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Posted By: Max Quordlepleen - 07/10/01 07:27 AM
Posted By: Faldage Re: More Luscious language - 07/10/01 11:59 AM
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.

Posted By: Brandon Re: More Luscious language - 07/10/01 12:55 PM
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).

Posted By: Faldage Re: More Luscious language - 07/10/01 01:16 PM
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.



Posted By: belligerentyouth Re: More Luscious language - 07/10/01 01:28 PM
>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.

Posted By: Sparteye Re: More Luscious language - 07/10/01 02:30 PM
The author of the unrelenting sea storm metaphor ought to be beaten about the head and shoulders with one of his own Sycamore trees.

Posted By: Jackie Re: More Luscious language - 07/10/01 02:38 PM
the unrelenting sea storm metaphor
It was a dark and stormy night...

Posted By: Capital Kiwi Re: More Luscious language - 07/10/01 02:40 PM
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.

Posted By: Jackie Re: More Luscious language - 07/10/01 02:44 PM
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?

Posted By: nancyk Re: More Luscious language - 07/10/01 11:51 PM
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.



Posted By: inselpeter Re: More Luscious language - 07/11/01 05:50 AM
<<The author of the unrelenting sea storm metaphor ought to be beaten about the head and shoulders with one of his own Sycamore trees.>>

He's just a poor man's Prospero schambling deadlines; go, Spartan! Let him live.

Posted By: rodward Re: More Luscious language - 07/11/01 07:22 AM
Max, thanks for the stir. I was just about to add this word I came across last night. It is a technical term and was used and explained in context, but can anyone guess what it means (and the context)? Of course there may be practitioners of the relevant profession on board.

backwardation

Rod

Posted By: maverick Re: More Luscious language - 07/11/01 11:35 AM
Well, Rod, I would have to guess it is a term of (black) architecture.

I would also be guessing that it means designing software to be backwards-compliant, or compatible with the limitations of older hardware/software configurations. Now I suppose you will tell me it's all about legal adoption procedures

edit: Well, people, make your guesses before you LIU as I just have - you will be at least as likely to get it right as I was...!
Posted By: Capital Kiwi Re: More Luscious language - 07/11/01 12:19 PM
I know backwardation is something to do with the stock exchange - maybe it's reneging on trades already made? Don't really know. Another ugly technical term, though!

Posted By: wow Re: backwardation - 07/11/01 02:10 PM
Yuck .. silly word and a redickalus thing to do... ILIU so call me "cheater" ...

Posted By: RhubarbCommando Re: backwardation - 07/11/01 02:20 PM
It sounds like an illegal move in draughts (checkers) for pieces that have not been "kinged." (The latter is itself a rather dubious verbification of a noun.)

Posted By: maverick Re: backwardation - 07/11/01 03:02 PM
a rather dubious verbification of a noun

yet the phrase queening it is not uncommon

Posted By: maverick Re: advance one step backwards - 07/12/01 12:19 AM
Marketing gibberish meets technobabble?

From a domain registration service today:

The ‘.uk.co’ domain has been set-up as a way of creating more space within the already overcrowded ‘.co.uk’ name space. It serves to help reduce the confusion which many people have with ‘.co.uk’…. ‘.uk.co’ has much greater availability than ‘.co.uk’ so there is more chance of you being able to register your preferred name.

So run that by me again – someone is now going to be less confused by having two alternatives for every company known to have a UK moniker, and even less confused by having different companies potentially occupying virtually identical web addresses…?!

bentcopper.co.uk – for all your pipework requirements
bentcopper.uk.co – for all your 'get out of jail free' cards


Posted By: rodward Re: More Luscious language - 07/12/01 08:04 AM
Our Caped Krusader gets half a prize.

The book I was reading, "Against the Gods" which is a rambling history of risk management, described it as the market phenomenon which underpriced volatility, thereby allowing speculators to make a profit by providing insurance against volatility for the suppliers. However, google provides tighter definitions.

Backwardation - Market in which [futures] prices of near months are higher than the prices of deferred months, i.e. prices are inverted. Such a price structure normally reflects a shortage of supplies.

See also
contango, normal market

Rod


Posted By: RhubarbCommando Kings and Queens - 07/12/01 08:20 AM
yet the phrase queening it is not uncommon
So where do you spend your spare time, ducky?


Posted By: belligerentyouth you what? - 07/12/01 10:39 AM
a recently read this one on message board; thought you might like it:

A couple of years illegalization cannot fight thousands of years of tradition.

Posted By: Faldage Re: advance one step backwards - 07/12/01 12:49 PM
Marketing gibberish meets technobabble?

Stuck in reverse on the highway to decreased convolution of unintelligibility.

Posted By: wow Re: advance one step backwards - 07/12/01 05:02 PM
on the highway to decreased convolution of unintelligibility

Is there a road sign for that?

Posted By: Faldage Re: advance one step backwards - 07/12/01 05:17 PM
on the highway to decreased convolution of unintelligibility

Is there a road sign for that?

NO LEFT TURN UNSTONED



Posted By: AnnaStrophic Re: wow & Faldage - 07/12/01 07:28 PM
congrats on Pooh-Bah and veteran, respectively. I prolly missed when it happened; then again, I don't pay much attention to these things.

Having said that, wow, you are now having your noblesse obliged. You can't stay away for more than a few days.

Posted By: Max Quordlepleen - 07/12/01 10:04 PM

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