English Language & Usage: Multi-Layered Discourse Room

JSBangs

18:00

elections are expensive, too. both for the state (which must administer them), and for the candidates (who have to pay for advertising, travel, etc., and therefore must constantly raise money)

Cerberus

Besides, a lot of the money the Queen receives probably goes into maintaining palaces and other national heritage.

RegDwight

@JSBangs 17 million Euro in Germany.

JSBangs

yeah, but you're germans

Cerberus

@JSB: Especially the advertising/campaigning!

JSBangs

we have single states that are bigger than germany

Cerberus

18:00

@Reg: Sorry, again.

RegDwight

@Cerberus Um, nobody advertises Presidents in Germany.

Ah yes.

Cerberus

@JSB: Oh, which states?

RegDwight

JSBangs

@Cerberus Alaska, and probably Texas.

Cerberus

@JSB: Oh. Well I am sure Russia would beat you on any scale then.

RegDwight

18:02

I'm from a city that is bigger than some German states.

JSBangs

there are in fact four states larger than germany

Cerberus

Moscow?

JSBangs

@Cerberus true, russia does have us beat.

Cerberus

Antarctica is also bigger than Germany.

RegDwight

The Pacific Ocean is also bigger than you.

Or is it?

JSBangs

18:03

yes

Cerberus

I think the framework of tectonic plates would be more relevant.

JSBangs

so is the atlantic.

water, there is so much of it

Cerberus

And outer space beats us all! <shakes fist in the Reg-like way>

RegDwight

Freaking water, how does it work?

Cerberus

It just goes to work every weekday, eat its lunch, works some more, then goes home. What's so special about that?

JSBangs

18:05

@RegDwight ask on HowStuffWorks.SE

Cerberus

Just like the Queen.

RegDwight

@Cerberus I didn't say it was special. In fact, I didn't know anything about water, that's why I asked.

@JSBangs I don't think it's out of the Private-Beta phase yet, innit?

Cerberus

@Reg: OK I stand corrected.

RegDwight

Nope, just 3 days old.

3

How Things Work – htw.stackexchange.com

Beta Q&A site for people who want to know the principles of how things work

Currently in private beta.

I like how Joel and Jeff bashed that site on the podcast, even though I have no idea why.

They just said, it probably won't work.

Now that is irony.

JSBangs

what, you don't think there are enough experts in "Things"?

RegDwight

18:08

I dunno. Are you suggesting that they might fail like the Gadgets site did?

Because the scope is too broad?

JSBangs

i don't want to predict, but that seems like one likely outcome

RegDwight

Lemme look at the questions...

How does an ice breaker work?
How do QR codes work?
How does a bee sting work?
How does one make sugarcubes?
How do mirrors reflect light?
How do fingerprint readers work?
How does HIV/AIDS work?

JSBangs

brb

RegDwight

Well, looks like a healthy mix.

Except for the last one, perhaps.

Cerberus

Hah.

Healthy, perhaps—but coherent?

RegDwight

18:13

Well, have you seen the mix on our site?

Q.E.D.

Cerberus

What was to be proved?

RegDwight

That coherency doesn't have anything to do with anything.

It's not the questions that decide the fate of a site.

Cerberus

At least our site is about something, i.e. how various things work in English; theirs is rather limitless as regards fields of interest, sciences, professions, crafts, etc.

RegDwight

"It's the community, stupid."

Cerberus

Okay, I am not saying incoherence is necessarily bad. But it certainly is incoherent!

RegDwight

18:15

Everyone is entitled to my own opinion.

Cerberus

As long as you check it beforehand, too?

RegDwight

You know, incoherency, or let me call it diversity, could be a huge magnet.

If you are interested in French or Chinese, our site is useless for you.

Cerberus

True.

I just wonder whether an incoherent group of people would work.

RegDwight

See above.

Cerberus

What would they chat about? Oh, wait...

RegDwight

18:17

That's what I'm talking about the whole time.

