English Language & Usage: Multi-Layered Discourse Room

nohat

00:19

@Cerberus correct it, add no further comment

Cerberus

@Nohat: OK thanks.

(I was concerned that an edit out of nowhere might be considered a personal affront.)

nohat

00:34

@Cerberus as long as it's changing whom to who, it's fine with me :-)

I would probably object to a change the other way around

Cerberus

@Nohat: So would I! The other way around would be pedantry, be it good or evil...

(I am currently reading a 1951 article on Latin composition and how to phrase modern concepts in classical Latin words without barbarisms, so my descriptivist judgement can't be trusted at the moment.)

nohat

00:56

Is the article in Latin or English?

Cerberus

01:28

In English, with a few Latin quotations in Latin and a list of words. The book he reviews proposes adversus hostiles aëronavium incursiones tormenta bellica for anti-aircraft artillery.

Robusto

03:34

Duplicate.

1

Q: Why is "I" capitalized in the english language, but not "me" or "you"?

I realize that at one time a lot of nouns in English were capitalized, but I can't understand the pattern of those left. Is there a reason why I still capitalized while you and me are not? Could it have something to do with hand writing rather than the printed page?

Voted to close.

Sankar Ganesh

11:17

@Henry: and @Dori: and @RegDwight: Hi, I have a doubt in english, sentence

RegDwight

Go on.

Sankar Ganesh

i have to introduce a new guy to others, inorder to accept the chat request from that guy, For this purpose, i used this line Hi All, Pls Add
[email protected] in your Yahoo Messanger
Thanks !

RegDwight

Well, sounds self-explanatory to me.

Sankar Ganesh

@RegDwight: But people said , this is not wright way , use
[email protected] - Kindly add new friend

@RegDwight: Among these two which one is right

RegDwight

Well, the latter one is a lot more formal. It also doesn't contain typos.

Sankar Ganesh

11:24

@RegDwight But people saying that, the later one is right, that's why i confused friend

RegDwight

I mean, the first sentence has improper capitalization (Hi All, Pls Add should be Hi all, pls add), it wouldn't hurt to spell out pls as please, the white space before the exclamation mark is completely uncalled for, and Messenger is misspelled.

I'm also not quite sure if the in should be a to.

But for all intents and purposes, it's a perfectly understandable sentence, especially in the context of IM. I just wouldn't use it in any kind of formal setting.

So if you are writing to a person whom you respect, or from whom you expect any kind of respect, you should at least fix the aforementioned mistakes.

BRB.

Robusto

Good morning.

@Reg: What up, dawg?

Sankar Ganesh

11:40

@Robusto: good Morning ,

Robusto

Looks like @Martha's Eeeeek! is No. 6 on the Hit Parade this morning.

It may peter out before eclipsing "Jon Skeet facts" ... but I hope not.

0

Q: Getting Things Running

Hi out there, i am looking for a marketing claim for my yet to start software company. I am a native german. I would like to use an adoption of the well known phrase "Getting Things Done". So i came up with the idea of "Getting Things Run". Is it possible to use that as a company claim? Even i...

usage word-choice phrases

He uses the word "adoption": I wonder if he means "adaptation".

Or maybe it's just awkward English.

He sure has plenty of awkward English all over, not the least of which is his attempt at a slogan.

Hola @Cer, thou three-headed monster, thou.

Cerberus

Hola @Rob!

Looks like you may be right after all, with a new reactor unit near meltdown...

Robusto

Tragic.

Cerberus

11:55

(Yes adoption seems clearly wrong...)

Robusto

This is one time I hate being right.

Cerberus

Yeah.

A Dutch evangelical announced the end of time (or whatever they call it) earlier today.

Unfortunately he had to retract it later.

Robusto

Well, I feel confident that time will continue. Unfortunately, so will that evangelical's ministry.

RegDwight

@Robusto adaptation in German would be Adaption. Easy to confuse with Adoption. Which in English would be adoption.

Robusto

Charlie Kaufman gets confused by it as well:

Adaptation (film)

Adaptation (rendered as Adaptation.) is a 2002 American comedy-drama film directed by Spike Jonze and written by Charlie Kaufman. The film is based on Susan Orlean's non-fiction book The Orchid Thief through self-referential events. The film stars Nicolas Cage as Charlie and Donald Kaufman, Meryl Streep as Susan, with Chris Cooper, Cara Seymour, Brian Cox, Tilda Swinton, Ron Livingston and Maggie Gyllenhaal. The film tells the story of Charlie Kaufman's difficult struggle to adapt The Orchid Thief into a film. In addition, Orlean romances with John Laroche while Charlie enlists the help...

