[dundee] Spore

[Kris Davidson]

Big fingers, annoying EeePC.

This is not directly related to what you were saying but its been a
while since I've given this rant and just five minutes ago I was on
Linux forum where several people destroyed a new user along similar
lines.

Essentially my argument is that blackboard English rules are fallacious.

First some humour - http://xkcd.com/326/

English rules as they exist today are imposed, artificial and
anachronistic; we're taking a prescriptive approach to language
instead of a descriptive. The entire thing has become a fetish in my
opinion.

Most of these 'errors' in English were only really identified by two
people about 250 years ago. Robert Lowth - A Short Introduction to
English Grammar (1762) and Lindley Murray - English Grammar (1794)
both made it up as they went along and these books have been reprinted
numerous times and thats where most of the trouble stems from. No one
wears peri-wigs any more yet we still follow these rules.

When these books were written English had just recently grown from
being a lowly vernacular to a language of influence. Lowth and Murray
had the notion that they were preparing English, dressing it up. The
idea being that English has to have more rules, however they laboured
under several illusions of the time trying to make the language more
Latin/French like. both having different concerns.

Damn grown tired and apathetic already. John McWhorter talks about it
more in depth if anyone is interested. I've grown bored.