Posted by Dr. Bob on July 19, 2002, at 10:46:04
In reply to Please don't post anything... » Dr. Bob, posted by beardedlady on July 18, 2002, at 12:58:36
> > Please don't post anything that others could take as accusatory or put them down.
>
> This is an awkward sentence, and it needs some fixing. Here are a couple of suggestions:
>
> Please don't post anything that others could take as an accusation or an insult.
> Please don't post anything that others could take as an accusation or a put-down.Thanks for your input, if there's anything I can do to try to make things more clear, that would be great. First, that sentence came from the longer one in the FAQ:
> > Please don't be sarcastic, joke about death or suicide, suggest that anyone harm themselves or others, jump to conclusions about others or their experiences, post anything that others could take as accusatory, put others down, put pressure on others, use language that might offend others, exaggerate or overgeneralize -- et cetera.
> > http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/faq.html#civil> I dislike the sentence for another reason, however, which is this: It's impossible to know what someone else will take as an accusation or an insult...
I realize that, and that's why it's "could" instead of "will".
> Most people know when they're accusing or insulting someone else...
>
> So here is a better suggestion:
> Please don't post accusations or insults.
>
> Or this:
> Please don't post accusations or insults. If you are in doubt, don't post it.The thing is, it's subjective. Maybe the poster doesn't intend to accuse, but someone nevertheless feels accused. Should that count as an accusation or not? This way, it's more wordy and maybe more awkward, but IMO it's more clear, too.
Bob
poster:Dr. Bob
thread:6346
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/admin/20020627/msgs/6361.html