Site Ratings & Reviews - Re: Norwenglish?

Author

Re: Norwenglish?

Neal

2004-05-14, 12:14 am

On Fri, 07 May 2004 14:48:48 GMT, m <NOXwebmasterx@xmbstevensx.com> wrote:

> Perhaps have X annoy Y rather than have X be annoying.
> Active sentences usually kick passive sentences' boo-tay.

Still, in many examples, passive tense is used to great effect. :)

Inger Helene Falch-Jacobsen

2004-05-14, 12:14 am

Neal wrote:
> On Fri, 07 May 2004 14:48:48 GMT, m <NOXwebmasterx@xmbstevensx.com>
> wrote:
>

I've just replaced "things" with "gimmicks". It looks better, but I hope it
isn't too much of a cliché...
[color=darkred]
> Still, in many examples, passive tense is used to great effect. :)

Do you mean on my page? I that case, wow, thank you! :-)

--
Inger Helene Falch-Jacobsen

Neal

2004-05-14, 12:14 am

On Fri, 7 May 2004 20:30:53 +0200, Inger Helene Falch-Jacobsen
<Inger@neseblod.invalid> wrote:

> Neal wrote:
>
> Do you mean on my page? I that case, wow, thank you! :-)

Actually, I was referring to the sentence I wrote. But your English is
quite good for a non-native speaker.

Inger Helene Falch-Jacobsen

2004-05-14, 12:14 am

Neal wrote:
> On Fri, 7 May 2004 20:30:53 +0200, Inger Helene Falch-Jacobsen
> <Inger@neseblod.invalid> wrote:
>
>
> Actually, I was referring to the sentence I wrote. But your English is
> quite good for a non-native speaker.

I totally missed that - oh, I'm really stupid!
But thanks for the appraisal (I think that is the word I want).

--
Inger Helene Falch-Jacobsen

Inger Helene Falch-Jacobsen

2004-05-14, 12:14 am

Neal wrote:
>
> your English is
> quite good for a non-native speaker.

I believe your opinion is closer to the truth than m's, after all...
Because I know that I can't be expected to fully master a language that I
haven't grown up with.
Can you help me so that the text becomes better that just quite good?
I want my page to be understood and taken seriously, the things I write must
be perceived as important and not just "what I feel".
Any hints are more than welcome! I want to learn.

--
Inger Helene Falch-Jacobsen
http://home.online.no/~ingerfaj/

Neal

2004-05-14, 12:14 am

On Sat, 8 May 2004 18:27:10 +0200, Inger Helene Falch-Jacobsen
<Inger@neseblod.invalid> wrote:

> Neal wrote:
>
> I believe your opinion is closer to the truth than m's, after all...
> Because I know that I can't be expected to fully master a language that I
> haven't grown up with.
> Can you help me so that the text becomes better that just quite good?
> I want my page to be understood and taken seriously, the things I write
> must
> be perceived as important and not just "what I feel".
> Any hints are more than welcome! I want to learn.
>

"Frames shouldn't be used, and at least not by novices!" -> "Frames
shouldn't be used, at least not by novices!"

"My favorite HTML editor. It's clear and simple, and gives you full
control over the code, unlike frontpage and such trash..." Capitalize
Frontpage.

"You just have to click OK when the programs starts up, after 30 days..."
Use "program", no s.

"Please avoid this:" The plural "these" would be more appropriate.

Everything else is fine to my eye.

Inger Helene Falch-Jacobsen

2004-05-14, 12:14 am

Neal wrote:
>
> "Frames shouldn't be used, and at least not by novices!" -> "Frames
> shouldn't be used, at least not by novices!"

OK!

> "My favorite HTML editor. It's clear and simple, and gives you full
> control over the code, unlike frontpage and such trash..." Capitalize
> Frontpage.

Will do.

> "You just have to click OK when the programs starts up, after 30
> days..." Use "program", no s.

Stupid typo, I missed that.

> "Please avoid this:" The plural "these" would be more appropriate.

That is a typical "Norwenglishism". We don't distinguish between singular
and plural in such cases... But shouldn't there be something after "these",
like "Please avoid these common mistakes:"? But I'm not sure if "mistakes"
would be the right word. Javascript isn't a mistake when it isn't misused,
probably not Flash either, I just hate it... Do you understand what I mean?
What about "Please do this:", then, is that correct here?

> Everything else is fine to my eye.

Thanks so much, and for your help and swift reply!

