- From: James Graham <jg307@cam.ac.uk>
- Date: Sun, 06 May 2007 12:52:26 +0100
- To: Tina Holmboe <tina@greytower.co.uk>
- Cc: Maciej Stachowiak <mjs@apple.com>, Anne van Kesteren <annevk@opera.com>, Philip & Le Khanh <Philip-and-LeKhanh@royal-tunbridge-wells.org>, www-html@w3.org, public-html@w3.org
Tina Holmboe wrote: > On Sun, May 06, 2007 at 04:21:24AM -0700, Maciej Stachowiak wrote: > >> So there you go. I think bridging the descriptivist/prescriptivist >> philosophical chasm is probably beyond the scope of this mailing list > > If, by "descriptivist philosophy" applied to web standards, you > mean "create a new standard by documenting what people do" - then yes, > I think it impossible to bridge. > > But I'd love to see anyone write a serious dictionary by simply > and mechanically taking down whatever people say and then suggest > everyone else should use it to learn to communicate ... "The aim of the OED is to provide a record of how the English language is and has been used in writing and in speech. Whether a word is new or long obsolete, its meaning can only be determined by looking at examples of it in use. The first step in creating or revising an entry is therefore to collect evidence of words and phrases in use from all over the English-speaking world." [1] [1] http://oed.com/about/writing/ -- "Instructions to follow very carefully. Go to Tesco's. Go to the coffee aisle. Look at the instant coffee. Notice that Kenco now comes in refil packs. Admire the tray on the shelf. It's exquiste corrugated boxiness. The way how it didn't get crushed on its long journey from the factory. Now pick up a refil bag. Admire the antioxidant claim. Gaze in awe at the environmental claims written on the back of the refil bag. Start stroking it gently, its my packaging precious, all mine.... Be thankful that Amy has only given you the highlights of the reasons why that bag is so brilliant." -- ajs
Received on Sunday, 6 May 2007 11:54:19 UTC