On Mon, Mar 04, 2002 at 08:30:54PM -0500, Peter Leftwich wrote:
>
> What has always bugged me is the disgraceful grammar that both the
> so-called "hackers" and their critics employ flagrantly.
>
> Case-in-point: I would change the following, 'What always bugged me was how
> poor spelling these so called "hackers" display,' to 'What always bugs me
> is the poor spelling habits of these so-called "hackers."' ;-)

That isn't the same sentiment. 'Poor spelling habits' can refer to any
number of spelling problems: consistent, improper spelling, inconsistent
spelling, or the use of foreign spelling (since users.uk.freebsd.org is
a British server, an example of this would be use of the American
spelling 'theater' instead of 'theatre').

It is best to say, "It always bugs me that these so-called 'hackers'
display such poor spelling." Move the verb, 'bug', into the
present-tense (since otherwise you are no longer bugged), preserve the
object (an action performed by the hackers, rather than their character
traits) and keep the sentence active.

Of course this matter should die now. I offer my apology for keeping the
thread alive long enough to submit my own point of view, but I couldn't
resist. :)

-- 
Andrew Hesford, Washington University
ajh3cec.wustl.edu, jesterusrlib.org
:- Fortune of the Moment -:
Psychiatrists say that one out of four people are mentally ill.  Check
three friends.  If they're OK, you're it.
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