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(from http://www.m-w.com/ )

Main Entry: obsolete
Pronunciation: "b-s&-'lEt, 'b-s&-"
Function: adjective
Etymology: Latin obsoletus, from past participle of obsolescere to grow old, become disused, perhaps from ob- toward + solEre to be accustomed
Date: 1579
1 a : no longer in use or no longer useful b : of a kind or style no longer current : OLD-FASHIONED
2 of a plant or animal part : indistinct or imperfect as compared with a corresponding part in related organisms : VESTIGIAL
synonym see OLD
- obsoletely adverb
- obsoleteness noun

(from http://www.m-w.com/ )

Main Entry: obsolete
Pronunciation: "b-s&-'lEt, 'b-s&-"
Function: adjective
Etymology: Latin obsoletus, from past participle of obsolescere to grow old, become disused, perhaps from ob- toward + solEre to be accustomed
Date: 1579
1 a : no longer in use or no longer useful b : of a kind or style no longer current : OLD-FASHIONED
2 of a plant or animal part : indistinct or imperfect as compared with a corresponding part in related organisms : VESTIGIAL
synonym see OLD
- obsoletely adverb
- obsoleteness noun

Not true.

Affects is a noun, a verb, and a transitive verb.

Effects is a noun and a transitive verb.

In this case though, you are correct in that effects was the correct word to use.

Not true.

Affects is a noun, a verb, and a transitive verb.

Effects is a noun and a transitive verb.

In this case though, you are correct in that effects was the correct word to use.

I'm sure that a great number of slashdotters have studied anthropology or related topics previously, but for those not "in the know", the word "Neanderthal" is pronounced with a hard "T" (as in "tall"), not a "th" sound as in "thought".

Take a look at Merriam-Webster's pronunciation .wav file -- they've got it right.

Pronouncing it correctly will show others you're a bit more educated -- saying it incorrectly, and the anthro-geeks will roll their eyes. ;)

Main Entry: 1partner
Pronunciation: 'pärt-n&r also 'pärd-
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English partener, alteration of parcener, from Anglo-French, coparcener -- more at PARCENER
Date: 14th century
1 archaic : one that shares : PARTAKER
2 a : one associated with another especially in an action : ASSOCIATE, COLLEAGUE b : either of two persons who dance together c : one of two or more persons who play together in a game against an opposing side d : either of two people living together; especially : SPOUSE
3 : a member of a partnership; also : such membership
4 : one of the heavy timbers that strengthen a ship's deck to support a mast -- usually used in plural

Also, the PDF seems to be broken. It won't display on my system. (Anyone else have that problem?)

Overall, pretty impressive.

The version on the USENIX site seems at least to have the correct spelling in the title, but you need a password to download the PDF there.

he used...sarcasm.

When we chose to have freedom of assembly, and freedom of speech in our rights and freedoms, we chose to enshrine it, for better or for worse; to take the good with the bad. That's right, we chose to occasionally hear or read utterances of foul words such as nigger, or other words of hatred or obscenity because within the realms of free speech also lie enlightened and uplifting works, such as those of Plato, Charles Dickens, or Danielle Steel.

If the politicians see fit to take away rights from us, or from any other country for that matter, we still lose. Why's that? Because of the nature of the internet, we are all censored. The problem with censoring hate speech is the potential for continual erosion of speech rights. Next after hate speech, is critical speech. Take Russia for example, where a show named Kukli depicting political satire has been banned from television because of its critical nature. I repeat, this sort of thing is bad for all of us.

Ironically, a tougher standard of counting only cleanly punched ballots advocated by many Republicans would have resulted in a Gore lead of just three votes, the newspaper reported.

As for your difficulty with the word "inasmuch," try Merriam-Webster's sometime. Dictionaries can be very enlightening tools. It doesn't make a person sound more intelligent; it makes him sound more convoluted, which is exactly the point in a mock decree such as mine.

mollycoddling

This site about the Fourth World says, "The states not aligned with either bloc of geopolitical power [Euro-American vs. communist-socialist states] were regarded as the 'Third World.'".

To be honest, I was unaware that the "underdeveloped nation" definition was correct in any way.

This site about the Fourth World says, "The states not aligned with either bloc of geopolitical power [Euro-American vs. communist-socialist states] were regarded as the 'Third World.'".