RegDwight

12:00

That was a weird movie.

Robusto

Yes. Funny, though.

Charlie Kauffman is the James Joyce of film.

RegDwight

Never looked at it that way...

Robusto

We have Daylight Savings Time on now. That means I'm up an hour earlier. Bleh.

RegDwight

Oh, you have that rubbish, too? We are hoping to get rid of it once and for all round here.

Cerberus

Really?

Robusto

12:05

Seriously? You think that will happen?

Cerberus

And hai.

RegDwight

@Robusto Not really, no. I hope, yes. But it won't happen, no.

Then again, who knows.

@Cerberus Wo?

Artic

Russia refused from Daylight Savings Time

RegDwight

Well, that would be a reason for the NATO to embrace it even mucher.

Cerberus

Perhaps it would be easier if all government agencies and commercial companies shifted their opening hours / working hours by one hour at at the appropriate time; that would be easier to remember for people than having to change their own time in their minds.

Robusto

12:07

There are places in the U.S., like Indianapolis, which refuse DST for religious reasons, apparently. So Indiana uses DST but its capital does not. This is so typical for my country. Let's do something stupid for a stupid reason, even though everyone is inconvenienced.

Cerberus

This is strange. The fax suddenly started buzzing. Turns out the cat printed a blank page. Thank you, Victoria.

RegDwight

@Cerberus Uh, either I totally misunderstand you, or your suggestion actually makes things much more complicated.

Artic

There is a democracy.

RegDwight

And it's coming to the USA.

Robusto

@Cerberus — That would never work. Daylight Savings Time only works by self-deception, not self-discipline.

@RegDwight — Never!

Cerberus

12:09

Hmm... I am still theorizing...

Artic

@Robusto Definitely true.

Robusto

You Commies want to take over the U.S. and establish true representative democracy, and we just won't have that! We won't have it, I tell you!

Cerberus

(I suppose it wouldn't help, no...)

Incidentally, I had no idea some people had religious qualms about DST. Why on earth?

Robusto

Our most important citizens, corporations, would never stand for that.

RegDwight

@Cerberus Because God invented clocks, d'oh. You don't mess with God's stuff.

Cerberus

12:10

@Reg: You sound even less convincing than a real evangelist!

(No offence.)

Artic

God invented time but not clocks.

Cerberus

Seriously, why do Christians care about DST?

Robusto

@Artic — It's even dumber than that. There is no mention of DST in the Bible.

Cerberus

They think God established the hours of the day or something?

What, no DST in the Bible!? But how did those poor shepherd function?

RegDwight

@Robusto Is there a mention of cars and airplanes and microwave ovens in the Bible?

Robusto

12:13

@RegDwight — It doesn't matter. You can't use reason in an argument like this.

Artic

@Robusto Yes. I what is dumb? God created time and you can manage it how do you want.

Cerberus

Is there mention of shirt buttons in the Bible? There might be? That is one of the strangest things the Amish refuse.

Robusto

That is specifically not allowed.

Artic

Religious claim not always based on the Bible.

Cerberus

True.

Artic

12:16

But there is a democracy everywhere.

Robusto

@Artic — Well, like I said, reason and consistency are not qualities one finds in great abundance when arguments turn to religion. The Bible says a daughter who commits adultery should be stoned to death, but I don't know of any recent instances of that in religious communities in the U.S.

Some evangelists came to my door once, and instead of dismissing them as I ordinarily would, I engaged them in conversation and let them try to convert me. Then I pointed out that the New Testament contains four different accounts of the death of Christ, each differing in important particulars, even to having different accounts of Christ's last words.

Artic

@Robusto That was the particular rule for particular the particular time and for one nation.

Cerberus

It appears some Amish won't allow buttons on clothing because they remind them of military uniforms, and because they might induce vanity.

@Rob: Right, internal inconsistency is usually the easiest way.

Robusto

They just said it was like four different eyewitness accounts of a traffic accident. Natural variance. And I said, "So the New Testament is kind of like Rashomon?" And if so, isn't the answer to doubt any account?

I actually got a laugh out of them, but they stuck to their guns.

Cerberus

But what if one day a religion were founded that was internally 100% consistent—just inconsistent with observed facts?