It's not the questions, it's the community.

Cerberus

Well to be honest I like reading questions and answers that interest me, and I dislike those that don't; if I had to pluck the occasional interesting question from a pile of stuff I knew nothing about, how would I ever get to know the other posters?

RegDwight

Still precisely my point.

Cerberus

Oh! I thought your position was the opposite.

RegDwight

You have to actively build a community. On some sites it's easier than on others.

On HowStuffWorks it could be incredibly hard. Or incredibly easy.

I dunno.

Cerberus

Oh ok.

RegDwight

18:20

But on Gadgets, it was next to impossible.

Cerberus

For now I see mostly hardness, but it is always difficult to predict.

RegDwight

Yeah anyway, I only mentioned it because Jeff and Joel were fooling around.

They might know something I don't know.

Cerberus

Yeah.

RegDwight

I suppose you haven't listened to the podcast?

They only mentioned ELU once or twice.

Cerberus

Only?

Is that so little?

RegDwight

18:23

But it was funny, as it turns out that it's the sites that have the least to do with programming that are run by programmers, and vice versa.

Cerberus

Or do they mention other sites of similar size much more?

RegDwight

Cooking and ELU are run by programmers. Math, ComputerScience and TeX aren't.

Cerberus

Really? That is rather strange. Any explanation?

RegDwight

You can actually read a nice summary on the blog.

Stack Overflow Blog: Podcast #88

Posted by Alex Miller on April 20th, 2011

Welcome back to the first episode of the new Stack Exchange Podcast redux! Jumping right back into the old groove, here’s what happens this week:

A special thanks to our friends at SoundCloud for setting us up on their amazing audio sharing platform – you can check out this episode on their site or below (and even leave comments at specific times during the audio).

Also, a big thanks to Friend of George over on Audio.StackExchange.com for the recommendation on live recording software that we’re using for the podcast now. …

@Cerberus Um, I don't think they have come up with any explanation. They kept wondering themselves, in fact.

That is, as far as ELU and Cooking are concerned.

Theoretical CS, that one was easy.

Cerberus

CS?

RegDwight

18:26

computer science.

Everyone knows that it has nothing to do with programming.

But now we finally have a proof.)))

Cerberus

Haha I see.

I like their term "civilians".

I for one feel very civil and civilised.

RegDwight

Hear, hear. A civil and civilised dog.

Uncredible!

Imimaginable!

Cerberus

Believe it or I'll bite your head off.

I mean, never mind.

RegDwight

You ain't got enough heads?

Cerberus

Incidentally, can't you ask those people from the other sites to post some interesting questions here?

We need more.

RegDwight

18:30

I prefer organic growth.

I am advertising our site in my profiles across the network.

Cerberus

I fear that linguistics.se will not be able to get enough questions...

Oh, good.

RegDwight

RegDwight, Europe, GMT+1

152 1 1 9

pc game-rec multiplayer controls health wii-sports wii-sports-resort

RegDwight, Europe, GMT+1

101 1 1 2

Etc.

Cerberus

Very good.

RegDwight

@Cerberus Yeah well, we will probably end up with a rather entry-level site.

Cerberus

Do you also have it on your Facebook profile?

RegDwight

18:32

Not that there's anything wrong with that.

Cerberus

Entry level?

RegDwight

@Cerberus I don't have an FB profile. You should know that by now.

@Cerberus Layman.

Cerberus

Right, I seem to remember that, now that you say so.

I have never denied any laymanship...

Laicity...

RegDwight

Haha.

Cerberus

What is the word?

RegDwight

18:33

Nah, that was a synonym for "entry-level"

Cerberus

FF refuses to recognise my words even though they are great.

Oh, haha.

Well that speaks for itself.

But how lay can you get with linguistics?

I presume ESL questions will be off topic.

RegDwight

As in, there won't be that many questions about Chomskian stuff, but probably lots along the lines of "Is word A in language X related to word B in language Y?"