To be honest, I was unaware that the "underdeveloped nation" definition was correct in any way.

Weight is the measure of gravitational attraction between two bodies... nothing more.

A scale is just one limited method for measuring weight. I say limited because it functions by measuring the normal force (due to Newton's third law) caused by the ground holding the scale at rest, thus giving an inertailly fixed reference frame (or close to it... earth is spinning,...blah blah.)

This new verb might not mean its closely sounding couterpart

In effect, I might suggest that suspened is couterpart's counterpart in lexicon creation.

Consider this:- Merriam Webster's entry for "couterpart" is the same as that of "suspened"! As an avid user of the English language, I deplore this blatant lack of creativity; why should two new words mean the same?

Holiday: a day on which one is exempt from work; specifically : a day marked by a general suspension of work in commemoration of an event.

It's not a holiday. Stop calling it that! Significant day perhaps, but not holiday! If you think it's a holiday, then you've conned.

Another thing: why does society have to give you a reason to have fun and party and perhaps even dress up? What's wrong with doing it on some other day in the rest of the year when you're not being a sheep or have to deal with lots of other really really annoying (and often obnoxiously loud and intrusive) people? I party quite a lot, but with the people of my choice and without having other people in my face. We party on our terms, not corporations. The whole thing is just dumb for dumb unimaginative people who don't know how to have fun by themselves.

As for the historical side: it can't even be compared.

I'm using Webster's. What are you using?

it talks about how inflation predicts multiple universes
This is one of my pet hates. By the very definition of the word [m-w.com], there can only be one universe. Or are the definitions now being changed?


Wouldn't it be one of your Pet Peeves? By the very definition of the word, it is "a frequent subject of complaint" for you. Or are our cliches now being changed?

By the very definition of the word, there can only be one universe.

Take a closer look at the definition you linked to. Not a single one of the five different senses of the word gives even the suggestion that there can not be more than one. As I read it, all five imply that there can be more than one and/or that there is "suff" which is not part of it.

Etymology: Latin universum, from neuter of universus entire, whole

It is perfectly acceptable usage to use it to reffer to the entirety or whole of everything which is "connected". It is possible that there were multiple big bangs in parallel, possibly an infinity of them. If there is no contact between them, and never can be, then each is a seperate whole, another universe.

-

This is one of my pet hates. By the very definition of the word, there can only be one universe. Or are the definitions now being changed?

Cheers,
Ian

You left out the rest of the quote. M-W went on to say, "It is still used primarily in speech, although it can be found from time to time in edited prose. Its reputation has not risen over the years, and it is still a long way from general acceptance. Use regardless instead." Yeah, "irregardless" is a word, but it's not commonly accepted, and shouldn't be used.

(Curious? Look here.)

I've always thought they should better advertize the real pronunciation of Uranus. Why not spell it "urinous"?

At least I find the yellow stuff less offensive... :)

- Peter

I've always thought they should better advertize the real pronunciation of Uranus. Why not spell it "urinous"?

At least I find the yellow stuff less offensive... :)

- Peter

Call me silly, but are not the people *in* office considered the incumbents? Check websters : incumbent. So is the title of this new story saying that the websites should not be for the incumbents only, or are they misusing the word incumbent.

I think the word you seek is "pidgin." Look it up.

The amazing part is how pedantic you are, for someone so ignorant.

That's a pretty radical view imo, and very subjective indeed.

Not radical at all, it's just the plain meaning of the word atheist. What exactly are you saying is subjective? The definition of atheist? Or my assertion that' there's not a single shred of evidence of the nonexistence of God? The first is a matter of definitions, the latter is a matter of objective evidence. No subjectivity here.

Perhaps some of us simply don't care

That is certainly your prerogative, but if you don't care, why even bother talking about it? However, I'd say that from a purely rational point of view, Pascal's argument is a good reason to care, even if it's not sufficient for belief.

or tend more towards the agnostic approach

Which, IMO, is the most logical position. However, an honest agnostic should probably be interested in researching the question, again based on Pascal's argument.

or are simply of the opinion that even if there is a higher being that spoiling your sunday sitting in a cold building listening to someone who has no clue whatsoever is not exactly what that higher being had in mind...

