Bombastic Language

schivmeister · 2008-04-04 14:11:23

I think there needs to be a guideline on the manner of language used to publish content on the Arch Wiki, especially the primary one in English. Since we cannot cater to all the people with different tongues, we should make it a habit to type in simple yet grammatical Englisch.

For instance, refrain from phrases like the following:

Debian et al

This may be normal to native speakers/readers/writers but it can look much foreign to someone whose native tongue cannot comply with the Englishman (or to some ricer who cannot comply with the Uptowngirl). Here I go again, this post itself is partly a bad example. Try to simplify it further.

freakcode · 2008-04-04 15:26:00

"et al" isn't English, is Latin

.:B:. · 2008-04-04 16:11:06

schivmeister wrote:

I think there needs to be a guideline on the manner of language used to publish content on the Arch Wiki, especially the primary one in English. Since we cannot cater to all the people with different tongues, we should make it a habit to type in simple yet grammatical Englisch.

It's English

Debian et al

From the latin 'et altri', meaning 'and others'. Tons of European languages keep latin words/abbreviations.

This may be normal to native speakers/readers/writers but it can look much foreign to someone whose native tongue cannot comply with the Englishman (or to some ricer who cannot comply with the Uptowngirl). Here I go again, this post itself is partly a bad example. Try to simplify it further.

I'm sorry but this is not English. I'm a Dutch native speaker myself but even I can see this has some grammatical errors (comply with a person?) Partly?

The best tip you can give an author is to use as few idiomatic expressions as possible, not to indulge in using rare or specialised terminology (unless necessary of course), to structure his/her article well, to keep the explanations concise and to the point, and to keep the sentences grammatically correct and well-structured.

Then again, that is an advice that is warmly recommended to anyone writing something in any language .

Last edited by B (2008-04-04 16:12:28)

schivmeister · 2008-04-04 17:45:11

Perfect, it looks like the message got across Now everyone just needs to practise.

Arch Linux

#1 2008-04-04 14:11:23

Bombastic Language

#2 2008-04-04 15:26:00

Re: Bombastic Language

#3 2008-04-04 16:11:06

Re: Bombastic Language

#4 2008-04-04 17:45:11

Re: Bombastic Language

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