Robusto

12:21

@Cerberus — What if? What if?

Artic

@Robusto If you want to believe there are tons of explanations how it might come.

Robusto

@Artic — Not sure how to parse that sentence, but I have to go get read for work anyway.

Cerberus

I think that would lay bare the fundamental problem of religion: not so much that it is in itself inconsistent, but rather that it clashes with observed facts and reasonable hypotheses. That, and that it refuses shearing by Occam's razor.

OK bye @Rob!

Robusto

It's just that if you are going to take a document literally and adhere to all its precepts, how do you respond to inconsistency, especially that which is directly contradictory. Go! Don't go! Go! Don't go! That is evidence that the document is flawed and not to be trusted, in my opinion.

Cerberus

@Rob: Agreed; conventional religions are doubly flawed; internal inconsistency alone is enough to disprove them.

That said, scientific research usually indicates that believers are happier than non-believers...

However, it might also be that believers use slightly different labels according to convention in rating their own happiness, so I suppose it is very hard to establish this fact/theory.

Artic

12:32

There are lot of scientific researches about the Bible consistency. You can read and be sure that is consistent enough to believe. Josh McDowell for example.

And one more note. There is no way to live without a religion. Atheism is a religion as well.

RegDwight

28

Q: Is atheism a religion?

Is atheism a religion? Please give yes or no answers with arguments supporting your answer. Update: I'm looking for answers along the lines of stefano's answer. As sirrocco has pointed out, definition wise there is nothing to suggest that it should be a religion but since it is quite possible to...

religion semantics

Robusto

@Artic — Atheism is not a religion. And I am outta here! BBL.

RegDwight

CU.

Artic

@Robusto Looks like you are an adept of this religion.

kiamlaluno

13:02

(I will never understand why sometimes I am asked to log in on a SE site, when I am already logged in.)

(I will conclude the chat rooms act strangely, sometimes.)

0

Q: Usage of abbreviations in semi formal written conversation

Some people always tell me to avoid using abbreviations that often used in forum talk, AKA "Internet Slang", in semi formal written conversation. Of course, I would never use the phrase TTYT, TTYL, LOL, YSVW, YW in my email. IMHO, it is still appropriate to use abbreviation as long as it is very...

writing abbreviations

Robusto

13:21

@Artic — Looks like you have closed your mind to other evidence, but I will point out that saying one does not believe in God is not tantamount to proclaiming a religious faith. Non-religion != religion. No religion has offered proof for the existence of a god, so until they do I cannot reasonably believe in one. Either words mean something or they don't, and I happen to believe that they do.

Cerberus

The question whether there is a God and what It would be like usually fails to catch my interest. Hardly anybody in my family, friends, etc. believes in anything. I don't find it an important question at all. What does that make me?

Artic

@Robusto Now faith is assurance of (things) hoped for, a conviction of things not seen.

There is no evidence that God does not exist.

Cerberus

There is also no evidence that the mythical beast Cerberus does not exist.

And yet it howls! Woooooh.....

Artic

So it is open object for worship.

kiamlaluno

@Cerberus: You used the word "mythical" to describe Cerberus.

Artic

13:27

Everyone chooses their god himself

kiamlaluno

(Apart that, Cerberus exists!)

Cerberus

I am sorry, but I cannot accept worshippers at the moment. I'm afraid you're going to have to join the queues waiting before the temple.

kiamlaluno

(Now they will tell me that a human being with two heads doesn't exist.)

Cerberus

@Kaim: Do I not look mythical to you? Especially my middle head? I find its right ear rather dashing.

Two heads? Whoever still has two heads? Come on. Three's the future!

kiamlaluno

@Cerberus: You should ask to your colleague Hydra; I am sure she would tell you three heads is not the future.

(That is what Kaim told me to say.)

Cerberus

13:32

Damn her. I will have her beheaded. Whoever shall I send to do the job...

kiamlaluno

I have heard that Hercules is looking for a work: he need money, and he would be willing to do a job, if he gets good money.

Artic

But you have the eyes and the mind. For the invisible things of him since the creation of the world are clearly seen, being perceived through the things that are made, (even) his everlasting power and divinity;

kiamlaluno

(Whatever "good money" means; that is not known to me.)

Cerberus

@Kiam: Oh, he seems like the man for the job! I will send Iolaos with him.

@Artic: Is that the argument for Intelligent Design?