Which makes the unfounded assumption that the someone you're listening to does not, in fact, have a clue. How do *you* know if they do or not? (Actually, there is a way, but I'll bet that you don't know it). I'll grant that I'm automatically suspicious of anyone who is personally profiting from the word of God, since there's an obvious ulterior motive that has nothing to do with my eternal welfare.

Oh, and some churches do believe in heating :-)

You mean immoral. Ethics are subjective.

Actually, Merriam and Websters thinks that my usage is also correct (definition 2a, which implies a synonym to morals).

But, leaving that as is, kindly proove that MS's behavior is unethical--beyond the obvious, and their predatory business pracitces are only bad if they're as big as they are; were MS a small fry, they could try every strategy that they do and it wouldn't be amoral or unethical.

It is poor form to request 'proof' in a non formal logic setting. I can, however, suggest subjective evidence that persons can decide for themselves with. The lying that went on during the DoJ trial is a pretty good indicator (claim: "It's impossible to remove IE!"). Gates lying during testimony too. I think these instances show immoral behaviour irregardless of the size of the corp.

Deterrence:a : the inhibition of criminal behavior by fear especially of punishment

You're right, "autism level" is not discrete. A diagnosis based on a large variety of symptoms and variables, not just those listed in the DSM for that particular disorder.

BTW, the ":-)" in my post is an emoticon : "An ASCII glyph used to indicate an emotional state". In this case the emotional state was humor.

In fact, I believe the etymology of "lame" as a description of disability actually stems from the other meanings, as opposed to vice-versa.

Go ahead and believe that, then. It doesn't appear to be true, according to Merriam-Webster. Their convention is to sort their definitions by age. And their first definition is indeed "disabled".)

But as long as you are arguing for what a word originally meant ... then I would put forth that when I use the term gay to mean "stupid", I am actually just making fun of the Gay Nineties.[*] Can you prove or demonstrate otherwise?

By the way, posting as an AC is gay. (:

[*] For you cultural illiterates out there, the Gay Nineties refers to the last decade of the 1800s, when "gay" still meant "merry".

succeptable? Surely you mean susceptible.

I would recommend an online dictionary while writing online.

(I paraphrase slightly) "change the law or we'll .."

Odd, I thought paraphrase meant, "a restatement of a text, passage, or work giving the meaning in another form" (from Merriam-Webster's). What we have here (imagine Southern drawl) is a failure... to communicate.

Looks like you should put the crack pipe down before you submit a story embroidered out of whole cloth to Slashdot... God knows that the "editors" won't.

The title "Microsoft may sanction the 'Switcher' PR-Rep" is misleading because the word "sanction" is misused. We're used to hearing "sanction" as a noun (as in "The UN-imposed sanctions on Iraq"), but when used as a verb, sanction has almost the completely opposite meaning - to approve of, condon.

So the title suggests Microsoft is pleased with the whole thing, not that the they going to punish anyone.

The title "Microsoft may sanction the 'Switcher' PR-Rep" is misleading because the word "sanction" is misused. We're used to hearing "sanction" as a noun (as in "The UN-imposed sanctions on Iraq"), but when used as a verb, sanction has almost the completely opposite meaning - to approve of, condon.

So the title suggests Microsoft is pleased with the whole thing, not that the they going to punish anyone.

oh no, not the "y-y" word!!!!

Then the Java experts are fucking idiots, too.

So are you, apparently. Perhaps you should try learning to spell from a fucking dictionary rather than programmers, who are notoriously bad at it.

is apparently pretty hard to find. ... Aluminum foil is another story.

Yes, and it's also hard to find real lead penicls.

The usage of "tinfoil" is well-established.

From Merriam-Webster online:

bal-kan-ize
...
Function: transitive verb
Usage: often capitalized
Etymology: Balkan Peninsula
Date: 1919
: to break up (as a region or group) into smaller and often hostile units

My comments weren't prolonged, bitter, or abusive. In fact, they were accurate and stated plainly. Democrats are holding up nominations -- even to a degree never before seen. Furthermore, Shedd's nomination "rejection" was a blatant violation of Senate rules. (If you care to be fair, you should at least aknowledge that fact.)

Anyway, I'll grant you that this wrestling over judicial nominees has been a two-party tango, in the recent past. This whole thing makes me sick, regardless of who's doing it.

However, it might be worth noting that this problem was initiated by the Democrats while H.W. Bush was in office -- from Salon (a very, uh, impartial source): "...[the Democrats] began slowing down the confirmation process when then-Gov. Clinton's campaign picked up steam."

