Comments on: What is The Matrix?

By: Dodo

Dodo — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 20:06:22 +0000

Ah HA!!! I was hoping you'd catch that!!!

By: barneyb

barneyb — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 20:04:59 +0000

@Dodo

Your semicolon use was improper; it makes me sad. ; ) Except when used as a list delimiter (super-comma style and which I don't care for), the clauses on either side must be viable sentences on their own. I.e. the semicolon replaces a period (not a comma) to relate two sentences together more closely than just their sequential nature. E.g.:

I'm taking a vacation. I've earned it.

I'm taking a vacation; I've earned it.

By: Jake Munson

Jake Munson — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 20:01:15 +0000

I guess it's a matter of perspective then. If you are like me and just want to help people learn a language quickly, you'd probably like a pure language better. But if you enjoy finding "gems" in the muck, then English is a gold mine. :)

By: barneyb

barneyb — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 19:57:36 +0000

@Jake Oh, I know all about how insane American English is. I've a three year old and a five year old, so proper language usage is a constant theme in my life. My favorite rule is "I before E, except after C or when sounded like A or if it's 'weird'." But then you get those nice pure aspects; it's like finding a gemstone in the sludge. You might find more gems in a "cleaner" language, but you'll appreciate them less because of it.

By: Jake Munson

Jake Munson — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 19:50:00 +0000

If you think English has delicacies, you should try a more pure language like Italian or Chinese. I should clarify...American English. It has a lot of cool stuff, but it's very tainted because of the melting pot our country went through. English is one of the world's hardest languages to learn because there are many things in it that are arbitrary. I used to teach basic English in Italy, and it was very frustrating to have to tell the students, "There really isn't a grammatical rule for why this particular word is spelled this way...you just have to memorize it. I know it breaks all the OTHER rules I've told you, but that's just the way it is."

By: Dodo

Dodo — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 18:21:11 +0000

I won't pretend to know EXACTLY what you allude to in the first paragraph, though I do know the three of whom you speak. And you must know I'll do anything in my power to lessen your suffering.

On the next subject, your thoughts of semicolons is interesting; very interesting. I know I'll be more aware of them in the future.

Love ya!

By: marc esher

marc esher — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 12:06:01 +0000

I'm sure you see the irony here: giving up control in the first paragraph, but then in the second paragraph, embracing the ultimate in control… the all-powerful semicolon. Nary a punctuation mark exerts such control over the flow of a sentence. Periods are sledgehammers…. "stop, dogs stop. go dogs go". Semicolons, though… "Pause, dear reader, and saver. not too long… wait for it… wait for it…. ok, you may proceed. with caution. Because I might throw that shit atcha again, son. Tread carefully through the garden of my words".

I'm quite curious what spawned this thread Barney; perhaps you'll share that some day.