Artic

@Cerberus I don't know.

kiamlaluno

13:36

@Cerberus: If you want to eliminate Iolaos too, you can do it. Hercules desperately needs money, and he could kill anybody who thinks came to steal him money.

Cerberus

I think the fact that some things in the world seem designed is caused by the way the human mind interprets things, not because of anything present in the Dinge an sich, if such exist.

RegDwight

trVoldemort is obsessed.

Cerberus

@Kiam: Hercules would have no time to scorch the stumps if he were occupied cutting off the heads...

@Reg: What is he up to?

kiamlaluno

(I will throw there what Einstein said: God didn't play with dices, when He created the universe.)

RegDwight

Look at the recent questions.

Cerberus

13:38

Ok lemme see.

kiamlaluno

(A note to myself: if you don't raise the volume, you cannot hear sounds. That is called cause-effect.)

Cerberus

Haha. He must have been experiencing some bug.

RegDwight

Yup. Happens.

Cerberus

@Kiam: Hume might disagree...

RegDwight

But it was fun while it lasted.

Cerberus

13:40

Yeah it looks funny because his questions were officially closed, with proper messages etc.

kiamlaluno

@Cerberus: Yum-me?

Cerberus

Yummy!

I have to go. Later!

kiamlaluno

@Cerberus: That is yum-you; I said yum-me.

RegDwight

CU.

kiamlaluno

(I would write CUL, but in Italian that could mean something else.)

Wow, the duplicates vanished.

RegDwight

13:43

You should still be able to see them as a 10k user.

Not on the question list, though.

Robusto

@Cerberus — You aren't one of those heretics who believes Cerberus had only 3 heads, are you? If so, off with your heads!

RegDwight

So, @Robusto, it's only 4 points to go, so I guess I might just as well congratulate you right now.

kiamlaluno

Oh, I thought I should still see them in the question list.

Robusto

@RegDwight — Congratulate me for what?

RegDwight

For taking the lead. For being the first person to get to 20758. Man, pay some attention, please!

Robusto

13:48

Oh, that. Well, it may surprise you to know I wasn't really keeping tabs. But even if I do surpass you in rep points, you'll still be the main man around here.

And I will always treat you with respect and courtesy, as I have in the past.

RegDwight

Nah, I will (finally) be the chill man.

I wasn't keeping tabs, either, (last time I checked you were like 600 points behind), but I am looking at these numbers right now, so I thought I'd mention it.

Robusto

Well, you're still the honcho here. Seriously.

RegDwight

Hahaha, I misread that as poncho. Seriously, I must drink less. Or more. Or exactly the same amount, but in a different manner.

Robusto

Did I write honcho? I meant Sancho. As in Sancho Panza. To my Don Quixote. You will be my voice of reason as you carry my lance and perform other menial functions while I ride off to tilt at windmills.

By the way: they might be giants.

RegDwight

But hey, now that you've taken the lead, no running off to Writers.SE or some other foolery. Do stick around.

Robusto

13:54

You are speaking proleptically. Ain't taken no lead yet. The lead, in fact, will probably switch back and forth over the next few days anyway. And, anyway, it doesn't matter.

And don't worry: I ain't runnin' off to W.SE anytime soon.

RegDwight

Just noticed that you've been posting there lately.

Robusto

Only because someone migrated a question I answered over there. I was cast out, so to speak, into the darkness, where there was the weeping and gnashing of teeth. It was scary.

RegDwight

And the rep will matter once again when they introduce 50k superpowers, or free t-shirts for reaching 1,000,000.

Robusto

@RegDwight — Whoa! Free T-shirts? Now you are going down hard, buster. Nobody stands between me and a T-shirt!

RegDwight

Stack Overflow Blog: What Happens When You Reach 200k Reputation?

Posted by Jeff Atwood on September 1st, 2010

Have you ever wondered what happens when you reach 200,000 reputation?

Just ask Jon Skeet.

Apparently, what happens is … you get a painting of unicorns, signed by us, dedicated to you.

Estimated value? Priceless!

Joel and I actually sat down with Mr. Skeet himself to record Stack Overflow podcast #72 during the London leg of DevDays — in the very Google offices pictured here.