4 : a machine for converting any of various forms of energy into mechanical force and motion; also : a mechanism or object that serves as an energy source <black holes may be the engines for quasars>

If they just followed good web design practices, they wouldn't have this problem.

You're missing my entire point. The issue in my head is whether someone else has a right to tell you whether or not you should be able to design your site as you see fit. "It sounds reasonable" isn't a reason to make a law forcing people into it. Not everyone feels that it's reasonable, and there is a limit at which you must let live and let die. People will live their own lives, and more government regulation of non-action private practices is not something we need.

---
The bottom line is that you feel that it is immoral not to help those in need.

"Not at all:
One of the serious obstacles to the improvement of our race is indiscriminate charity."

You said before:
"And so laws are there to ensure that people don't do the wrong thing.

Wrong thing I read as immoral: wrong is a synonym for immoral. I applied it to our conversation, it seemed to me you were saying not helping is immoral.

Again:
Should it be a law that you must hold elevator doors open for people in wheelchairs? No.

"That's only because it's not immoral. Impolite maybe."

You say that it's not polite and imply that you agree with me that there shouldn't be a law requiring people to hold doors for those in wheelchairs. However you seem to think that there should be a law to force me to change my website so blind people can visit it. It would seem to me that this implys you feel it is immoral.

"It should not be a law to hold elevator doors for people in wheelchairs ... because that is not immoral. It should be a law that websites should be blind compliant [because it is immoral to do otherwise]" is what I'm getting. Reversing situations.

---
"One could argue they are discriminating against people with visual disabilities and so are acting against them."

Yes, with another dictionary from the one I'm using.

From Merriam-Webster:
Main Entry: discrimination
Function: noun
1 a : the act of discriminating b : the process by which two stimuli differing in some aspect are responded to differently
2 : the quality or power of finely distinguishing
3 a : the act, practice, or an instance of discriminating categorically rather than individually b : prejudiced or prejudicial outlook, action, or treatment

1) If I run a non-blind-compliant website, how am I treating the blind different? Everyone gets the same website.

2) I am not distinguishing between the two.

3) This isn't prejudice and I'm not stereotyping. I'm not denying (imply's action) this person because of who he is.

---
I agree with *every point* you've made past what I interpret to be you calling for a law to require blind-compliance.

Good morals are wonderful and more people should have them. In theory, the government is run by the people, but in practice, it is not. I do not believe a foreign body should decide what my morals should be. Those are my own. It's society's job to raise good children, but at some point, everyone takes on the responsibility of having good morals himself. The government doesn't need to lead our lives for us.

...or how about Merriam-Webster's instead?

Alan Cox is illusively quoted as saying...

Do you mean that Alan Cox didn't really say that or...?

I had to look up corrigendum, too. Don't really see how it applies, though.

Alan Cox is illusively quoted as saying...

Do you mean that Alan Cox didn't really say that or...?

I had to look up corrigendum, too. Don't really see how it applies, though.

Is to not allow you to post until you can spell works like "Linus" and "Linux".

Why the fuck do your parents pay for your school, and you can't even spell simple words.

Christ almight.

The capper will be when you give your customer "Slashdot Excuse (tm)" about why you can't or won't spell properly.

Just say "Yes, I am a fucktard. Please ignore me"

One Metric ton is 1000 kg (also called a long ton, at 2204.6 lb).

No, a 'long ton' is not the same as a metric tonne. A long ton is 2240 pounds, equal to twenty 'long hundredweight' in the avoirdupois measurement system. The avoirdupois is what the U.S. normally uses, with the standard 'ounce' being the avoirdupois ounce instead of the troy ounce. Take a look at http://www.m-w.com/mw/table/weight.htm for more detail.

-- Bryan Feir

Common misconception. They are modems. They modulate and demodulate. They fit the definition, too.

it is acceptable in certain contexts to use a trailing apostrophe as equivalent to an acute accent. Mariam Webster's Collegiate Dictionary allows all three spellings:

Main Entry: résumé
Variant(s): or resume or resumé /'re-z&-"mA, "re-z&-' also 'rA- or "rA-/

apiece
Pronunciation: &-'pEs
Function: adverb
Date: 15th century
: for each one : INDIVIDUALLY

What was your point again?