Cerberus

Oh, that.

RegDwight

Well, unless JSBangs brings like 200 linguists to the site.

Who will keep checking back every day.

JSBangs

that's my job

RegDwight

18:36

Take it seriously.

JSBangs

i don't like HSW for the same reason that i don't like skeptics: they are asking for a kind of question rather than an area of expertise, and this seems doomed to fail to me

Cerberus

Hah yes, 200 would be nice. But would they have any questions?

RegDwight

@JSBangs Ah yes. Check above in case you haven't.

Cerberus

@JSB: Yeah that was exactly my objection as well.

RegDwight

25 mins ago, by RegDwight

How does an ice breaker work?
How do QR codes work?
How does a bee sting work?
How does one make sugarcubes?
How do mirrors reflect light?
How do fingerprint readers work?
How does HIV/AIDS work?

JSBangs

18:37

yeah, i read the above. just wanted to add my agreement

RegDwight

Okay.

Well, at this point we can only wait and see.

Cerberus

Is it true that it's usually the less knowledgeable who ask the questions on our site? I think so; but most unknowledgeable people wouldn't even know what linguistics was, perhaps...

JSBangs

linguistics.se was also merged with NLP and Computational Linguistics, which has a huge overlap with programmers, obviously

RegDwight

@Cerberus Well, that is a merit as much as it is an additional risk factor.

JSBangs

i think our success case is that we start with that population and then bootstrap into the rest of the linguistics world

Cerberus

18:39

@Reg: Rather risky I think!

JSBangs

our other success case is that we get one of the guys on Language Log to mention us

F'x

@RegDwight: you seem like an area51 nerd, so maybe you can help me

I'd like to commit to linguistics, but I have no commitment left

RegDwight

@Fx Well, then follow up on your other commitments first.

Cerberus

@JSB: "We" are linguistics.se, and these cases are so far hypothetical?

RegDwight

@Fx I'm in a similar position, actually.

JSBangs

18:40

@Cerb, yes

F'x

I am committed to the in-beta Board and Card Games, but even though it's past it 90 days in beta, the "slot" hasn't been freed

Cerberus

@JSB: OK.

F'x

@RegDwight and the two other commitments are not yet in beta

RegDwight

@Fx Haha, no way, I am also committed to Board and Card Games who won't let me commit to Linguistics.

F'x

“Le bon usage du français” and Chemistry

Cerberus

18:40

Le bon usage!

RegDwight

@Fx Yes, same here.

@Fx No, not the same here.

Cerberus

Sounds so much better than EUL.

F'x

@RegDwight trouble is, BCG is moribund

JSBangs

@RegDwight lolz, i'm also committed to BCG

RegDwight

@Fx Well, either you just go ahead and ask 10 most stupid questions, or you have to vote more.

The site won't graduate until there are enough people at certain rep levels.

Cerberus

18:42

So can you do anything on a beta site that you could on an adult site?

RegDwight

@Cerberus The rep requirements are lowered, for example.

So 3k = 10k.

F'x

@Cerberus there are adult SE sites? Why wasn't I invited?!

Cerberus

And yes that pun was intentional—she isn't here anyway.

@Reg: Oh OK, so the questions and answers work the same.

RegDwight

@Fx here's your invitation.

73

Everything You Always Wanted to Know about Sex but were Afraid to Ask

Proposed Q&A site for anyone who likes sex and thinks it's a fun and pleasurable thing; anyone wanting to improve his/her sex life.

Currently in commitment.

F'x

regarding voting in beta sites, I voted a lot to help physics.SE graduate, but the SuperDuper Vote Fraud Detector decided that I was a statistical outlier

RegDwight

18:43

Mar 31 at 15:14, by Robusto

What if you're not afraid to ask?

JSBangs

i gather that people who don't like sex, but want to ask why, aren't welcome on the site

RegDwight

Jinx.

F'x

quoting the top-voted comment: “ The largest repository of 13 year olds in the whole internet!”

