I must apologize to those who were expecting a second posting of this topic. After giving it a considerable thought and from advice from friends on the List, I have decided to desist from posting a second part. In the first part, I dealt mainly with words used by some of us. Some considered it as "bart boo Juob... ", while others thought I was merely "driving my chicken". I have no intention of demeaning anybody on this List. To do so would be to debase myself, because to haggle on such issues is the lowest form of intelligent discuss. All I wanted was for all of us to write in a way that every recipient of our postings would understand without trying to "split the Latin from the Greek" in some of the words we use.
I would not have said a word had the Gambia-L been a Specialized Academic Newsgroup, where every one on it, is expected to understand what is written. I mentioned the Crab Island School dropout in part 1, and that was to draw the attention of all of us to realize that there are recipients of our postings who would have problems grasping what we write, when written in that "style". In part two I had wanted to deal with our handling of phrases.
To those who disliked what I wrote, I can only say that I am very sorry and ask them (in their style of writing) to temper their exasperation with a modicum of punctiliousness. (Modou Sanyang, this is for your garden, Sorry). I ask your exoneration for saying things this way. Furthermore, I have reproduced below a phrase generator, which was invented by the Canadian Defence Department.
GROUP ONE GROUP TWO GROUP THREE
0 Integrated Management Options
1 Overall Organizational Flexibility
2 Systematized Monitored Capability
3 Parallel Reciprocal Mobility
4 Functional Digital Programming
5 Responsive Logistical Concept
6 Optimal Transitional Time-phrase
7 Synchronized Incremental Projection
8 Compatible Third-generation Hardware
9 Balanced Policy Contingency
(from "The Complete Plain Words" by Sir Ernest Gowers, HMSO, 2nd Ed, 4th impression, page 223)
The idea of this Buzz-phrase Generator is that you choose any 3-digit and you get yourself a correct phrase. One word from every group. For example 135 will produce "Overall reciprocal concept". The words, in this phrase generator are in no way "poopi-nak". It is when they are put together to form a phrase, that's what calls for a paracetamol.
Prince
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L
Web interface at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
|