4 ms·
> Etiquette is circular logic. I was tempted to reply to this by throwing etiquette out of window, but that would get me downvoted to hell. Because there is an
by jusssi 6y ago
> Etiquette is circular logic.
I was tempted to reply to this by throwing etiquette out of window, but that would get me downvoted to hell. Because there is an etiquette.
> Paraphrasing can mangle words so easily. I'm baffled why you would imply otherwise.
When I paraphrase someone, they're my words. Not the original author's. I take responsibility for them.
> And your edit just makes you look stupid.
You're right down there with me. Welcome.
- ddingus 6y agoSo are the words in brackets, and so should be responsibility.
- jusssi 6y agoBut a quote intermingled with [paraphrase] just becomes a more awkward way to paraphrase? Because surely it isn't a verbatim quote any more.
- ddingus 6y agoSure it is. The grammar is clear. One can know the quote exactly. Frankly, implying otherwise diminishes the language. Edit: All of which is why the article was written. People changing quotes, wrapping it in brackets so it flows better, in their view. That's a mess! Others here, myself included, correctly maintain appropriate bracket use does not change a quote, which is true until this garbage.
- sokoloff 6y agoIt’s a convenience to the reader. If I paraphrase a reference to support my point, it’s more work for you to determine if I’ve done so correctly. If I quote and update a dangling reference, it’s much easier for the reader to decide if I’ve done so in good faith and without introducing significant bias (whether intentionally or inadvertently). I think it’s more faithful to the original, at a slight cost of fluid readability, which is often a good trade-off of features.
- ghusbands 6y agoYou seem to be misunderstanding. Square brackets are not paraphrasing, they are correcting words for context. They should not alter the meaning, as paraphrasing often does.
- Dylan16807 6y ago> I was tempted to reply to this by throwing etiquette out of window, but that would get me downvoted to hell. Because there is an etiquette. There is. But "It's bad because it's bad etiquette", with no further elaboration or citation, is a pretty useless claim.
- jusssi 6y agoTo me, the etiquette part of quoting being the exception and not the rule was elementary school stuff. Maybe it's a culture difference?