RegDwight

Well, our ToS won't let them in.

You see Nyuszika around? I don't.

Nyuszika7H, Hungary

1 4

Cerberus

Hey why has she been suspended?

RegDwight

18:46

ToS. Too young. 13.

Cerberus

Oh, was she really 13?

RegDwight

Pay some attention, please.

Cerberus

I thought you were joking.

RegDwight

Never.

Cerberus

Now I would quote some weird stuff of yours if I could be bothered.

RegDwight

18:47

Just ask me and I will do it for you.

18 hours ago, by RegDwight

Авпваойцехрварждоы.

Cerberus

Why ask if one can save oneself the trouble?

But thanks.

RegDwight

0

Q: Does English have "plural" verb forms?

A friend of mine and I were having a linguistics argument (actually, this one), and she brought up as evidence the "plural versus singular conjugation" of the past-tense form of "to be", i.e. "was/were". I'm sure we all know the 6-form conjugation table: I [verb] You (s.) [verb] He/She/One/It ...

conjugation

Cerberus

Yeah just read it.

RegDwight

I suppose JSBangs is taking care of it?

Cerberus

No idea what he wants to know.

RegDwight

18:50

Cause he's nowhere to be seen.

@Cerberus Never stopped @JSBangs before!

JSBangs

i'm here but busy moving my desk

Cerberus

Perhaps his avatar was defeated in a game and needs to walk back all the way from the saving area on the upper floor of the dungeon?

JSBangs

but the answer to his question is "yes"

Cerberus

Or that.

@JSB: But what is his question?

RegDwight

That doesn't matter. Just post a "yes", get your instant +25, then proceed to moving desks.

Cerberus

18:52

Are there plurals? Sure there are... so what is his intention with this question?

RegDwight

@Cerberus What was his intention with the previous question?

What is anybody's intention here anyhow?

You wanted more questions, here you have one. :P

Cerberus

In most cases I can imagine what it would like to be the asker, and what it is that made him wonder.

@Reg: Fair enough.

RegDwight

@Cerberus Whenever you say "most", please don't forget to correct for all the posts that you don't see.

JSBangs

grrr, now my 2nd monitor isn't working

Cerberus

Corrected.

RegDwight

18:54

@JSBangs That's what the Germans call "Jammern auf hohem Niveau."

Cerberus

Growl harder. More like a dinosaur than like a lion.

RegDwight

Complaining on a high level.

JSBangs

aha! it's fixed. the plug wasn't in all the way

desk moving completed

on to answering silly questions

RegDwight

@JSBangs Haha, the answer to every SuperUser question ever.

F'x

@RegDwight: as an intensive Werewolf player, I can confirm your analysis on the Little Girl

as is the key to this game, it balances itself because whatever power you may have, others will find reasonable argumentative power to use it against you

Cerberus

18:57

Hah what was this analysis? (I know the Little Girl.)

RegDwight

@Fx Ha, that's cool, now I know what I will do in the Rive Gauche or Rue Morgue or wherever you are.

Cerberus

Oh...

RegDwight

We will play Little Girls in Paris.

F'x

1

A: Does anyone else use The Little Girl in Werewolf?

I have mostly played the game with this character, almost never without, so I can't really compare. That being said, from our experience as a group, and from my personal experience of having been The Little Girl myself quite often, this character actually isn't all that powerful, and certainly no...

Cerberus

Yes, saying you saw someone kill could be a ploy because you are a werewolf?

RegDwight

18:59

Well, everything could be everything in that game, that's the whole fun.

F'x

well, I discovered only one foolproof way to get any result happening with complete certitude

RegDwight

You could be lying, or pretending to be lying, or pretending to be pretending.

@Fx Do tell.

Cerberus

Oh, one more point: if the wolves kill the girl the night after she accuses them, they basically reveal themselves, so not a good idea—unless they are nearly a majority, in which case it doesn't matter anyway.

