Re: [desktop] Motto
On Tue, Jun 10, 2003 at 11:35:29PM -0500, Branden Robinson wrote:
> On Tue, Jun 10, 2003 at 10:51:25PM -0500, Joel Konkle-Parker wrote:
>> This obviously isn't that big of a deal, but I suggest that the
>> Debian-Desktop project motto be changed from "Software which Just Works"
>> to "Software that Just Works". Good grammar and all that.
> AIUI, you'd be wrong to suggest that.
> "That" following a noun is only incorrect grammar if there's a comma
> between the preceding noun and the word "that".
Branden,
Did you misunderstand Joel's suggestion to change from which
to that? There are no commas anywhere, and his suggestion
is that "which" is incorrect. I believe "software that just
works" is a much better fit and reflects that "just works"
is a defining characteristic of the software.
I think your second 'acceptable' (and the motto with
'which') is discouraged usage, backed up by:
http://www.sfwriter.com/ow10.htm
http://emd.athabascau.ca/html/editors_guide_3.htm
http://bmj.com/advice/stylebook/tbook.shtml
http://www.stcwvc.org/galley/april/grammar.htm
http://www.cbc.ca/news/indepth/words/mayhem.html
http://142.206.72.66/1999/10_oct/0700-e.htm
and that "nonstandard" is too generous; it is just wrong.
-neil
> E.g.:
> ACCEPTABLE: The dog, which had bitten my leg the week previously, turned
> out to have rabies.
> ACCEPTABLE: The dog which had bitten my leg the week previously turned
> out to have rabies.
> ACCEPTABLE: The dog that had bitten my leg the week previously turned
> out to have rabies.
> NONSTANDARD: The dog, that had bitten my leg the week previously, turned
> out to have rabies.
> --
> G. Branden Robinson | Imagination was given man to
> Debian GNU/Linux | compensate for what he is
> not, and
> branden@debian.org | a sense of humor to console
> him for
> http://people.debian.org/~branden/ | what he is.
Reply to: