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> "Stressing scalability so much put somewhat in shadow what in the 80's was one of the most interesting meters of software coolness [...]" This parses correct

> "Stressing scalability so much put somewhat in shadow what in the 80's was one of the most interesting meters of software coolness [...]" This parses correctly, just with difficulty. It's not exactly a garden path sentence, but it has several small key words which, if missed, lead to a failed parse.

pvg 16y ago
Not really. And he means 'metrics' not 'meters'. You can understand it, sure, with a bit of effort. But 'correct' it isn't. Anyway, my point is not to send the guy to study English instead of doing whatever it is he prefers doing. But if you write in public, just get some help proofreading. Despite what the other defensive people on this thread are saying, good, clear communication matters and helps.
- cperciva 16y ago
  Not really. And he means 'metrics' not 'meters'. You can understand it, sure, with a bit of effort. But 'correct' it isn't. A "meter" is, among other things, "a measure, gauge, or criterion"; and in this way it can take the place of "metric". Idiomatic it certainly is not; but it is correct.
  - pvg 16y ago
    No, it isn't 'non-idiomatic', it's just wrong. You could perhaps find some obsolete or highly technical usage but 'can take the place of metric' is simply inaccurate, in the context and usage. Take a look at http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/meter http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/meter which while not exhaustive is quite indicative of standard usage.
    - cperciva 16y ago
      We can both cite dictionaries. My quote came from the OED, which is a far more exhaustive index of English usage than Webster. (Deliberately so: The OED was intended to be descriptive, while Webster believed that dictionaries should instead be prescriptive.)
      - pvg 16y ago
        The modern Webster is not intended to be prescriptive. 'meter' in the sense you are describing is just not part of modern usage. Finding some obscurity or archaism in the OED does not make a lousy sentence 'correct', that's all.
        jemfinch 16y ago
        Wrong again (as you've been this whole thread): we use meter in that sense all the time: "gas meter" (both the name of the thing that measures the natural gas usage by a household and the thing that measures the remaining gasoline in a car) uses "meter" in that sense.
- jemfinch 16y ago
  Yes, really. The original sentence was this: "Stressing scalability so much put somewhat in shadow what in the 80's was one of the most interesting meters of software coolness [...]" This parses perfectly fine with this meaning: "The stress people put on scalability now has shadowed one of the most interesting measurements of software coolness in the 80's." I'm not saying that the sentence can't be improved, but that you're wrong when you say that it's nonsensical.

pvg 16y ago

Not really. And he means 'metrics' not 'meters'. You can understand it, sure, with a bit of effort. But 'correct' it isn't. Anyway, my point is not to send the guy to study English instead of doing whatever it is he prefers doing. But if you write in public, just get some help proofreading. Despite what the other defensive people on this thread are saying, good, clear communication matters and helps.

cperciva 16y ago
Not really. And he means 'metrics' not 'meters'. You can understand it, sure, with a bit of effort. But 'correct' it isn't. A "meter" is, among other things, "a measure, gauge, or criterion"; and in this way it can take the place of "metric". Idiomatic it certainly is not; but it is correct.
- pvg 16y ago
  No, it isn't 'non-idiomatic', it's just wrong. You could perhaps find some obsolete or highly technical usage but 'can take the place of metric' is simply inaccurate, in the context and usage. Take a look at http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/meter http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/meter which while not exhaustive is quite indicative of standard usage.
  - cperciva 16y ago
    We can both cite dictionaries. My quote came from the OED, which is a far more exhaustive index of English usage than Webster. (Deliberately so: The OED was intended to be descriptive, while Webster believed that dictionaries should instead be prescriptive.)
    - pvg 16y ago
      The modern Webster is not intended to be prescriptive. 'meter' in the sense you are describing is just not part of modern usage. Finding some obscurity or archaism in the OED does not make a lousy sentence 'correct', that's all.
      - jemfinch 16y ago
        Wrong again (as you've been this whole thread): we use meter in that sense all the time: "gas meter" (both the name of the thing that measures the natural gas usage by a household and the thing that measures the remaining gasoline in a car) uses "meter" in that sense.
jemfinch 16y ago
Yes, really. The original sentence was this: "Stressing scalability so much put somewhat in shadow what in the 80's was one of the most interesting meters of software coolness [...]" This parses perfectly fine with this meaning: "The stress people put on scalability now has shadowed one of the most interesting measurements of software coolness in the 80's." I'm not saying that the sentence can't be improved, but that you're wrong when you say that it's nonsensical.