F'x

you can always get yourself killed by claiming that you are a werewolf, and that people should just kill you

Cerberus

@F'x: But why would anybody ever do that who understood the game?

RegDwight

19:01

Yeah, I'm trying to wrap my head around that one, too.

Obviously, the villagers don't have to believe you.

JSBangs

@Fx Werewolf as in WoD?

that was the first RPG i ever played

RegDwight

And the wolves know who you are anyhow.

F'x

two reasons: first, having noted that any plan can drastically backfire at this game, I tried to prove to myself that you could (a) be a werewolf, (b) say so openly, (c) win

Cerberus

A werewolf might do it to sow confusion among inexperienced players?

JSBangs

ah, never mind

a different game, which i know under a different name

F'x

19:03

second, just for the fun of looking of incomprehension on other people's face

Cerberus

@F'x: Oh, and were you able to prove a + b can be c?

The second one is a good reason!

F'x

@Cerberus: no, as I say, if you do (a) and (b), you get yourself killed

I do believe it's about the only sure thing in the game :)

Cerberus

Oh OK.

RegDwight

Hm. Gotta try that one out some time.

We're currently more into Battlestar Galactica.

Not sure when I'll get to play Werewolf again.

Cerberus

Well, if you say you saw a wolf, and the wolf gets killed but turned out to be innocent, I believe you will die the next day, unless the game is already over by then.

F'x

19:05

@RegDwight if you manage to make it, I'd be interested to hear about it

RegDwight

Yeah sure, I won't keep it to myself.

F'x

@Cerberus you mean the next day?

Cerberus

Oops yes, day.

By the way, @Reg, is Werefolf fun with 15 people?

F'x

yeah, there are ways around it (“I think I saw…”, “I heard movement in this direction”, …)

RegDwight

@Cerberus Very much so.

Cerberus

19:08

I have never played it with more than 7 I think. Still fun, but a bit short.

F'x

@Cerberus I've played between 10 and 20 person

Cerberus

@F'x: Right, those are good.

Oh, ok; what would you guys say is an optimal number?

I mean, "what would you plural say..."

RegDwight

I mean, you can have many more roles assigned.

Cerberus

Ah yes.

RegDwight

We played it with Amor and the Lovers, e.g.

Cerberus

19:09

We had a mayor, but that didn't really work.

F'x

@RegDwight well, BCG now has enough 200+ rep users :)

185

Board and Card Games – boardgames.stackexchange.com

Beta Q&A site for people who like playing board games, designing board games or modifying the rules of existing board games. Card games, too, because some games really can be classified as both.

Currently in public beta.

Cerberus

What, how do those work, Amor etc.?

F'x

@Cerberus the number of people willingly to play

RegDwight

11

Q: What extra roles have you used with Werewolves?

The standard game Werewolf, has just a few roles: Citizen, Werewolf, Witch, Cupid, Hunter, Seer, Thief. I know there are lots of other roles created. Which roles do you use and what is the impact. Default Roles Citizen, cast a vote during the day. Wolf, citizen, knows other wolves, chose ea...

werewolf roles

He's referred to as Cupid there.

Cerberus

@F'x: Huh what do you mean?

F'x

19:10

my #1 rule is: don't push too hard to coax other people into the game, because reluctant players will make it very unpleasant

I had a few such experiences, and it wasn't fun

RegDwight

True dat.

F'x

speaking of good games, anyone here has ever played “Shadows over Camelot”?

RegDwight

I know someone who has, does that count?)))

F'x

thinking about it because @Cerveza mentions 7 players, and that's the optimal number for that game (and I love it, and haven't played in years)

RegDwight

Hahaha. Cerveza.

That's a good one.

F'x

19:13

@Ike: yes, indeed; shall I push my luck?

RegDwight

That one I don't get.

F'x

Eisenhower, Dwight David

not obvious, but I know noone else famous named Dwight

RegDwight

Oh. Well, that deserves a thwack.

@Fx How about Reg effing Dwight?