--
Inger Helene Falch-Jacobsen

Neal

2004-05-14, 12:14 am

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On Sat, 8 May 2004 19:26:28 +0200, Inger Helene Falch-Jacobsen
<Inger@neseblod.invalid> wrote:

> But shouldn't there be something after "these",
> like "Please avoid these common mistakes:"?

Doesn't have to be. It's fine. It's clear that "these" refers to the
issues you list.

Edwin van der Vaart

2004-05-14, 12:14 am

Neal wrote:
>
> "Frames shouldn't be used, and at least not by novices!" -> "Frames
> shouldn't be used, at least not by novices!"

Why not?
Please don't tell me that frames are evil.
IMO you can use frames when you have a photo gallery site.
--
Edwin van der Vaart
http://www.semi-conductor.nl/ Links to Semiconductors sites
http://www.evandervaart.nl/ Under construction

Neal

2004-05-14, 12:14 am

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On Sat, 08 May 2004 22:34:48 +0200, Edwin van der Vaart
<picayunish2000@yahoo.co.uk> wrote:

> Neal wrote:
>
> Why not?
> Please don't tell me that frames are evil.
> IMO you can use frames when you have a photo gallery site.

I'm correcting the damn English, shut your maw.

And in fact frames are useful but only when used appropriately. In most
cases - especially concering raw newbies - they are problematic and
counterproductive.

Inger Helene Falch-Jacobsen

2004-05-14, 12:14 am

Neal wrote:
> On Sat, 08 May 2004 22:34:48 +0200, Edwin van der Vaart
> <picayunish2000@yahoo.co.uk> wrote:
>
>
>
> I'm correcting the damn English, shut your maw.
>
> And in fact frames are useful but only when used appropriately. In
> most cases - especially concering raw newbies - they are problematic
> and counterproductive.

Neal: If you find anything you disagree with, please tell me. I am
interested in your opinions regarding the content too, not only the
language.

Edwin: You can see that I find frames appropriate in certain cases, like
when presenting a WinFam database.
"Frames (they are useful only for..." -> "Frames (but they are useful
for..." is maybe better?

--
Inger Helene Falch-Jacobsen

Edwin van der Vaart

2004-05-14, 12:14 am

Inger Helene Falch-Jacobsen wrote:
>
> You can see that I find frames appropriate in certain cases, like
> when presenting a WinFam database.
> "Frames (they are useful only for..." -> "Frames (but they are useful
> for..." is maybe better?

I think "Frames are useful for..." better.
--
Edwin van der Vaart
http://www.semi-conductor.nl/ Links to Semiconductors sites
http://www.evandervaart.nl/ Under construction

Toby A Inkster

2004-05-14, 12:14 am

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Inger Helene Falch-Jacobsen wrote:

> Please avoid these common mistakes:"? But I'm not sure if "mistakes"
> would be the right word. Javascript isn't a mistake when it isn't misused,
> probably not Flash either,

Please be careful when using the following technologies.

--
Toby A Inkster BSc (Hons) ARCS
Contact Me - http://www.goddamn.co.uk/tobyink/?page=132

Neal

2004-05-14, 12:14 am

On Sun, 9 May 2004 10:58:00 +0200, Inger Helene Falch-Jacobsen
<Inger@neseblod.invalid> wrote:

> Neal: If you find anything you disagree with, please tell me. I am
> interested in your opinions regarding the content too, not only the
> language.

I think you're making the right recommendation, assuming your target is
the average person at home with little to no knowledge of web design.
Frames are attractive to them for all the wrong reasons and are going to
be used in ways that inhibit usability.

Now, sure, if you have a photo gallery, that one page could be a frameset
where you click on a thumbnail pic and the big one opens in the other
pane. But extend this to surfing the site as most authors do and you screw
a lot of things up.

Unless you're going to explain all about how frames lead to trouble when
misapplied, you're better off recommending they be avoided IMO.

Inger Helene Falch-Jacobsen

2004-05-14, 12:14 am

Neal wrote:

> I think you're making the right recommendation, assuming your target
> is the average person at home with little to no knowledge of web
> design. Frames are attractive to them for all the wrong reasons and
> are going to be used in ways that inhibit usability.
>
> Now, sure, if you have a photo gallery, that one page could be a
> frameset where you click on a thumbnail pic and the big one opens in
> the other pane. But extend this to surfing the site as most authors
> do and you screw a lot of things up.
>
> Unless you're going to explain all about how frames lead to trouble
> when misapplied, you're better off recommending they be avoided IMO.

That is exectly the audience I had in mind. Frames are fine for photo
galleries, I agree, but they are so overused, every second page have them,
for apparently no reason! And I do have a link to "Frames are evil"...

--
Inger Helene Falch-Jacobsen