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I subscribe to the thesis of Death of the Author, that just because someone came up with something, it doesn't necessarily given them a permanent special privil

I subscribe to the thesis of Death of the Author, that just because someone came up with something, it doesn't necessarily given them a permanent special privilege in its interpretation. Everybody can understand the work as they prefer, and if anything, the work takes on a life of its own in greater society and evolves together with it. (Hence the limits on the duration of copyright.) This is why many common idioms are now used in their opposite meaning, and we all understand, and it's fine. As a random example, "It's all downhill from here" can mean either "it gets easier" or "it gets worse". The meaning has changed over time. Also: "I could care less", etc... > This article is focused too much on communication style and not enough on the subject of communication. The latter was the crux of it. Crocker’s Rules were about being able to rigorously discuss topics that society has deemed to be beyond discussion without taking offense at the fact it is being discussed. That's a distinction that's not as clear cut as you think. The problem in the workplace setting is that the subject is the code/system/product/organisation, which has no feelings and hence can't be offended, but many people feel compelled to use an overly verbose style in order to avoid offending the humans charged with the care of the unfeeling object. There is a certain freedom in treating things as things and calling out their objective properties as is, instead of dancing around the facts. This is the very same thing as talking plainly and directly about taboo or sensitive subjects. Just do it! It's fine!

normie3000 7mo ago
> "I could care less" Do people really say this? Is it exclusive? I've only heard the inverse: "I couldn't care less". Edit: genuine question. Please explain downvotes!
- tkgally 7mo ago
  They don’t explain the downvotes, but here are some discussions of the expression: https://www.merriam-webster.com/grammar/could-couldnt-care-less https://www.merriam-webster.com/grammar/could-couldnt-care-l... https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/eb/qa/I-COULDN-T-care-less-or-I-COULD-care-less https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/eb/qa/I-COULDN-T-care-... https://www.vocabulary.com/articles/pardon-the-expression/i-couldnt-care-less-vs-i-could-care-less/ https://www.vocabulary.com/articles/pardon-the-expression/i-...
  - fourthark 7mo ago
    > But if you are the kind of person who cries out against this abomination we must warn you that people who go through life expecting informal variant idioms in English to behave logically are setting themselves up for a lifetime of hurt.
- dxdm 7mo ago
  People really say this ("I could care less") to express that they do not care at all. I've seen it happen here on this site. Calling out the sheer absurdity of it, even in a respectful way, is not universally well-received. Unfortunately, I could care less about this, as it sounds very grating to me. I try to remember that I ain't got no problem with other "illogical" uses of negation and could this one in a similar light, but it's more easily said than done.
- jszymborski 7mo ago
  Downvotes are likely coming from the fact that this comment is quite off topic / doesn't reply to the substance of the comment you are replying to. While it's often not helpful for folks to point out that something is a quick internet search away, performing one is usually best before going off topic. Doing so would have resulted in the answer to your question pretty quick.
- dogman1050 7mo ago
  I hear this expression said with the incorrect "could" more often than than with the correct "couldn't." I attribute this to one of the following: - the speaker is using wry sarcasm, although the inflection is usually wrong. - the speaker actually does care a bit. - it's easier to say "could" or it's habit. I try not to be a pedant about this, but often fall. Yeah, I'm fun at parties.
- kstenerud 7mo ago
  People really do say this, among other curious expressions that have fallen into common use. You're being down voted for nit picking language.
- Anthony-G 7mo ago
  I assumed it was an American thing. I've never heard anyone on this side of the Atlantic say it – even though Americanisms are being adopted more by the younger generations who are more influenced by online culture.
- lproven 7mo ago
  > Do people really say this? Is it exclusive? I've only heard the inverse: "I couldn't care less". "I could" is American. "I couldn't" is British. As AmEn is now more widespread, the former is widespread, but as a native speaker of BrEn I absolutely detest it and never ever use it.
  - willrshansen 7mo ago
    No, it's just propagated mistakes. Same for lose and loose.
  - bigstrat2003 7mo ago
    No, people who properly speak American English say "I couldn't care less" as well. It's just that there are a lot of people who don't speak the language correctly, and no social will to try to get them to learn to speak it correctly.
    - lproven 7mo ago
      Um. ISTM that you're saying "this is a common mistake but some people don't make it." Is that fair? If so: no argument, but the error is now more common than the correct form, in my experience. A BrEn example: a mistake has propagated and is now common... "could have" [is shortened to] "could've" [is misheard as] "could of"... and the mistake gets repeated by people who don't know any better.
rkomorn 7mo ago
> the subject is the code/system/product/organisation, which has no feelings and hence can't be offended This is like saying that telling someone their artwork sucks is not offensive because "the artwork has no feelings."
- gilleain 7mo ago
  Someone's artwork _should_ be possible to (negatively) criticise. Of course, just saying "it sucks" is not constructive or helpful. You can definitely hurt someone's feeling with unconstructive criticism of thier art. However, pointing out areas to improve should not be too painful to the artist, as they can make newer, better works. I suppose a difficuly can arise if people get too attached to things they make (art, code, writing, whatever) and don't see any one thing as just a step on the road to even better things.
  - rkomorn 7mo ago
    I think my roundabout point is that companies, code, policies, etc aren't just "things without emotions that can't be offended" because they're all made (or maintained) by people (like art). I agree with all your points.
- mx7zysuj4xew 7mo ago
  [flagged]
  - rkomorn 7mo ago
    [flagged]
    - mx7zysuj4xew 7mo ago
      There's a difference between constructive directness and immature ad hominem remarks. Kinda illustrates the problem with the authors take. Not everyone can handle it like an adult
- kajaktum 7mo ago
bigstrat2003 7mo ago
> The meaning has changed over time. Also: "I could care less", etc. That meaning has not changed. Anyone who says "I could care less" to indicate maximal lack of caring is using the language incorrectly.

