Re: basics
Paul Kennedy (kennedyp@toronto.cbc.ca)
Mon, 12 Jul 1999 18:31:39 -0400 (EDT)
I can't believe that I'm now contributing to a thread that basically boils
down to some sort of stupid discussion about our apparently irreconcilable
opinions on the topic of "SIZE MATTERS".... In other words, do we
prefer/allow/acknowledge/read/whatever BIG letters or LITTLE letters, or
some combination of the two....
In which context, Jason (oops 'jason') proclaimed:
>> If you want to be read, make your posts readible.
>
>n'uff said
>
>-jason
>
>
>
It reminded me of the fabulous Kiwi professor of literature who taught the
survey course in English classics (Beowulf to Ted Hughes....) when I was a
freshperson.... (Freshman? I've actually grown quite attached to the penis
between my legs, but I won't even dare ask Scottie what he thinks this might
'mean'.....) Somebody in the class expressed disdain that marks had been
deducted from an undergraduate essay for a collection of split
infinitives.... Our teacher (and he was actually one of the few to deserve
that honoured title) allowed as how it was acceptable to brazenly break any
and all rules if readers could be confident that the author actually knew
what he or she was doing. DON'T DEFY A LAW THAT YOU DON'T APPARENTLY FIRST
UNDERSTAND....
I guess I'm ultimately agreeing with Scottie (and Jason..... er, jason....)
But I'll personally continue to pick and choose the postings that I read in
the bananafishbowl. (I'd actually assumed that NOBODY--except maybe
Camille--reads everything that's posted.) (Camille, I sometimes suspect,
POSTS everything herself, under a complex series of code names....) And
'legibility' will be ONE of the factors that gets filtered into the choice.
It might not be as high on my personal list as it obviously is on
Scottie's.... But I'm reliably informed that after the age of 45 a person
can go blind reading e. e. cummings exclusively.... (Any and all veiled
comparative references to what we used to call 'self-abuse' are solely in
the minds of the self-abusers!)
Oh my god! (NB the lower case I decided to use for the deity!) I've just
had a flash that reminded me about a previous posting in which I actually
QUOTED mr. cummings--probably in reference to precisely this issue.... It's
the Altzheimmers, I swear.... Could somebody call the hearse?
Cheers,
Paul