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    On being pedantic...

    Recently I have seen the word "depreciate" bandied about a lot on Linux forums when what the poster actually means is "deprecate." Similar but different:


    depreciate
    • transitive verb
    • 1 : to lower in honor or esteem often depreciates the importance of her work
    • 2a : to lower the price or estimated value of depreciate propertyb : to deduct from taxable income a portion of the original cost of (a business asset) over several years as the value of the asset decreases

    deprecate
    • transitive v. To express disapproval of; deplore.
    • transitive v. To belittle; depreciate.


    • v. To belittle or express disapproval of.
    • v. To declare something obsolescent; to recommend against a function, technique, command, etc. that still works but has been replaced.
    • v. To pray against.
    Stepping down from my soapbox...
    If you think Education is expensive, try ignorance.

    The difference between genius and stupidity is genius has limits.

    #2
    LOL, sort of ironic that the meanings are similar in this use case: lowered value vs. obsolete.

    My least favorite is your vs. you're followed closely by there, their, and they're.

    Of course, these sorts of things are often a function of thinking ahead of what one is actually typing or a spell-check foul.

    Please Read Me

    Comment


      #3
      It's and its, to and too... (speaking of ellipses, it's three periods, not any random number and definitely not commas.) I have been married to an English Major(Conan the Grammarian) for 28 years. Language should be precise, and in technology it has to be precise.
      If you think Education is expensive, try ignorance.

      The difference between genius and stupidity is genius has limits.

      Comment


        #4
        As a retired English teacher, I agree, but would add that language does change. In British English, for example, no one uses whom to open an oral question anymore. It was simply dropped years ago. As for technological language, one has to constantly be aware of new vocabulary. How old is the word emojis, for example? The spell checker on this site underlines it in red.

        Comment


          #5
          Conan the Grammarian
          LOL

          For sure English is a living language. I simply cannot get my daughter to use "Sarah and I" instead of "Me and Sarah"...
          ...(long sigh).

          Totally agree that precision is required when speaking of technical things. I write constantly and I am in a very technical field. I regularly have to argue the fine points of wording when a team is preparing a document.

          Please Read Me

          Comment


            #6
            The older I get the more contrary my fingers become. They often don't type what my mind is thinking.
            "A nation that is afraid to let its people judge the truth and falsehood in an open market is a nation that is afraid of its people.”
            – John F. Kennedy, February 26, 1962.

            Comment


              #7
              Originally posted by GreyGeek View Post
              The older I get the more contrary my fingers become. They often don't type what my mind is thinking.
              I heard that, I get dyslexic if I think too far ahead.
              If you think Education is expensive, try ignorance.

              The difference between genius and stupidity is genius has limits.

              Comment


                #8
                Originally posted by SpecialEd View Post
                I heard that, I get dyslexic if I think too far ahead.
                When I do that my fingers start leaving out words ...
                "A nation that is afraid to let its people judge the truth and falsehood in an open market is a nation that is afraid of its people.”
                – John F. Kennedy, February 26, 1962.

                Comment


                  #9
                  I just blame it on the keyboard... (one extra dot to end the sentence)

                  Comment


                    #10
                    Originally posted by SpecialEd View Post
                    (speaking of ellipses, it's three periods, not any random number and definitely not commas.)
                    Uh oh ... don't tell vinny!
                    I'd rather be locked out than locked in.

                    Comment


                      #11
                      Originally posted by SecretCode View Post
                      Uh oh ... don't tell vinny!
                      I have never clamed to be abel to spell,punctuate or have any concept of corect gramer ,,,,,,,,and purposfuly left all this un spell checked

                      indeed at 55 (as of july 9th) years old I still spell at a 3.5-4th grade level , but read at a colage level + I am disgraphick , I cant spell that eather .

                      O and my mom was a english teacher at one time and still tryes to hamer gramer into me .

                      LOL

                      VINNY
                      i7 4core HT 8MB L3 2.9GHz
                      16GB RAM
                      Nvidia GTX 860M 4GB RAM 1152 cuda cores

                      Comment


                        #12
                        Vinny, your knowledge and experience, far exceeds what ever issues you have at the keyboard. My post was not directed at anyone in particular, just pet peeves of mine and therefore my problem, so-to-speak.

                        Rock on
                        If you think Education is expensive, try ignorance.

                        The difference between genius and stupidity is genius has limits.

                        Comment


                          #13
                          I always liked grammar and spelling. Maybe because I'm a math-guy in-drag and like structure. What worries me now at this advanced age is when I see a word misspelled, I look at it, and the incorrect spelling often makes sense to me!, and I can't get the incorrect spelling out of my mind for awhile. WTH is that!
                          An intellectual says a simple thing in a hard way. An artist says a hard thing in a simple way. Charles Bukowski

                          Comment


                            #14
                            Originally posted by SpecialEd View Post
                            Vinny, your knowledge and experience, far exceeds what ever issues you have at the keyboard. My post was not directed at anyone in particular, just pet peeves of mine and therefore my problem, so-to-speak.

                            Rock on
                            Exactly!

                            Linux is a meritocracy, and Vinny has more merit than most. Besides, he makes perfect sense to me! (And so does Woodsmoke!)
                            "A nation that is afraid to let its people judge the truth and falsehood in an open market is a nation that is afraid of its people.”
                            – John F. Kennedy, February 26, 1962.

                            Comment


                              #15
                              Originally posted by SpecialEd View Post
                              Vinny, your knowledge and experience, far exceeds what ever issues you have at the keyboard. My post was not directed at anyone in particular, just pet peeves of mine and therefore my problem, so-to-speak.

                              Rock on
                              Originally posted by GreyGeek View Post
                              Exactly!

                              Linux is a meritocracy, and Vinny has more merit than most. Besides, he makes perfect sense to me! (And so does Woodsmoke!)
                              <blush>------------------------

                              VINNY
                              i7 4core HT 8MB L3 2.9GHz
                              16GB RAM
                              Nvidia GTX 860M 4GB RAM 1152 cuda cores

                              Comment

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