normie3000 7mo ago

> "I could care less" Do people really say this? Is it exclusive? I've only heard the inverse: "I couldn't care less". Edit: genuine question. Please explain downvotes!

tkgally 7mo ago
They don’t explain the downvotes, but here are some discussions of the expression: https://www.merriam-webster.com/grammar/could-couldnt-care-less https://www.merriam-webster.com/grammar/could-couldnt-care-l... https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/eb/qa/I-COULDN-T-care-less-or-I-COULD-care-less https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/eb/qa/I-COULDN-T-care-... https://www.vocabulary.com/articles/pardon-the-expression/i-couldnt-care-less-vs-i-could-care-less/ https://www.vocabulary.com/articles/pardon-the-expression/i-...
- fourthark 7mo ago
  > But if you are the kind of person who cries out against this abomination we must warn you that people who go through life expecting informal variant idioms in English to behave logically are setting themselves up for a lifetime of hurt.
dxdm 7mo ago
People really say this ("I could care less") to express that they do not care at all. I've seen it happen here on this site. Calling out the sheer absurdity of it, even in a respectful way, is not universally well-received. Unfortunately, I could care less about this, as it sounds very grating to me. I try to remember that I ain't got no problem with other "illogical" uses of negation and could this one in a similar light, but it's more easily said than done.
jszymborski 7mo ago
Downvotes are likely coming from the fact that this comment is quite off topic / doesn't reply to the substance of the comment you are replying to. While it's often not helpful for folks to point out that something is a quick internet search away, performing one is usually best before going off topic. Doing so would have resulted in the answer to your question pretty quick.
dogman1050 7mo ago
I hear this expression said with the incorrect "could" more often than than with the correct "couldn't." I attribute this to one of the following: - the speaker is using wry sarcasm, although the inflection is usually wrong. - the speaker actually does care a bit. - it's easier to say "could" or it's habit. I try not to be a pedant about this, but often fall. Yeah, I'm fun at parties.
kstenerud 7mo ago
People really do say this, among other curious expressions that have fallen into common use. You're being down voted for nit picking language.
Anthony-G 7mo ago
I assumed it was an American thing. I've never heard anyone on this side of the Atlantic say it – even though Americanisms are being adopted more by the younger generations who are more influenced by online culture.
lproven 7mo ago
> Do people really say this? Is it exclusive? I've only heard the inverse: "I couldn't care less". "I could" is American. "I couldn't" is British. As AmEn is now more widespread, the former is widespread, but as a native speaker of BrEn I absolutely detest it and never ever use it.
- willrshansen 7mo ago
  No, it's just propagated mistakes. Same for lose and loose.
- bigstrat2003 7mo ago
  No, people who properly speak American English say "I couldn't care less" as well. It's just that there are a lot of people who don't speak the language correctly, and no social will to try to get them to learn to speak it correctly.
  - lproven 7mo ago
    Um. ISTM that you're saying "this is a common mistake but some people don't make it." Is that fair? If so: no argument, but the error is now more common than the correct form, in my experience. A BrEn example: a mistake has propagated and is now common... "could have" [is shortened to] "could've" [is misheard as] "could of"... and the mistake gets repeated by people who don't know any better.

rkomorn 7mo ago

> the subject is the code/system/product/organisation, which has no feelings and hence can't be offended This is like saying that telling someone their artwork sucks is not offensive because "the artwork has no feelings."

gilleain 7mo ago
Someone's artwork _should_ be possible to (negatively) criticise. Of course, just saying "it sucks" is not constructive or helpful. You can definitely hurt someone's feeling with unconstructive criticism of thier art. However, pointing out areas to improve should not be too painful to the artist, as they can make newer, better works. I suppose a difficuly can arise if people get too attached to things they make (art, code, writing, whatever) and don't see any one thing as just a step on the road to even better things.
- rkomorn 7mo ago
  I think my roundabout point is that companies, code, policies, etc aren't just "things without emotions that can't be offended" because they're all made (or maintained) by people (like art). I agree with all your points.
mx7zysuj4xew 7mo ago
[flagged]
- rkomorn 7mo ago
  [flagged]
  - mx7zysuj4xew 7mo ago
    There's a difference between constructive directness and immature ad hominem remarks. Kinda illustrates the problem with the authors take. Not everyone can handle it like an adult
kajaktum 7mo ago

bigstrat2003 7mo ago

> The meaning has changed over time. Also: "I could care less", etc. That meaning has not changed. Anyone who says "I could care less" to indicate maximal lack of caring is using the language incorrectly.