Re: Corruption of Language

[Len Olszewski <saslpo -at- UNX -dot- SAS -dot- COM>]

Dan Dietrich says this:

[...]

>         Outlawing "am/is/are/was/were/be/being/been" or any other "bad words"
> that come to mind (e.g., obscenity, scatology, profanity) won't stop people
> from corrupting other people. If John Sununu couldn't use the passive voice,
> he would NOT suddenly become Mary Poppins. Those who wish to deceive will find
> ways to do so. Educating people about how people use language to manipulate
> others accomplishes far more than attempting to get rid of "bad words."

[...]

Fair enough. However, within the context of discussing techniques like
these as a means to improve the conciseness and clarity of our technical
writing, it becomes a more concrete exercise than simply outlawing bad
words.

I really don't care how John Sununu evades the truth. I'm concerned
about improving the way I communicate the truth in specific mechanical
ways. If the mechanics I use are the result of a philosophical system, I
find that interesting, but secondary to the improvements in my writing.

I *would* like to see Sununu do Mary Poppins, on the other hand. 8^)

|Len Olszewski, Project Manager  |"That boy's about as sharp as a sack|
|saslpo -at- unx -dot- sas -dot- com|Cary, NC, USA|o' wet mice." - Foghorn Leghorn     |
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| Opinions this ludicrous are mine. Reasonable opinions will cost you.|