TO: MACR
FROM: TOLO
DATE: 14 Oct 94
SUBJECT: f u cn rd ths u cn gt a gd jb

I agree!

Tom Love 45N, 123W
Dept. Soc/Anth
Linfield College
McMinnville, OR 97128
tlove at linfield.edu

On Fri, 14 Oct 1994, Mark Crotteau wrote:

> In response to Michael Price's recent posting in which he states that he
> he lacks the temerity to suggest that everyone use the four-letter bird
> name codes, yet insists that it saves his so much time when typing up
> reports, I would like to point out the fundamental illogic of this
> statement. What good does it do to save time typing up a message if the
> majority of those receiving the message do not understand it? This to
> me is a much worse annoyance than some of the spelling and grammatical
> errors that others have complained about. At least in most of these
> cases, we all understand what the person is trying to say. Which brings
> me to my next topic.
>
> Everyday when I turn on the monitor of the computer where I work I see
> the message at the top of the screen, "There is no logmsg data." I have
> no idea what logmsg data is (an abbreviation akin to the four-letter words
> cited above, but one which I don't need to know). What I do know is that
> if there WERE any logmsg data, THEY would be plural. A minor annoyance
> you might say, and be right to a degree, but careless use of the language
> can obscure thought and hinder communication. For example, Lisa Smith is
> correct: further is not a new form a farther. Farther refers only to
> physical distances; further to more abstract matters. I would argue that
> to confuse the two diminishes clarity of communication in English.
>
> To return to the original point, I find many of the acronyms so common in
> current English to be an annoyance at best and a hindrance to communication
> at worst. I don't deny myself the time it takes to write out bird names,
> even for my own personal notes. If I need to abbreviate, I can say, for
> example, starling and know that European Starling is indicated. R-w
> Swallow would even be a suitable abbreviation to denote Northern Rough-
> winged Swallow. I know that's a particularly nasty one to write out. My
> point is we can abbreviate to a point in communication with our fellow
> birders, but the four-letter codes go beyond what can be readily understood
> by all. I subscribe to several lists, some of which are not bird-related.
> In scanning the subject lines the other day I ran across "HEGU X GWGU." I
> didn't realize till later that it had anything to do with birds.
>
> Mark Crotteau
> Pullman, WA (a recognizable abbreviation) <crotteau at wsuvm1.csc.wsu.edu>
>