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"Ain't no thang" can also "convey clearly what a person really means". Comprehensibility is a function of audience. This fact doesn't resolve the issue.
Apart from that, while 24/7 may require less characters on a page, it arguably requires the reader to do more work. 24/7 looks like a mathematical equation, but it isn't. It is numbers playing the role of words. When I read 24/7, my brain has translate it into "twenty-four-seven". After this, my brain has to ask, "twenty-four over seven" of what?
Apart from that, where Americans may say 24/7, Brits apparently say "around-the-clock", and some countries say "nonstop". In short, 24/7 arguably doesn't lend itself well to internationalization.
-----Original Message-----
From: techwr-l-bounces+lporrello=illumina -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com [mailto:techwr-l-bounces+lporrello=illumina -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com] On Behalf Of B.J. Smith
Sent: Monday, May 07, 2012 11:35 AM
To: peter -at- galley -dot- ie
Cc: techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
Subject: Re: 24/7 or 7/24?
Peter, I understand that you would prefer to not use either, which of course is your prerogative.
Like it or not, though, "24/7" can convey clearly what a person really means.
It just uses fewer characters than some other ways of saying the same thing.
B.J.
On 5/7/2012 12:20 PM, Peter Hirons wrote:
> I would never use either. Say what you really mean "available round
> the clock, 7 days a week" or just "Always on".
>
> Peter
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