[HPFGU-OTChatter] Computer names, question for Amanda

[Jen Faulkner]

On Thu, 5 Apr 2001, Kelley wrote:

> Joanne, would that be Ziggy from "Roseanne"?  That was the first
> thing that came to mind for me...

Jumping in to answer for Joanne, I'm sure she was referring, or would be
terribly surprised if she weren't, to Ziggy, the computer from "Quantum
Leap."  (The show about Sam Beckett, the nuclear physicist who travelled
through time, 'leaping' into different people's bodies and lives, now on
endless repeats on the Sci-Fi channel here in the states...  <grouse>
Sure, they can show QL incessantly, but do they ever show Highlander any
more when I can see it? No-ooo</grouse>.)

> And, speaking of Amanda, I have a general question for her regarding
> editing:  In your experience, what seem to be the most common
> mistakes people make with grammar, syntax, spelling, and so forth?  I
> often notice the same few words misspelled (usually in the same way)
> over and over (I seem to find 'definite' spelled 'definate' more than
> any other, but perhaps that's just one I always notice), and lots of
> misuse with 'there, they're, and their', 'your' and 'you're', 'to'
> and 'too' (less so with 'two'), etc.  

Now answering for Amanda, who is of course perfectly capable of
answering for herself, and has.  :)  Anything with an apostrophe is just
bound to be a disaster, it seems.  (I know several peeps have mentioned
this now, but oh, I wanted to rant about it too... *g*) In email, in
fanfic, in professionally produced written materials (such as ads)...  
Most things I can let go, in terms of grammar (which even some quite
intelligent people seem to think is spelled 'grammer'...), since I
figure their usage is just mimicking speech (that/which mistakes, for
example), since I like to be descriptivist, or spelling, but the
apostrophe mistakes really annoy me, since there's a very logical system
at work (unlike other parts of English, where there is a system but it's
not half as easy to discern), one that is quite easy to follow, and it
actually makes a difference in meaning.  Mostly it just annoys me though
-- I've long refused to patronize any business offering, for example
'shoe's half-price' or 'large tomatoe's'.  Rrrr.

On the whole though, this group (and HPFGU) have the largest collection
of people who can spell, punctuate and capitalize, and put a sentence
together with proper syntax I've ever seen on a mailing list, with the
exception of the Classics list.  I've never understood how people can be
that inarticulate and incomprehensible in posting without any guilt at
all... And in fanfic, especially.  To tie this post in with the fanfic
thread, I do refuse to read any fic posted with a substantial number of
mechanical errors.  I've seen arguments that to do that means one might
miss out on some really good fic; I have serious doubts about that.  If
the author didn't care enough about the fic to ask someone to beta just
for mechanics, I highly doubt she's paid much attention to style or
other larger issues of writing (pace, characterization, plot, etc.).  So
wherein lies the good, I ask?

Dear me, that was a ranty post, wasn't it?  Oops...  

--jen :)

* * * * * * 
Jen's HP fics:
http://www.eden.rutgers.edu/~jfaulkne/hp.html
Snapeslash listmom: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/snapeslash
Yes, I *am* the Deictrix.