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Carpal Tunnel
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OP
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Aug 2000
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Joined: Dec 2000
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Dec 2000
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Insofar as they were written I would have to agree with you that they are all examples of non-speak. However, as soon as anyone actually® speaks one of these I would have to disagree with you.
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Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 218
enthusiast
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enthusiast
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 218 |
From the above link: The telecommunications spending storm continues to rage on, threatening every ship on the sea. Lightning flashes and thunder claps roar, leaving investors shivering as they cling to their dinghies. Despite these turbulent waters, we continue to see evidence reinforcing the concept that there is still one large island where the seas appear serene. This land is at the core of most public networks and is known as optical transmission systems. Last night we had another glimpse at this island and observed that it appears to be covered with trees, specifically Sycamore trees."
I was struck with some wisdom by a junior high school writing teacher. There is no better way to destroy your allusion, allegory, parable, (whatever), than by foregoing the subtle approach and overwhelming the reader. Only two or three "hints" are needed in the above paragraph to help us create the appropriate picture. When I'm given too many details, the writer's picture begins to contrast sharply with mine, and there is no better painter than the one in your one mind (consider how much more scared we are when we cannot see the monster on the screen).
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Joined: Dec 2000
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803 |
The telecommunications spending storm continues to rage on, threatening every ship on the sea ... turbulent waters, ... one large island where the seas appear serene. ... another glimpse at this island
Whinge, whinge, whinge. At least it isn't mixed.
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Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 1,055
old hand
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old hand
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 1,055 |
>At least it isn't mixed.
That's right! Shame on Brandon for questioning the passage.
It's a stunning achievement, even if the clumsy imagery is all but rammed down the reader's throat.
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Pooh-Bah
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Pooh-Bah
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 1,773 |
The author of the unrelenting sea storm metaphor ought to be beaten about the head and shoulders with one of his own Sycamore trees.
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Joined: Mar 2000
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 11,613 |
the unrelenting sea storm metaphor
It was a dark and stormy night...
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Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 3,146
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 3,146 |
While I tend to agree about the depth of the tone of the purple in some of the prose, at least it seems to be some form of attempt at getting away from geek-speak.
Personally, I rather like the "war" analogies that we see from time to time. The one that I use the most often myself is the generic term for pre-announcements in the industry ("pre-announcements" being one of my pet hates).
The term is "pre-emptive vapour strike", used to describe the announcement that a firm is GOING to develop a product which will eventually go head to head with someone else's EXISTING product. Microsoft are experts at this. The corollary is, of course, that often the announcement is not followed up by the production of the promised product at all, but simply throws a gratuitous scare into the industry.
The idiot also known as Capfka ...
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Joined: Mar 2000
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 11,613 |
Ah, yes, the fear factor. Striking terror into the enemy so he'll retreat without a fight. Good strategy, if unfair.
But all is fair when business is war. As to the tone of
purple, how about magenta?
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Joined: Mar 2001
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addict
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addict
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 508 |
As to the tone of purple, how about magenta?Read only today that mauve is back - with a purple cast! But methinks mauve of any cast is too subtle a shade for the type of purple prose in the link  .
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