

In this case, the evidence can be looked up in many many places easily, so the link is just a convenience provided to the reader.

PhMgBr

@WillHunting So this does mean it's not self-contained, no?

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

19:26

@WillHunting The entire point of stack exchange is that we provide the answers here

PhMgBr

To confirm, I need to do something other than reading the answer as well.

user174558

I think what we differ in is the extent to which we see the need to provide evidence in the answer and not the link.

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

Good answers explain everything you need to know and provide links for further reading. In this case the answer you gave is really the most minimal answer one could provide without being wrong.

Not only that, but a high-rep user called you out on it and you ignored him.

user174558

@Mr.ShinyandNew安宇 However, these links are just dictionary links, and checking any of a million dictionaries will do. That's why I consider it trivial.

user174558

@Mr.ShinyandNew安宇 I did not ignore him. I responded to his comments, lol.

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

19:29

@WillHunting Well, first of all, not every dictionary will list the gender-neutral usage of guys. Second of all, it's a contentious issue that your answer doesn't even touch on.

PhMgBr

@Mr.ShinyandNew安宇 *touch

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

@WillHunting You ignored his advice and left your answer unimproved.

tchrist

@Cerberus Guess what Bombycilla and Bombycoidea do and do not have in common. :)

PhMgBr

Well, I always misspell "tough" and "touch".

We complement each other nicely.

user174558

@Mr.ShinyandNew安宇 I think maybe it is the contentiousness of this usage that is making the answer look bad. I see your point.

PhMgBr

19:31

@WillHunting It doesn't look bad.

It's standing at +6.

user174558

@PhMgBr It looks terrible, LOL.

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

@WillHunting That's the other thing. Your answer doesn't convince people. It just asserts that it's fine. The OP specifically had issue with using guys, hence the question. So you really should go into it further.

PhMgBr

However, as @Mr.S said, it's a mediocre answer right now, which could be edited into some good answer.

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

The larger question: "What do I call a group of mixed-gender people?", doesn't have an easy answer. Many of the choices are problematic. You don't address any of the alternatives.

user174558

I made a tiny edit, LOL.

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

19:36

well, that's an improvement.

But still I think the subject matter deserves a more in-depth treatment.

user174558

Yes, it should get another 10 upvotes now, LOL.

user174558

I do not like to quote things. I like to write things in my own words when possible.

PhMgBr

I tried to send a message back, but I accidentally hit 'reply all' and now the ocean is clogged with message bottles.

user174558

@PhMgBr Would you like to give me an upvote now?

PhMgBr

If I find the link

user174558

19:40

10

Q: Proper way to address a very small group that includes both sexes

What is the proper way to address a light email/message to a small group of 2-or-3 people, where the group includes both sexes? I normally just use the term "guys" as in "Hey guys" or "Good morning guys". However, I'm wondering if I'm alienating the female(s) in the group. With a larger grou...

greetings

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

It doesn't need to be a direct quote. But if you had quoted the dictionary entry, you would have automatically improved your answer by including the fact that it's "mainly US". Or you could reference the articles I posted earlier which suggest that "you guys" can be gender-neutral but "the guys" is male only (at least, enough people interpret it that way that using it otherwise is hazardous).

user174558

I see. Thank you for your instruction @Mr.ShinyandNew安宇.

PhMgBr

LOL the last answer

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

@WillHunting Have you refreshed your browser yet to see my new avatar?

user174558

@Mr.ShinyandNew安宇 Yes, it is now very shiny and very new.

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

19:42

and very lego

user174558

@PhMgBr I got another downvote, LOL.

PhMgBr

@WillHunting It's HNQ, votes come and go.

If I see a question I answered got to HNQ, I just go and come back the next day, and dismiss the rep notification.

user174558

@PhMgBr Anyway, I should be happy that I got 12 upvotes for a simple answer, right?

PhMgBr

Sometimes even the +10's become annoying.

