Re: [OT] Yet Another Language Issue (wa: imap with claws mail problem)
On Sat, 08 Oct 2011 23:28:44 +0100, Joe wrote:
> On Sat, 8 Oct 2011 19:37:03 +0000 (UTC) Camaleón <noelamac@gmail.com>
> wrote:
>
>> On Sat, 08 Oct 2011 19:25:03 +0200, Tony van der Hoff wrote:
>>
>> > On 06/10/11 17:33, Camaleón wrote:
>> >> OTOH, I dunno how Claws manages this,
>>
>> > Camaleón, I know English isn't your first language, although you
>> > write it extremely well. I hope, therefore, that you won't take
>> > offence at my picking you up on the ghastly contraction "dunno". The
>> > correct usage is "I don't know".
(...)
>> I will try to get used to a more polite speaking, but I will have to
>> discard from my mind all that "AFAIK, IIRC, AFAICT...", which make me
>> write a bit faster and do less typos ;-)
>>
>>
> I don't think it's a matter of politeness, and I doubt that Tony is
> offended, but its usage in Britain is usually by, how can I put this,
> lazy people who can't be bothered to speak clearly, who might say 'fink'
> rather than 'think', because the 'th' sound is slightly harder to make.
> 'Dunno' is the vaguely sullen one-word answer that a small boy might
> give when asked 'who broke the window?', while looking down and kicking
> the ground.
Ah, I see what you mean.
But English is an idiom full of contractions because English is very
focused on "practicality" (it's a very technical language) more than
caring in grammaticalities, good sounding and/or strict rules.
So would you bother if I write "you're" instead of "you are"? I hope you
don't. And don't you find it's the same for "dunno"? I do. I mean, I
don't think "dunno" can equate with, for example, "more4less", "I love u
2" or something like that, a common slang used by young people and also
for SMS/Twitter messaging, which I also try avoid as much as possible in
any language.
OTOH, (oops... sorry) On the other hand, you have to think that is not
the same for non-English speakers. This can sound a bit rare but for us
(Spanish speaking users) is very hard to write some Enghlish words like
"don't know". We are not used to apostrophes and the word "know" is
specially difficult for us (you won't see many words in Spanish with
phonems "k" and "n" put altogether).
So that's the reason for (my) contracting, but I'll try to take note.
> In print, they might splatter their text with 'ur' for 'your', and '4'
> and 'm8', the sort of abbreviations we see in Windows forums. A bit more
> than just 'casual', but certainly not offensive.
>
> We all build up a sort of picture of each other, and all we have to go
> on is the style of writing: your English (and abbreviations) are
> generally of a much higher standard, and if someone were speaking to me
> face-to-face in your usual writing style, and dropped in 'dunno', it
> would sound strange. A bit like the Queen saying it in her Christmas
> message.
Yes, I understand what you mean here.
It's a "shock" to see a combination of grandilquents words alognside with
simpletons but you will have to excuse me for that, when I write on this
list I prefer to put the same things in less words: less words means
fewer errors, it's a simple equation.
> But it's no big deal, you're not being rude to anyone.
I do know, just wanted for a clarification. Now we all know the "why" of
both sides ;-)
Greetings,
--
Camaleón
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