Although we sometimes joke that Stack Overflow was accidentally constructed as the ultimate Jon Skeet honeypot, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention that Jon has a long history of answering people’s questions not just on Stack Overflow, but all over the internet and usenet. Apparently he enjoys learning alongside his peers and teaching others. Which, at least in my mind, is the whole point of Stack Overflow and the rest of the Stack Exchange network. So if we have somehow managed to build the sort of site that attracts people of Mr. Skeet’s caliber, then we have succeeded far beyond my wildest dreams. …

@Robusto My point exactly. Superpowers, meh. But I will let noöne get between me and my free t-shirt!

Robusto

13:57

Oh, it is on!

RegDwight

What? American Dad? Thx, brb.

Robusto

...

[Winces with the pain of being second-bested to American Dad ]

You really still know how to hurt a guy.

RegDwight

Hey, you're a liar! It's like not on at all!

@Robusto Well, you are an American Dad yourself, aren't you? You're just the second-best one, that's all.

I will leave a message on the Teachers' Lounge that your present for reaching 200k should be an American Dad DVD.

Robusto

@RegDwight — You are too kind.

RegDwight

I know, I know, what should I do.

Robusto

14:19

@RegDwight BTW, I'm not going back to SO anytime soon, either. I answered a question there this morning and noticed my answer was incomplete, so I edited it. In the time I was editing I got jumped on and dumped on by two 50K users. Them SO folks don't mess around. It's a dog-eat-dog world over there and my existence was Hobbesian at best.

RegDwight

Whoa.

kiamlaluno

@Robusto: What do you mean with "dumped on?"

Robusto

Abused.

kiamlaluno

Do you mean they down voted your answer?

Robusto

No, it was verbal abuse. In comments. But it stung, my friend, it stung.

kiamlaluno

14:22

Oh, verbal abuse.

Yeah, they sometimes do it, despite of the "be nice" reported on the FAQ.

It happens on MSO too (I am witness).

RegDwight

658

Q: Could we please be a bit nicer to the noobs?

I've been using Stack Overflow for most of the private beta. Since the site went to public beta on Monday, I have detected a distinct decline in the level of civility. Some of this is due to new users coming in and posting spam and other nonsense, but the offtopic and downvote buttons are doing...

support faq new-users

The problem with Robusto is that he's not a noob.

Robusto

@RegDwight — I tried to plead noobness but they just laughed in my face.

kiamlaluno

Hey! Everybody is a noob and an expert at the same time.

Robusto

Noobness? Noobitude?

RegDwight

Hm, I just got a Revival badge on SO out of Complete Nowhere™.

For a question I answered 25 months ago.

kiamlaluno

14:26

"Nobless s'oblique" (whatever it is written in French).

2

RegDwight

@kiamlaluno: I told you not to be upset. MSO is a different beast altogether.

@kiamlaluno Either I must thwack you for the pun, or I must thwack you for your French.

Noblesse oblige

Noblesse oblige is a French phrase literally meaning "nobility obliges". The Dictionnaire de l’Académie française defines it thus: # Whoever claims to be noble must conduct himself nobly. # (Figuratively) One must act in a fashion that conforms to one's position, and with the reputation that one has earned. The Oxford English Dictionary says that the term "suggests noble ancestry constrains to honorable behavior; privilege entails to responsibility". Being a noble meant that one had responsibilities to lead, manage and so on. One was not to simply spend one's time in idle pursuits. ...

kiamlaluno

Uhmm… is there a third option?

Robusto

@kiamlaluno — Lol, nobless oblique ... great Spoonerism, but I love it!

kiamlaluno

"La nobilità ci obbliga." (I am sure I cannot be wrong, when I speak Italian ;-).)

RegDwight

@Robusto OMG they jumped on you within the 5-min grace period‽

19

Q: Are Stack Overflow people *still* nice?

Title reference is to Why are Stack Overflow people nice? We had the good fortune, to start this experiment with a really positive culture, and have managed to hang onto it through vast growth and several fairly bitter internal arguments. But that does not guarantee we'll keep it forever. Latel...

discussion stackoverflow culture

Haha, @Martha is at 666 on MSO right now.

Marti

666 1 3 11

feature-request bug css design support chat logout

Robusto

14:56

@RegDwight — Yup.

Full disclosure: They weren't really nasty, just unforgiving and superior.

@RegDwight — ZOMG! End of days!

RegDwight

And it's not even 19666 or something. 666, plain and simple.

Robusto

I know, right?

@RegDwight — Danger passes ... she's at 676 now. Whew, that was close!

RegDwight

@Robusto But unlike you, she did actively work on it. I mean, she had to downvote two people, otherwise it would've been 668.

Robusto

15:18

@RegDwight Are you saying what I think you're saying?

RegDwight

@Robusto Are you thinking what I think I have no idea about?

RegDwight

15:33

Another bounty by Sir Arthur. He just can't stand high numbers next to his name...

Martha

@RegDwight Thank you for posting that screenshot, otherwise I wouldn't have seen my very short reign as The Beast.

Btw, I'd like to mention how much I hate, detest, and abhor Daylight Savings Time. Especially when it starts so effing early. Like my sister said, how are we supposed to "spring forward" when it's not even Spring yet?

RegDwight

@Martha No prob. I can retract my upvote on the Eeeek, then your reign will go on.)))

Alternatively, post four more answers, and I will downvote all of them plus the one you already have.

Martha

Uh, thanks, but no thank you. :D

RegDwight

Hehe.

Martha

(catching up on chat) Atheism is very much a religion: it requires belief in an unprovable tenet, namely that God does not exist. My sister's father-in-law is a devout atheist. Agnosticism is the one that's not a religion.

Robusto

15:50

@Martha — ZOMG let's not open this Diet of Worms again.

RegDwight

That's precisely why I linked to Atheism.SE.

They have all kinds of interesting opinions there.

13

A: What is the difference between atheism and agnosticism?

Yes, a person can be both. Atheist and agnostic are orthogonal. Gnostic/agnostic refers to, essentially, whether you think one can know definitively. Theist/atheist refers to whether you believe in a god.

Robusto

16:06

@RegDwight — I thought I was thinking what you were saying was what I was thinking you were thinking I was saying, but might have been saying something else even while you were thinking the same thing about saying something diametrically opposed to what I may or may not have been thinking at any given point in time. Just sayin' ... I think.

RegDwight

yesterday, by RegDwight

@Robusto quoting my math professor (again), I think of A, say B, write C, mean D, and E would be correct.

Martha

@Robusto, have a "thwack" just for making my head hurt.

Robusto

@Martha — I have achieved my objective. I am content.

RegDwight

The cool thing about Atheism.SE is that I can vote to close any and all questions with my measly 103 rep.

Just voted to close this one, for instance:

0

Q: Am i required to write God or god?

As a non-believer am i required to write God or can i get away with god? If i do not believe God is real, therefore not a proper noun, i shouldnt have to write God, right?

community advice society

Robusto

@RegDwight Oooh, so did I. Feel the power!

RegDwight

16:09

Harharhar.

Ze collectif invasion of ELU.

Robusto

BTW, you are beating me by 2 rep points on that site atm. Be warned, I am coming after you!

Several months from now I will be up to 106 or 107 and you will be humbled!

RegDwight

I have just edited that question, so unless some bozo rejects my edit, I'll be at 105 in no time. Almost a 2% increase! Fear me!!!

Robusto

[Cowers in fear at @RegDwight's mighty rep!]

RegDwight

Looking at that post, it appears that atheism is a red herring there anyway. The OP just doesn't like to capitalize stuff, period. Be it God or I.

Robusto

@RegDwight — And what is the nemesis of Capitalization? Communization !

RegDwight

16:13

Psshhht. The first and second rule.

Robusto

Hold on, this user moved out of turn. Can we call a tournament director over, please?

d5e5, Brockville, Ontario CANADA

6 1

meaning

I was under the impression that White moved first, and that Black only gets to make one move at a time.

RegDwight

I think we have a dupe:

0

Q: A single word for a psychological bias

What is that psychological bias called when you come across a particular term and then end up finding it everywhere for the next few days?

single-word-requests

8

Q: Word meaning coincidence of reference to the unusual

Most of us have had the experience of stumbling over a new fact or bit of knowledge and then finding several more references to it in the near future. For example, you see a strange word which you're forced to look-up and then the next day the same word appears in the headline of your local pape...

meaning single-word-requests

Any objections?

No?

Robusto

Looks dupish to me.

Voted to close so you don't look too autocratic.

RegDwight

Thank you. You capitalist.

Robusto

I'm a Capitalizationist. I Thought You Knew That.

RegDwight

16:22

I thought I told you you're not supposed to be spreading the word.

Robusto

I'm A Proselytizer, I Can't Help It.

