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08-09-2009, 09:19 PM,
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RE: Changing forum software
My next campaign will be to reinstate the original meaning of prevent: to come before. Thanks for remembering the CD. Address on its way
χαιρέτε νικὠμεν
Next race(s):
In the lap of the gods
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09-09-2009, 02:46 AM,
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RE: Changing forum software
(08-09-2009, 06:44 PM)El Gordo Wrote: Well done Tom, on a hearteningly accurate use of the word "anticipate". It's one of the most annoying misused words in the language; a victim of the urge many have to prefer a posh sounding word over something simpler. Anticipate doesn't mean "expect", despite the worst impulses of the barbarian hordes.
Well, not according to the OED, anyway. But I think most dictionaries now accept the current use of anticipate to mean "expect". Oxford are just a little slower than most to accept the inevitable.
"Anticipate" is actually useful in the context of expecting something, because it means you merely think it likely; whereas if you use the word "expect", it has a certain implicit obligation, as in "I expect this to happen because I say so". In that sense, if you're not implying some kind of inherent demand, then "anticipate" is very useful.
It's not a war you're going to win, anyhow. Oxford will succumb in a year or two.
Eesnot the end of the world, cobber.
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09-09-2009, 08:39 AM,
(This post was last modified: 09-09-2009, 08:41 AM by El Gordo.)
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El Gordo
Administrator
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Posts: 4,591
Threads: 302
Joined: Feb 2003
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RE: Changing forum software
(09-09-2009, 02:46 AM)Mid Life Crisis Man Wrote: Well, not according to the OED, anyway. But I think most dictionaries now accept the current use of anticipate to mean "expect".
Ah, the inevitable defence.
Here's what happens.
People misuse words.
If enough people misuse a word, it enters that linguistic wrestling ring where each side tries to win the prize.
The game is up if it eventually gets into a dictionary as 'an alternative use' or 'slang' or even helpfully described as 'commonly misunderstood to mean....'.
Hurrah! Now it's in the dictionary, which is where people turn when anxious to defend their vocabulary. "Well the dictionary gives it as an alternative...."
Poor old dictionaries. What are they supposed to do? They have to acknowledge the widespread misuse of a word, and in doing so, give it the credence they are trying to choke off.
Net result is that two perfectly good words with different, but related. meanings, end up being bullied into meaning the same thing.
Infer means roughly the opposite of imply, yet according to the dictionaries, the battle to keep them apart is all but lost. To express the idea of infer, we now have to use several messy little words instead of just one.
Expect - anticipate. Someone somewhere once decided that anticipate sounded a bit brainier than expect, even if they meant different things. The bullying of the word began, until the barbarians got their way.
Disinterested - uninterested.
Alternative - alternate. Grrr. I had a row with the US Runner's World magazine about this one:
Your dream marathon sold out? Fear not! Check out these 13 great alternate races.
I took them to task about their co-destruction of the word but they defended it because it appears in some American dictionary. I looked it up there, and saw that it was listed in a footnote along the lines of "now sometimes used to mean alternative".
And that's all the justification they need. It becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. Misuse something, force the dictionary to acknowledge the misuse, quote the dictionary to justify their misuse.
This morning I handed Runner's World a final note stating that unless we heard from them by 11 o'clock that they were prepared at once to withdraw their misused word and issue a correction, a state of war would exist between us. I have to tell you now that no such undertaking has been received, and that consequently this website is at war with the Rodale barbarians.
Er, where was I...?
Trouble is, we get the 'usage' argument. "But language is dynamic... a living thing.... ever-changing... reflects the changing world in which we live.... " [continued page 94]
I agree with all that. I celebrate new words, and love the malleable nature of language. But some words are just used wrongly -- y'know IN ERROR -- and no one will ever admit it.
You're wrong! All wrong! About everything! I'm right! 
(09-09-2009, 02:46 AM)Mid Life Crisis Man Wrote: It's not a war you're going to win, anyhow.
You're right!
(09-09-2009, 02:46 AM)Mid Life Crisis Man Wrote: Eesnot the end of the world, cobber.
You're wrong!