Elton John

Sir Elton Hercules John, CBE (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight; 25 March 1947) is an English singer-songwriter, composer and pianist. He has worked with his songwriting partner Bernie Taupin since 1967; they have collaborated on more than 30 albums to date. John received a knighthood from HM Queen Elizabeth II for "services to music and charitable services" and became Sir Elton Hercules John, CBE in 1998. In his four-decade career John has sold more than 250 million records, making him one of the most successful artists of all time. His single "Candle in the Wind 1997" has sold over 33...

F'x

Don't know the guy; is he an eyeware designer, as appears obvious?

RegDwight

@Fx Oh, and the correct spelling in this chat is nöone.

F'x

19:15

@RegDwight you cannot coërce me

RegDwight

@Fx Nah, he's just some knight or something.

@Fx But I can try!

/kick F'x

Did that work?

F'x

@RegDwight I should have known; there's something about him that makes me want to ask him to show me his lance

RegDwight

Hm. It didn't.

F'x

meow

RegDwight

/kick F'x again

F'x

19:17

shrrr

RegDwight

/kick him stronger

F'x

Dumb move! You strain a muscle.

RegDwight

/oh look there's some byutifull wimin outside yor fenetre

It appears that trying to kick F'x actually kicks everyone but F'x.

F'x

face it, you're boring

RegDwight

In that case, I'll go caress my LEGO train for a few minutes.

Cerberus

19:20

Ew.

RegDwight

See, caressing trains summons the dog.

Cerberus

That is quite a long train you have there.

(Yes, empirical research is always commendable.)

F'x

@Cerberus don't feed the trowl

Cerberus

@F'x: Hah my apologies!

RegDwight

Thwack.

Cerberus

19:22

Trowl? Ah, yes! NOW I understand the avatar.

I just unpacked my new mattress. It works!

F'x

how does a mattress not work?

RegDwight

Ew.

Dogs should sleep on hay.

Cerberus

It might kick you into the air. Or refuse to accommodate what Reg was thinking of.

I bought a smallish mattress to sleep in my bathroom when bedroom gets too hot in summer.

F'x

@Cerberus ah, Italy…

Cerberus

I do have this mobile air-conditioning unit, but where to put the exhaust tube?

F'x

19:27

anyway, I'm working hard to get uncommitted from the BCG

0

Q: Good games for playing in a pool

Are there interesting board games out there suitable for playing in a pool (supposing one has a pool, friends, nice weather, and not too many waves in the pool so that cards can stay at relatively fixed positions)? With a deck of floating waterproof playing cards, belote or any other game is pos...

recommendations

Cerberus

@F'x: Amsterdam here. Italy sucks even more, as regards heat.

Brb groceries.

F'x

@Cerberus sorry, mixed you up with @kiamasutra

Cerberus

Haha right.

I sound Eyetalian.

I remember you lived in Sarkozystan.

F'x

@Cerberus still do

but I have a foolproof excuse!

Cerberus

Right. I meant, you said you lived there when we discussed the topic once.

F'x

19:30

I was a card-carrying member of the opposition party when he was elected, which shows I did as much as I could!

Cerberus

You deserved your points!

Will he be reëlected?

AFK.

JSBangs

i have an affection for sarkozy based on nothing more than the fact that lots of people seem to hate him

Cerberus

He is sort of a little Berlusconi in spe...

... who happens to be a sort of Putin!

AFK now really!

RegDwight

@Fx Meh, you didn't do enough, obviously! :P

@Fx And stop stealing my questions!

How am I ever supposed to get out of my commitment?

RegDwight

19:58

Where's @Robusto when you need him?

1

Q: "Some champagne for my real friend, some real pain for my sham friends."

Some champagne for my real friend, some real pain for my sham friends." Is there a name for this kind of sentence?

single-word-requests saying word-games

I suck at telling rhetorical devices apart.

Transcript for

English Language & Usage: Multi-Layer…