# Found this layin' around



## twyg (May 8, 2002)

I'm probably opening pandora's box here, but check this out.


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## sithious (May 8, 2002)

that ought to be an official button for threads that suck ... lol


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## Valrus (May 8, 2002)

Fantastic. I'm savin that on my hard drive and using it whenever the opportunity arises.

-the valrus


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## googolplex (May 8, 2002)

Heh, thats amazing. Just the look on his face.


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## satanicpoptart (May 8, 2002)

hahahahahahaha oooooo my god that is hilarious


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## ksuther (May 8, 2002)

I'm sure we'll be needing this in the future


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## BlingBling 3k12 (May 8, 2002)

i feel like using that on a couple of threads right now!


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## googolplex (May 8, 2002)

I keep coming back to this thread and laughing. Where did you get that from twyg!!!


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## ksuther (May 8, 2002)

Last time I checked, you ended a question with a '?', also known as a question mark googol 
Sorry, couldn't help it.

I'm definitely saving that pic for when it's useful here


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## googolplex (May 8, 2002)

Oh be quiet .


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## nkuvu (May 8, 2002)

? = huh
! = bang
# = hash
~ = squiggle or wiggle
' = tick
` = backtick
\ = whack
/ = slash
#! = shebang

Get it straight, ksuther.


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## Valrus (May 8, 2002)

High five, ksuther! 

-the valrus


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## googolplex (May 8, 2002)

Valrus, I dont think "High Five, ksuther!" is proper grammar as that is a sentance fragment.

"Sorry, Couldn't help it" isn't a sentance either ksuther.

And maybe you should have said that you were saving that picture for a time when it would be useful here, instead of "for when it's useful here".

Oh yes, one more thing. You should probably capitalize your name, Valrus, when you sign your posts. Your username is capitalized.



Is that enough grammar police?


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## Valrus (May 8, 2002)

You brought down the thunder, googolplex. 



> _Originally posted by googolplex _
> *Valrus, I dont think "High Five, ksuther!" is proper grammar as that is a sentance fragment.*



While we're at it, I don't think  is a proper punctuation mark either. Moving on though...

That was an imperative statement, not a full-fledged sentence. As such, it was as legitimate as, _for example_, "Piss off, gplex!" 

Also, "don't" should have an apostrophe in it.

That sentence was redundant, too. You could have said "Valrus, 'High five, ksuther!' is a sentence fragment."



> *"Sorry, Couldn't help it" isn't a sentance either ksuther.*



Oh, and, of course, it's "sentence," not "sentance."



> *And maybe you should have said that you were saving that picture for a time when it would be useful here, instead of "for when it's useful here".*



The period goes inside the quotation marks.



> *Oh yes, one more thing. You should probably capitalize your name, Valrus, when you sign your posts. Your username is capitalized.*



By the same reasoning, I think, your username should be capitalized, since you're using it as a proper noun. I think that with this one we can both get away with calling it "artistic license," à la e.e. cummings. 



> *
> Is that enough grammar police? *



Yes, I think it is.

-the valrus

p.s. Tell me if I'm being too much of a pompous ass and I'll stop.


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## nkuvu (May 9, 2002)

> The period goes inside the quotation marks.


I've had long disputes about this with English teachers and other grammar police.  It's getting to be more and more accepted to use the period outside the quotes.  The trend is mainly due to computer usage.

For example, if you are giving instructions on directory listings, it is more precise to write


> Type "ls -l".


than the potentially confusing


> Type "ls -l."



Note that the second "proper" form leads one to believe that the command to be entered includes a . at the end, which is incorrect and will cause an error.

I almost never use the . inside the quotes, since a lot of my writing is technical writing, and I'd hate to be confusing someone...

Not that this is important or anything...


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## Valrus (May 9, 2002)

Good point nkuvu. There do seem to be a lot of cases where it's more appropriate to put the punctuation outside the quotes. But let's face it, I was just trying to be a jerk and correct everything I possibly could. 

-the valrus


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## simX (May 9, 2002)

I learned more English grammar in French class and Italian class than I ever did in a regular English class.   Figures.

How I love Italian, though.  There are not nearly as many exceptions (though there still are many), and it's really nice to be able to leave off the subject in any sentence.

By the way, I'd just like to point out then when you use quotes with normal conversation, the period always goes inside the quote, no matter if it's becoming more accepted to put it outside the quote in the case of giving Terminal commands.


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## Hypernate (May 9, 2002)

SimX, I think you've come across one of the oddities one learns in school. English class teachers you jack-all about grammar! I only learned proper English grammer in my French and German classes, which can be unfortunate when I capitalize ALL nouns when I'm writing in english. C'est la vie. Das macht alles.


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## Paragon (May 9, 2002)

Where I come from (Denmark) you always use the punctuation outside the quote. Why would this be any different in english. In fact I just looked it up in the "Oxford advanced learner's dictionary", and it says that unless you end the quote with a "?" or "!" you put the punctuation mark outside the quote.


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## ladavacm (May 9, 2002)

> _Originally posted by Paragon _
> *Where I come from (Denmark) you always use the punctuation outside the quote. Why would this be any different in english. In fact I just looked it up in the "Oxford advanced learner's dictionary", and it says that unless you end the quote with a "?" or "!" you put the punctuation mark outside the quote. *



As to why, it is probably because English is not Danish, and the orthography rules for punctuation differ.

As to Oxford Dictionary vs. Chicago Manual of Style, it is probably because UK English is not US English, and the orthography rules for punctuation differ.

Should I keep picking the nit?


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## Valrus (May 9, 2002)

Yes. I'd prefer not to be proven wrong, escpecially since I'm pretty sure I'm right. 

-the valrus


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## twyg (May 9, 2002)




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## nkuvu (May 9, 2002)

Valrus, I think you're right, but I'd have to dig out my Little, Brown Handbook to be sure.  (That's a very good reference book, by the way, and the title refers to authors not physical characteristics)

Anyway, the currently accepted standard is to have the punctuation inside the quotes, AFAIK.  But standards change to reflect the times.  So when everyone uses words or does things a certain way, even the 'standards' groups must adapt to conform to popular opinion at some point.  For example, think of the sheer number of words associated with computers that have been coined in the last decade.  The dictionary committees eventually put those words into print since there is a common usage and agreed meaning.


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## ksuther (May 9, 2002)

Can we use html tags to put the image straight into the thread?

Hrmph, I tried, but it doesn't work. simX, you got it to work, how did you do that piece of magic?


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## googolplex (May 9, 2002)

That was exactly what I was starting to think twyg.


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## nkuvu (May 9, 2002)

> _Originally posted by ksuther _
> *Can we use html tags to put the image straight into the thread?
> 
> Hrmph, I tried, but it doesn't work. simX, you got it to work, how did you do that piece of magic?  *


When you type out a reply, do you look at the buttons above the main text field?  Or did you disable those?

Either way, there is an IMG tag to be used like bolding and italics and URLs.  Of course, that doesn't mean that everyone sees those images in the message body.  I turned that off (modem connection, doncha know) and see a link to the image instead.


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## Valrus (May 9, 2002)

Aww, you're all just _itching_ to use that picture, aren't you?

-the valrus


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## nkuvu (May 9, 2002)

I was itching, but I got some lotion and now I'm all better.


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