more peeves

Subject: more peeves
From: Matt Hicks <matt -at- UNIDATA -dot- UCAR -dot- EDU>
Date: Mon, 22 Aug 1994 11:04:32 -0600

Haven't seen anyone mention any of these yet (probably a couple of them
int the pipe though):

functionality - "Version 1.2 has all the functionality of version
1.1, but it adds spreadsheet functionality to its
suite of operations." (Yes, I get sentences like this.)

instantiate - I had a long debate with one of our programmers over
the validity of this word. He admits that it's not
in any dictionary, but insists that it has a
subtlety of meaning that differentiates it from "create".
He claims it used when one "creates an instance of
class of widgets that has been previously defined; you
instantiate the widget." I say you create the
widget; he disagrees vehemently. He calls this
evolution of the language; I call it another
instance of redundant jargon.

usage - as in "usage of `thru'"; what's wrong with `use'?

randomly - Very popular with students at MIT when I was there
in the early 80s. It was generally used like this:
"I had seen her randomly around campus, once or
twice before."

Lastly, what about putting things in _quotes_ for emphasis. No "dogs"
allowed. I saw at least three examples of this practice yesterday (of
course, I can't remember any of them specifically, but that's how it
goes.)

-----------------------------------------------------------------
Matt Hicks, Tech. Writer, Unidata * I may not agree with what you
Boulder, CO, (303)497-8676, ******* say, but I'll defend to the
matt -at- unidata -dot- ucar -dot- edu ************* death my right to mock you.


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