RegDwight

16:49

I bow in Jimi Oke's general direction. I would have never guessed that this question was asking for addition or extra:

1

Q: Need a nominalized synonym for the word "include"

My dictionary lists the following verbs as synonyms for "include": activities include sports and drama incorporate, comprise, encompass, cover, embrace, involve, take in, number, contain; consist of, be made up of, be composed of; formal comprehend. antonym exclude. don't forget to inclu...

word-choice synonyms

I mean, to me, **ex**tra is kind of the exact opposite of **in**clusion.

Robusto

I made a comment at Jimi Oke's answer to that effect. Me, I took one look at that question and fled (after voting you up, btw).

Hell, I just figured you knew what you were talking about.

RegDwight

No, I didn't.

Robusto

Well, you're stuck with my up vote. See what you made me do?

I'm always getting into trouble on your account.

RegDwight

No, you aren't.

Robusto

I'll be the judge of that.

RegDwight

16:59

Anyhow, that is precisely the kind of question the Reversal badge was invented for. Too bad it's upvoted, so Jimi won't be getting his preciousss gold.

Robusto

BTW, clear-headed explanations of the nuclear situation in Japan:

bravenewclimate.com/2011/03/13/fukushima-simple-explanation

Hmm, maybe I'm not quite the Capitalizationist I think I am ...

0

A: Environmental Health and Safety vs Environmental, Health, and Safety guidelines

If the name of the organization is the Environmental Health and Safety, then you would speak of Environmental Health and Safety guidelines: no commas. If the name includes commas, then include them. I doubt that it includes commas.

@Reg: I was expecting more of a reaction out of you for this:

44 mins ago, by Robusto

I was under the impression that White moved first, and that Black only gets to make one move at a time.

You are failing me on so many levels today ...

RegDwight

I didn't even notice that comment. I was busy posting the dupe.

And I am still busy reading that article you linked.

Much of it is all over the media here, but much is not.

Robusto

@RegDwight — What is the German word for "multitasking"?

RegDwight

Multitasking.

Multitasking (Psychologie)

Unter Multitasking (seltener menschliches Multitasking) versteht man die Fähigkeit eines Menschen, mehrere Tätigkeiten zur gleichen Zeit oder abwechselnd in kurzen Zeitabschnitten durchzuführen, so z. B. eine E-Mail zu verfassen und gleichzeitig einem Bericht zuzuhören. Diese Bedeutung des Begriffs ist höchstwahrscheinlich von der technischen Bedeutung (siehe Multitasking) abgeleitet. In den letzten Jahren hat sich der Begriff Multitasking sowohl im angelsächsischen als auch deutschen Sprachraum verstärkt als (zunächst vermutlich eher umgangssprachliche) Beschreibung der menschliche...

Robusto

That's what I thought. I am so disappointed.

RegDwight

17:08

Well, I try to build up that "failing you on so many levels today" momentum.

Robusto

Hmm, less often menschliches Multitasking, huh? I thought there was no distinction between computers and people in Germany.

RegDwight

Human multitasking

Human multitasking is the performance by an individual of appearing to handle more than one task at the same time. The term is derived from computer multitasking. An example of multitasking is listening to a radio interview while typing an email. Some believe that multitasking can result in time wasted due to human context switching and apparently causing more errors due to insufficient attention. Etymology The term "multitasking" was originated in the computer engineering industry. It was used to refer the ability of a microprocessor to apparently process several tasks simultaneously. ...

You started it.

Robusto

1 min ago, by RegDwight

Well, I try to build up that "failing you on so many levels today" momentum.

And, really, what's more important? The situation in Japan or my important fol-de-rol?

RegDwight

That's why I'm more interested in reading that article than your rol-de-fol.

Robusto

2 mins ago, by RegDwight

Well, I try to build up that "failing you on so many levels today" momentum.

RegDwight

17:11

Now I just need to stop useing grammer.

Also, American Dad.

Robusto

Epic Fail!!!!!

RegDwight

Robusto

Hahaha. All right, you are back in my good graces.

And so to lunch. BBL.

RegDwight

Seeya.

I gotta go, too.

valya

18:01

anyone here learns English as a foreign language?

are you told the same thing as russians?

1

Q: do you really answer "how do you do?" with "how do you do?"

We're told in our English classes (learning English as a foreign language) that the only possible answer to How do you do? is to repeat the question: How do you do? (While it's perfectly OK to answer other similar questions How are you? / How are you doing? Fine, ...

questions

no idea which answer to choose

RegDwight

18:33

@valya Just wait. The question is but 36 minutes old.

valya

@RegDwight wait for the awesomest answer?

