Hard News by Russell Brown

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Hard News: Playing Nice?

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  • Eddie Clark,

    Cool! Thanks Kyle.

    Time to watch the Bruins wins the cup...

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 273 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha,

    But John, do have you any examples where using it's instead of its has made things confusing?

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • Eddie Clark,

    Oh and Kyle - Sharks implode at playoff time again. How a team that good plays so badly in the playoffs is beyond me.

    [it only took 1 year in Canada to turn me into a hockey nut... and that's with my local team being the incredibly, consistently shitty Leafs! Hence adopting the Bruins]

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 273 posts Report Reply

  • Matthew Poole,

    John, these days an apostrophe is frequently utilised as a warning that an 's' is about to appear. Inconsistently, of course, even in the same sentence by the same author, but used in that manner all the same.

    Sacha, maybe not the its/it's distinction, but I really did have to giggle at an Orcon ad I saw once that proudly proclaimed "Were providing faster internet."

    Auckland • Since Mar 2007 • 4097 posts Report Reply

  • Tom Semmens,

    Spotted this on biggie, thought you might like it here...

    http://imgur.com/27K39.jpg

    Sevilla, Espana • Since Nov 2006 • 2217 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha,

    Heh. And if that were Tom's first post, I'd be thinking spam rather than bacon.

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • Paul Williams,

    After we came out of the church, we stood talking for some time together of Bishop Berkeley's ingenious sophistry to prove the nonexistence of matter, and that every thing in the universe is merely ideal. I observed, that though we are satisfied his doctrine is not true, it is impossible to refute it. I never shall forget the alacrity with which Johnson answered, striking his foot with mighty force against a large stone, till he rebounded from it -- "I refute it thus."

    Richard, I've mixed thanks for this; it's a great story though sadly with the potential application to too much of my work.

    Parliament is debating swine flu at the moment...

    Ah, is that scheduled prior to question time? Swine before churls.

    What David Haywood said.

    Man, I spent a day or so reading kiwiblog and missed all the funny! That'll learn me.

    Sydney • Since Nov 2006 • 2273 posts Report Reply

  • 3410,

    There is no apostrophe in the possessive pronoun "its". Nor is there an apostrophe in the possessive pronouns "his" and "hers".

    However, when "it is" is abbreviated to "it's" then, of course, an apostrophe signals the loss of an original letter.

    As a retired teacher I am dismayed at our incompetence in helping our students to master this simple understanding.

    Sir, I applaud you. However, you need to get with the programme and realise that defending decent grammar is frightfully unhip these days.

    Auckland • Since Jan 2007 • 2618 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha,

    Spelling and grammar are "decent" where they help communication. Otherwise, there are better things to obsess about, hip or not.

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • Mark Harris,

    Can we not go down this route again, please?

    Waikanae • Since Jul 2008 • 1343 posts Report Reply

  • Amy Gale,

    Russell says "They all have their own stories to tell of our early internet". Later internet, far more women's voices.

    Well, for one data point, if Nat was somewhere in the early/mid 90s then often I was there too. Sometimes working directly on the same thing (visiting govt departments to web-evangelize, doing demos at the science museum). Sometimes working separately on parallel projects (web authoring, Project Gutenberg, FAQ-keeping, Usenet-posting). And, yeah, sometimes I was cooking kick-ass meat pies.

    But perhaps I'm being factored out as a groupie?

    tha Ith • Since May 2007 • 471 posts Report Reply

  • Amy Gale,

    Also on Usenet for as long as I can remember: our own Judi and Jolisa. Jen I don't explicitly remember from Usenet, but she was certainly well tied in to the internet in general. Another NZ Usenetter was Jenny George - I don't recall seeing her around here but she could well be pseudonymized.

    [Check out all the Js!]

    tha Ith • Since May 2007 • 471 posts Report Reply

  • Jolisa,

    Funny that, Amy - I was about to name-check you and your awesome recipe data-base, one of the earliest practical applications of the internet.

    If it's stories you want, Russell, you could try Noeline McCaughan. I'm pretty sure she's still out there. Her usenet contributions (food, ferrets, family) were legendary, and she did it all from out on the farm. Not your typical early usenet demographic at all.

    And yes to Judi and Jenny and Lin and Miche and others I'm forgetting. Is Ronit Alon out there somewhere?

    Fist-bump to Robyn for raising the question in the first place.

    Oh, and in non XX gender early usenet context: whatever happened to the guys who did the weekly Shortland St updates in the early 90s, avidly followed by the dozen or so expat New Zealanders with dial-up access at the time? Our very own television without pity.

    Auckland, NZ • Since Nov 2006 • 1472 posts Report Reply

  • Amy Gale,

    Funny that, Amy - I was about to name-check you and your awesome recipe data-base, one of the earliest practical applications of the internet.

    True story: my first week in grad school, I was approached by a postdoc who asked if I was "the Amy Gale with the recipes".

    It's like World Famous In New Zealand, only different.

    tha Ith • Since May 2007 • 471 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha,

    Ta for the history, Amy.

    But perhaps I'm being factored out as a groupie?

    No disrespect indended. In the context of this discussion, I suspect factored out as not available for a tv appearance in Auckland this evening. That's all.

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • Mark Harris,

    Fist-bump to Robyn for raising the question in the first place.

    I knew you guys were terrorists!

    Waikanae • Since Jul 2008 • 1343 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha,

    Can we not go down this route again, please?

    Totally agree.

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • Amy Gale,

    Sacha, I didn't mean to come across as picking on you - I just picked your quote because it provided good context.

    tha Ith • Since May 2007 • 471 posts Report Reply

  • Jolisa,

    I suspect factored out as not available for a tv appearance in Auckland this evening.

    Apparently there's this thing called videoconferencing... but I think it needs a computer or something.

    (For future reference, Amy is not only a pioneer internaut, but also exceptionally telegenic. Ratings, people. Think of your ratings!).

    Auckland, NZ • Since Nov 2006 • 1472 posts Report Reply

  • Matthew Poole,

    Jolisa, that computer bit could be something of a problem. I have a feeling that the Classic, being a live comedy venue, isn't really equipped for such things.

    Auckland • Since Mar 2007 • 4097 posts Report Reply

  • Mark Harris,

    (For future reference, Amy is not only a pioneer internaut, but also exceptionally telegenic. Ratings, people. Think of your ratings!).

    Hear, hear! ;-)

    Waikanae • Since Jul 2008 • 1343 posts Report Reply

  • Jolisa,

    Doh! Missed the crucial detail about the venue. Still, it's probably past Amy's bedtime anyway.

    But next time, eh?

    (More flattering angle here - mind you, any pic from 20 years ago is almost always more flattering).

    Auckland, NZ • Since Nov 2006 • 1472 posts Report Reply

  • Mark Harris,

    [http://www.mcs.vuw.ac.nz/images/AmyGale.gif|J/K]]

    Waikanae • Since Jul 2008 • 1343 posts Report Reply

  • Mark Harris,

    Jolisa's link works

    Waikanae • Since Jul 2008 • 1343 posts Report Reply

  • Amy Gale,

    Another true story: someone once wrote to me and asked whether I had a glass eye. Based on the "more flattering" photo, too.

    tha Ith • Since May 2007 • 471 posts Report Reply

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