But if we were to follow that convention we would have been stuck with Multi-wavelength Resonant Diffraction Experimental Results, or, quite simply, MuRDER.
-----Original Message----- From: CCP4 bulletin board [mailto:CCP4BB@JISCMAIL.AC.UK] On Behalf Of Jacob Keller Sent: Wednesday, January 18, 2012 3:13 PM To: CCP4BB@JISCMAIL.AC.UK Subject: Re: [ccp4bb] Merging data collected at two different wavelength This begs the question* whether you want the lemmings to understand you. One theory of language, gotten more or less from Strunk and White's Elements of Style, is that the most important feature of language is its transparency to the underlying thoughts. Bad language breaks the transparency, reminds you that you are reading and not simply thinking the thoughts of the author, who should also usually be invisible. Bad writing calls attention to itself and to the author, whereas good writing guides the thoughts of the reader unnoticeably. For Strunk and White, it seems that all rules of writing follow this principle, and it seems to be the right way to think about language. So, conventions, even when somewhat inaccurate, are important in that they are often more transparent, and the reader does not get stuck on them. Anyway, a case in point of lemmings is that once Wayne Hendrickson himself suggested that the term anomalous be decommissioned in favor of "resonant." I don't hear any non-lemmings jumping on that bandwagon... JPK *Is this the right use of "beg the question?" On Wed, Jan 18, 2012 at 1:57 PM, Phoebe Rice <pr...@uchicago.edu> wrote: >> >>> Can I be dogmatic about this ? >> >>I wish you could, but I don't think so, because even though those >>sources call it that, others don't. I agree with your thinking, but >>usage is usage. > > And 10,000 lemmings can't be wrong? -- ******************************************* Jacob Pearson Keller Northwestern University Medical Scientist Training Program email: j-kell...@northwestern.edu ******************************************* Notice: This e-mail message, together with any attachments, contains information of Merck & Co., Inc. (One Merck Drive, Whitehouse Station, New Jersey, USA 08889), and/or its affiliates Direct contact information for affiliates is available at http://www.merck.com/contact/contacts.html) that may be confidential, proprietary copyrighted and/or legally privileged. It is intended solely for the use of the individual or entity named on this message. If you are not the intended recipient, and have received this message in error, please notify us immediately by reply e-mail and then delete it from your system.