RegDwight

Either that, or for the community to vote on the existing ones.

0

Q: How long should I keep my questions un-closed?

How long should I keep my questions un-closed? I've already got some answers, but some interesting comments and even some additional answers are still arriving and I wouldn't want that to stop. On the other hand, the questions have basically been answered and I don't feel any urgent need to sta...

support close-reasons

valya

I used to remove my answers (on SO) if they were almost exact duplicates of others' ones and were later

but truth is not so straightforward with philology

RegDwight

That's what makes it so interesting. It's not black and white.

And that's also one of the reasons why I don't participate in SO anymore.

valya

math uses very rigorous and definite proofs, and it's still interesting (at least for me). I think that humanities have to learn from maths

I understand that extremely rigorous proofs aren't always possible in philology, but I enjoy reading books on the subject written by people who respect rigor

RegDwight

18:42

Yeah. What I mean is that most of the questions on SO are black and white. (At least in the tags I used to live in.) There is exactly one correct answer, and more often than not, it only helps the OP. In a sense, most questions there are too localized.

valya

hand waiving is something I dislike the most :-)

@RegDwight yeah, it's really a problem, but not always

@RegDwight I think we should learn how to ask the question in the way it allows to contribute in the answer

I hate then you recommend something out-of-the-question to someone at SO, and he replies "thank you, but I asked how to do it my way". but they have a right to do so, of course

RegDwight

Just tell them about the points.))) "If you ask great questions, you get tons of preciousss!"

valya

and all the internet starts to like you

RegDwight

Yeah, and you get candy

Mar 3 at 11:11, by RegDwight

Candy

Candy, specifically sugar candy, is a confection made from a concentrated solution of sugar in water, to which flavorings and colorants are added. Candies come in numerous colors and varieties and have a long history in popular culture. The Middle English word "candy" began to be used in the late 13th century, coming into English from the Old French çucre candi, derived in turn from Arabic qandi and Persian qand, "cane sugar." In North America, candy is a broad category that includes candy bars, chocolates, licorice, sour candies, salty candies, tart candies, hard candies, taffies, gu...

And unicorns

4 hours ago, by RegDwight

Stack Overflow Blog: What Happens When You Reach 200k Reputation?

Posted by Jeff Atwood on September 1st, 2010

Have you ever wondered what happens when you reach 200,000 reputation?

Just ask Jon Skeet.

Apparently, what happens is … you get a painting of unicorns, signed by us, dedicated to you.

Estimated value? Priceless!

Joel and I actually sat down with Mr. Skeet himself to record Stack Overflow podcast #72 during the London leg of DevDays — in the very Google offices pictured here.

Although we sometimes joke that Stack Overflow was accidentally constructed as the ultimate Jon Skeet honeypot, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention that Jon has a long history of answering people’s questions not just on Stack Overflow, but all over the internet and usenet. Apparently he enjoys learning alongside his peers and teaching others. Which, at least in my mind, is the whole point of Stack Overflow and the rest of the Stack Exchange network. So if we have somehow managed to build the sort of site that attracts people of Mr. Skeet’s caliber, then we have succeeded far beyond my wildest dreams. …

valya

oh I'd like to have a unicorn

RegDwight

18:51

And $100 bills

Stack Overflow Blog: A New Name for Stack Overflow (with surprise ending)

Posted by Joel Spolsky on March 8th, 2011

It’s been a while since we’ve done something arbitrary, complicated, and confusing, so today I’m happy to announce that the name of the company has been changed, effective immediately, to Stack Exchange Inc!

There’s a method behind this madness, of course: we want to emphasize the importance of the 45 sites in our network, which has long since stopped being about programmers:

That, plus, whenever we told The New York Times that we were “Stack Overflow,” they would go to stackoverflow.com and have a heart attack. At least this way people wondering about the company understand that we’re about more than just programmer questions. We have Battlestar Galactica too! …

valya

surprise ending - that's what she said

RegDwight

I can't believe the first mention of "that's what she said" in this chat comes from you and not, oh say, @Robusto.

valya

I'm just trying to conform

RegDwight

Ze Russians are taking over ze world, and they call it "conforming" to cover their tracks.

valya

in soviet russia, ze world takes over you

RegDwight

18:57

Mar 6 at 13:49, by RegDwight

In Soviet Russia,.. ah, screw that.

I wonder what Yakov Smirnoff's up to next.

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