El Gordo
Great things are done when men and mountains meet.
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09-09-2009, 08:42 AM,
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RE: Changing forum software
Golly! 
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09-09-2009, 08:47 AM,
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RE: Thumbnails or full images?
Yeah thumbnails are fine by me too.
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09-09-2009, 08:49 AM,
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RE: test
I can't even reply to it now either!!
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09-09-2009, 10:15 AM,
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El Gordo
Administrator
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Posts: 4,591
Threads: 302
Joined: Feb 2003
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RE: Changing forum software
[sound of heavy breathing and gentle sobbing]
It's OK, it's, uh, OK..... I think I'm through the worst of it....
Right. Day off work. Am supposed to be 'doing the pond' but instead, I might just bugger about on the computer all day.
That would be a first 
Right, let's bash these forums about a bit.
El Gordo
Great things are done when men and mountains meet.
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09-09-2009, 11:17 AM,
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Reg
Junior Member
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Posts: 2
Threads: 0
Joined: Sep 2009
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RE: test
You may see this fellow, Reg, pop up here and there to help test something. Ignore him.
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09-09-2009, 12:03 PM,
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RE: test
I got an inexplicable PM from Reg. What's that all about then? EG?
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09-09-2009, 12:40 PM,
(This post was last modified: 09-09-2009, 12:43 PM by Mid Life Crisis Marathon Man.)
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RE: test
Other than this "Reg" fellow, all seems back to normal now. Thanks for your efforts EG! 
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09-09-2009, 12:54 PM,
(This post was last modified: 09-09-2009, 12:54 PM by El Gordo.)
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El Gordo
Administrator
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Posts: 4,591
Threads: 302
Joined: Feb 2003
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RE: test
(09-09-2009, 12:03 PM)Mid Life Crisis Man Wrote: I got an inexplicable PM from Reg. What's that all about then? EG?
I'm testing the PM Sent folder problem, and needed a blank one, hence the birth of Reg who. as the name suggests is a mere REGistered user rather than anything more grand.
Hmm, well, a new user with a balnk Sent folder is able to open said folder after creating PMs.
Both MLCM and I, er, sorry, EG, get a SQL error when we click on our Sent folders in PM.
So... seems to be narrowed down to existing users.
The SQL mentioned in the code is:
SELECT uid, username, usergroup, displaygroup FROM mybb_users WHERE uid IN (34,1650,Mid Life Crisis Man,glaconman,anlu247,Seafront Plodder,Sweder,Bierzo Baggie,Moyleman)
It's no surprise it's falling over here, as some of the criteria are numerical IDs, and some names, which doesn't seem right. When I put the names in quotes, it runs successfully, although it only returns the people with the numerical IDs - not surprisingly, as it's only looking for the UID.
Anyway, first of all, I can try to track down where the SQL is being run from, and manually change it. If i can't, perhaps I can delete all the historical PM records from the database -- if people have no objections.....?
El Gordo
Great things are done when men and mountains meet.
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09-09-2009, 12:56 PM,
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RE: test
(09-09-2009, 12:54 PM)El Gordo Wrote: ... If i can't, perhaps I can delete all the historical PM records from the database -- if people have no objections.....?
No objections here.
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09-09-2009, 03:01 PM,
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Sweder
Twittenista
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Posts: 6,577
Threads: 420
Joined: Nov 2004
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RE: Changing forum software
(09-09-2009, 10:15 AM)El Gordo Wrote: [sound of heavy breathing and gentle sobbing]
It's OK, it's, uh, OK..... I think I'm through the worst of it....
Right. Day off work. Am supposed to be 'doing the pond' but instead, I might just bugger about on the computer all day.
That would be a first
Right, let's bash these forums about a bit.
Totally with you re RW.
'Alternate' races would clearly mean 'every other race.'
I toe the Fry-line on language; living, breathing, ever-changing yet ultimately sacrosanct in origin and meaning. New words by all means - Lord knows I make enough up - but not at any cost.
The destruction of language on our early-evening television screens is lamentable if, sadly, inevitable. More power to your elbow Sir!
The harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph
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RE: test