3 ms·

well written article. english speaking and writing ability in a population can also signal where I would like the to say the society is headed whether in terms

by dzonga 5y ago

well written article. english speaking and writing ability in a population can also signal where I would like the to say the society is headed whether in terms of opening up or just general affairs. also english ability is why the us software industry is so ahead of other countries e.g japan where in the case of the mp3 player they had the hardware but couldn't write could enough software to make an ipod. n in something discussed this past week on hn, about european software - the tech hub countries e.g netherlands, sweden etc have are english proficient.

ramoz 5y ago
Is it though? I checked my initial bias of assuming the rest of the blog would be well written after the author declared himself a skilled writer along with the accompanying validation of another person deeming so as well. I was still a bit thrown off guard to come across "grammar" issues with certain phrases. Whatever the proper word is here I'm not sure, but there were some missing words, e.g "ran out steam", as well as weird terms like "iron practices". But also, maybe my tendency to perform psychoanalysis and evaluate reaction to new information doesn't make me a better reviewer so much as a default critic. Anyway I'm terrible with english and probably dyslexic. Just caught up in how I read that thing & my ongoing reaction to it. think too much... Just a blog.... Edit: oh yea, forgot to mention that the lead up and cliff hanger type ending threw me off without an "ah-ha" or laugh
- Animats 5y ago
  "My ability to write in English came down to jotting down a few lousy sentences and eventually I ran out steam." That sounds more like writer's block. Getting past that requires either discipline or something to say. Incidentally, is it time to retire "ran out of steam" as a phrase? Nobody knows enough about steam locomotives any more for that to be a meaningful analogy. The phrase is usually misused, anyway. Unless the fire in a steam locomotive is built up before approaching a long hill, steam pressure will drop as steam consumption increases going uphill.[1] Underpowered or overloaded locomotives could lose enough pressure to stall on the hill. Some had insufficient power to get started again from that condition. The driver and fireman are expected to "get up a head of steam" before the hill, to avoid that embarrassment. So "running out of steam" really refers to not having enough power due to lack of preparation. [1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jtrkiKo0lFE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jtrkiKo0lFE
  - michael1999 5y ago
    But if we retire our anachronisms —- steam, sail, animal husbandry, farming —- what metaphors will English have left?

by dzonga 5y ago

ramoz 5y ago

Is it though? I checked my initial bias of assuming the rest of the blog would be well written after the author declared himself a skilled writer along with the accompanying validation of another person deeming so as well. I was still a bit thrown off guard to come across "grammar" issues with certain phrases. Whatever the proper word is here I'm not sure, but there were some missing words, e.g "ran out steam", as well as weird terms like "iron practices". But also, maybe my tendency to perform psychoanalysis and evaluate reaction to new information doesn't make me a better reviewer so much as a default critic. Anyway I'm terrible with english and probably dyslexic. Just caught up in how I read that thing & my ongoing reaction to it. think too much... Just a blog.... Edit: oh yea, forgot to mention that the lead up and cliff hanger type ending threw me off without an "ah-ha" or laugh

Animats 5y ago
"My ability to write in English came down to jotting down a few lousy sentences and eventually I ran out steam." That sounds more like writer's block. Getting past that requires either discipline or something to say. Incidentally, is it time to retire "ran out of steam" as a phrase? Nobody knows enough about steam locomotives any more for that to be a meaningful analogy. The phrase is usually misused, anyway. Unless the fire in a steam locomotive is built up before approaching a long hill, steam pressure will drop as steam consumption increases going uphill.[1] Underpowered or overloaded locomotives could lose enough pressure to stall on the hill. Some had insufficient power to get started again from that condition. The driver and fireman are expected to "get up a head of steam" before the hill, to avoid that embarrassment. So "running out of steam" really refers to not having enough power due to lack of preparation. [1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jtrkiKo0lFE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jtrkiKo0lFE
- michael1999 5y ago
  But if we retire our anachronisms —- steam, sail, animal husbandry, farming —- what metaphors will English have left?