Re: [s-d] [s-b] Proposal: de-Spivakify Ruleset

["Daniel Lepage" <dplepage@xxxxxxxxx>]

On 8/8/07, Geoffrey Spear <geoffspear@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> On 8/8/07, Daniel Lepage <dplepage@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> > 1. This isn't proper English either. The proper form is "he or she".
>
> It's accepted use going back to at least the 15th Century, contrary to
> what prescriptive grammarians would have us believe.  If it's good
> enough for Shakespeare, it's good enough for me.

If precedent is all we need to legitimatize a system, then what's
wrong with Spivak? We've been using it for almost 6 years, and it's a
well-established standard in a number of other Nomics as well.

> > 2. You probably want to let the Minister of Law correct surrounding
> > words for agreement as well. Otherwise the requirements to become a
> > player will read:
> >     * They is capable of passing a Membership Test, although they may
> > not be required to take said test
> >     * They is not currently a Player
> >     * They has a working e-mail address
>
> That's a good point, and a reason I probably should have used a
> Tidiness List instead of a proposal.  On the other hand, this way had
> the advantage of being lazier and more democratic at the same time.
>
> I'll revise it before Ballotday.

The problem with these cute names for days is that I can never
remember which one comes when. "Nday 8" is much less imaginative, but
it does have the advantage that one always knows immediately that it's
the day between nday 7 and nday 9.

-- 
Wonko
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