@WillHunting You should be meh, like a boss.

user174558

Meh. I am BOSS.

PhMgBr

19:46

Usually a lot of unexplained downvotes and upvotes come and go in HNQ's.

That's its nature. The voting on the sites worked so perfect they had to design something to introduce some flaws.

user174558

Meh. I am BOSS.

user174558

1

Q: Using "Hello, boys/girls/men/women"

It appears to me that we say Hello, boys and Hello, girls to a group of boys and girls respectively, but do not say Hello, men and Hello, women to a group of men and women respectively. Is this the case in your particular variety of English? If so, is there a term or reas...

nouns usage

user174558

Still no answer to my question, LOL.

PhMgBr

Meh. I am Biologically Ostensible Secret Salmon.

user174558

@PhMgBr Thanks, I will remember to be boss from now. =)

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

20:06

Boring Overweight Sociopathic Scoundrel

Burgeoning Ovoid Silk Secretion

Bronze Opiate Sniffing Society

PhMgBr

Baleful Ostrich-Skating Society

Kit Z. Fox

Big Organic Slippery Slope

PhMgBr

Banging Oval Sacrifice Serpent

user174558

Boobs Of Sexy Sharon

Kit Z. Fox

Big On Staying Sleepy

user174558

20:09

HAHAHAHAHA

PhMgBr

Broadened Ogre Sandals Swamp

Baskets Of Scary Savages

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

Bring over sasquatch sandwhiches

MετάEd

Bite Off Some Stuff.

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

But only sasquatch stuff

user174558

Oh @KitZ.Fox have you watched the 3 movies Before Sunrise/Sunset/Midnight? I think they are very good.

user174558

20:24

See you, nap time.

MετάEd

20:43

@Mr.ShinyandNew安宇 Brought out seafood salad.

MετάEd

22:06

Vampires make great examples.

0

A: at / in / in the - daylight

At daylight means the moment in time when daylight begins. “At midnight, the vampire arose. At daylight, the vampire exploded.” In daylight means bathed in the light of day. “In artificial light, vampires look pale. In daylight, vampires explode.”

And with that I shall now go out and explode.

Mitch

23:21

@WillHunting you should be more upset that that other dude got 23 upvotes for 'folks'. cringes

Hearing that is like seeing a lizard lose its tail, makes me very uncomfortable.

I know what's only marginally better: 'Brethren and cistern'

or 'Friends Romans Countrypersons'

or 'tovarishch'.

user174558

I just arose from my nap.

Mitch

'Look buddy, I'm not your comrade, kapeesh?'

user174558

It's a beautiful Tuesday morning, and I am waiting for books to arrive from Amazon today.

Mitch

"Jian Tongzhi, wo bu shi ni de 'buddy'"

user174558

By the way, I no longer see kiamlaluno in chat or on main.

Mitch

23:26

@WillHunting That is a good feeling.

What's the temp?

user174558

No idea. I never note the temp or the perm.

Mitch

rainy/humid?

are the birds chirping?

user174558

Some drizzles.

Mitch

a warm drizzle?

user174558

Yes.

user174558

23:28

Kit must have been kidnapped. Her pic is still here but she is silent.

Mitch

nice. same here except not that warm. back to sweaters. but leaves are halfway out.

@WillHunting probably AFK more likely.

user174558

I like the Christmas song that goes 'Chestnuts...in the fireplace'

Mitch

'Chestnuts roasting on an open fire'

user174558

Ah yes!

Mitch

'Jack Frost nipping at your nose'

user174558

23:30

It makes me think how I might one day move from Antarctica to America and spend Christmas there with Maria.

Mitch

Nat King Cole - Chestnuts roasting on an open fire

►

user174558

I am going to eat something, later.

Mitch

@WillHunting I think you'd miss the warmth.

later!

user174558

@Mitch There is nothing to miss in Antarctica, nothing.

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English Language & Usage: Multi-Layer…