Posts by Paul Williams
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I wonder if Ben's not being ask to justify something a little different from what he's in fact saying?
I understood him to mean that there's a threshold that, on the one side, permits minor errors where meaning is clear and, on the other, does not because precision is critical e.g. official advice and IRD correspondence.
At the risk of being a blog whore, Stephen Fry's quaintly named podgram addressed this point as I've transcribed here but the salient passage is this:
There's all kinds of pedants around with more time to read and imitate Lynn Truss and John Humphries than to write poems, love letters, novels and stories it seems. They whip out their Sharpies and take away and add apostrophes from public signs. Shake their heads at prepositions which end sentences and mutter at split infinitives and misspellings.
But do they bubble and froth and slobber and careen with joy at language? Do they ever let the tripping of the tips of their tongues against the tops of their teeth transport them to giddy euphoric bliss? Do they ever yoke impossible words together for the sound-sex of it? Do they use language to seduce, charm, excite, please, affirm and tickle those they talk too? Do they? I doubt it, they're too farting busy sneering at a green grocer's less than perfect use of the apostrophe. Well sod them to Hades. They think they're guardians of language; they're no more guardians of language than the kennel club is the guardians of dog-kind.
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Ahem. You're saying ...
Pinged! I never edit blog comments, well almost never, which was why I was sympathetic to Ben in the first instance.
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Yup, when you were focused on conveying the ideas, rather than the nagging comma-Nazi voice in your head?
A good point. I used to help people with public speaking a bit and my best advice was that you know you're doing well when you're saying what your thinking, not thinking what your saying...
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I'm always annoyed when their major concern is about how I used American English instead of Canadian, or how I split an infinitive somewhere. So I take care to proofread myself.
Yeah, that'd give me the shits (as we say o'here in strayan English) too.
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The rule of thumb as I have heard it is that anything which causes the reader to focus on the writing rather than the message weakens the writing.
I wish I'd said it as simply as this.
Good writing might go a lot further than this, of course, but if you've got only a handful of pages to convey a complex matter to a busy and possibly inexpert reader; simple, clear, consistent and grammatical writing is essential.
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know that Ministers can use any excuse at all to throw something out, so the various people working for them have to treat them like they're Christian Bale on the verge of another wild blowup all the time.
Don't get me wrong, I've no time for sycophancy. None.
My concern is more about the responsibilities that attend to Ministerial Warrants. If you're responsible for legislation, regulation or have access to tax dollars to run this or that program, getting it right, doing exactly what you intend to do and not just chucking ideas up and hoping is why I we need precision and accuracy... which includes a fair whack of pendantry (in formal briefs which are only part of the process of course).
Any respect or tolerance I have for Ministers isn't personal or indulgent, it's 'cause I'm a take seriously the need to do only what your empowered to do... segue to a discussion on ultra vires anyone?
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Paul, so the DG was saying the pedantry was from the very top? Man, that really is the last thing we need.
I kinda think you're kidding, but if you're not; then no, that's not his point. His point is that when determining policy that could impact people's daily lives, it's good to be precise and clumsy spelling etc alerts Ministers to potentially sloppy thinking.
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"No, hold on, there's something wrong with the apostrophes on that one. Damnit, this whole thing is just disreputable. A man of my standing shouldn't have to put up with that. Come back when you've learned some decent language, Sonny, and you can take your poorly typed Cure for Cancer with you. Honestly!".
There's a bit of that in my experience and it can be tiresome.
I'm a public servant and prepare a reasonable amount of material for Ministers etc. Our Director General's only in his early fourties, so you might expect him to be less of a grammarian/pedant but his stated view is that when you let through a couple of typos, Ministers wonder what else you've missed/omitted/misunderstood.
It's also about ease and not distracting the reader - if you're getting through 50 briefs a day, I understand if you crack it when you have to re-read something several times to work out WTF. I guess I've come around to this way of thinking though I'm more naturally inclined to your view Ben.
I certainly don't want to sound like I'm lecturing though, not least of all 'cause I'm a bit slapdash and need an editor myself and 'cause I get your substantive point.
I guess what I'm saying is formal matters require a degree of formality, though I also worked for another (very senior) Commonwealth official who'd make decisions based on SMS advice...
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I was back stage watching Key with Buffy and Bimbo, both taller than he, and both with very big hair. Key was stiff, apprehensive at first, 'chatting' with them. Then went really apprehensive when Buffy&Bimbo exhorted him into a very simple dance routine to the tune of a remixed "Over the Rainbow".
For the first half of the song he was stiff and tried to look 'Prime Minister'-ly. As anyone would in that situation - you could read it on his face "Fuck - I'm the PM - gotta look prim, proper and respectful'.
Then amazingly, you could see him think - ahh fuck it. Let's get into it. Which he did. At that point, people really cheered - it became not a situation of it's the PM on stage with Buffy&Bimbo, but it's a straight white male who's game enough to give it a go.
And good on him for doing so.
Thanks for the behind-the-scenes insight. I can understand how he'd feel. I been to dozens and dozens of drag shows and would be apprehensive about being on stage with a couple of Divas, they've got the upper hand. But I'm really pleased to hear that he relaxed and enjoyed it as I'm sure were the crowd who have just as stronger claim on the PMs time as does any other group.
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Thus, the DPS failed in their duty (which, to answer Craig's question, is to do whatever is required under the circumstances to stop morons shoving and throttling the PM).
Just to clarify, I generally agree with the sentiment expressed by Craig but also agree the DPS have failed in this instance.