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Are people really this ignorant?

Displaced Hokie

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Western NC
Comment: "I need a welder" (as in, I need to find / get myself a welder so I can fix this)

Response from co-worker: "Heck I can weld, I just need a welding machine".

No, I did not ask for a weldor...I need to find a welder. And what the hell is a welding machine? :)


Just an annoying jobsite kind of thing...
 
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TheCarbideRat

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If I can figure out what the person is trying to say, no matter how they say it, it works for me.

I myself take this approach most of the time and I commend you for it, however is there not a time where the chaos of not calling things by their right names has overall detrimental effects?
 

longboy515

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Mar 12, 2009
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Longmont, CO
The real problem is they're hurting their chances of selling their item. If someone searches for "Sawzall" on Craigslist, this person's item doesn't pop up in the results. Same goes for ebay sellers who don't know how to accurately type in the brand and model of their product.

Their problem, not mine.
 

HandyManny

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I wouldn't get too bent out of shape about what the seller has it listed as. A lot of people who sell old tools on craig's list or even ebay aren't that well versed in tools. Maybe it belonged to a relative who passed. Maybe they bought it for cheap at a garage sale with the idea of reselling it. Maybe they found it. Maybe they stole it. I don't expect non-tool users to know what everything is called. However, the buyer should.

I often talked to other experienced tool users and trades people who often don't know what I'm talking about when I say "adjustable wrench". They only know them by the name Crescent Wrench. I hear the same folks refering to all recip saws as sawzalls too. I also hear many folk call all tongue & groove pliers Channellocks regardless of what brand they may be. If I know what they mean then I'm not one to sit here and correct every mistake they make when trying to conversate. I only let it bother me when it matters.
 

TheCarbideRat

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A quote from Wikipedia if I may:


"The Rectification of Names (Chinese: 正名; Pinyin: Zhèngmíng; Wade-Giles: Cheng-ming) is one of the themes taught in the Confucianism doctrine. To rectify names means to know one's roles in the web of relationships that create community, and behaving accordingly so as to ensure social harmony. (Confucianism, 57) Since [social harmony] is of utmost importance, without the proper rectification of names, society would essentially crumble and "undertakings [would] not [be] completed." (Taylor, 48)

Confucius believed that social disorder often stemmed from failure to perceive, understand, and deal with reality. Fundamentally, then, social disorder can stem from the failure to call things by their proper names, and his solution to this was the rectification of names. He gave an explanation to one of his disciples:

A superior man, in regard to what he does not know, shows a cautious reserve. If names be not correct, language is not in accordance with the truth of things. If language be not in accordance with the truth of things, affairs cannot be carried on to success. When affairs cannot be carried on to success, proprieties and music do not flourish. When proprieties and music do not flourish, punishments will not be properly awarded. When punishments are not properly awarded, the people do not know how to move hand or foot. Therefore a superior man considers it necessary that the names he uses may be spoken appropriately, and also that what he speaks may be carried out appropriately. What the superior man requires is just that in his words there may be nothing incorrect.

– Confucius, Analects, XIII, 3, tr. Legge

The Rectification of Names means that "things in actual fact should be made to accord with the implications attached to them by names, the prerequisites for correct living and even efficient government and that all classes of society should accord to what they ought to be" (Steinkraus, pgs.261-64, 1980). This essentially means for every actions, there is a word that describes that action. The belief is that by following the Rectification of Names you would be following the correct/right path. The rectification of names also called for a standard language in which ancient rulers could impose laws that everyone could understand to avoid cinfusion. Without the rectification of names, different words would have different actions.

Each person has a social standing and a social name and with their social names comes responsibilities and duties. Ruler, minister, father and son all have social names therefore they need to fulfill their required social duties of respect (The rectification of names)."
 
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custom50

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Dec 30, 2008
Messages
17
Yah well look at how literally half of the people who sell their Camaro's spell it "Camero". I don't have one but have always loved them from 67-73. It bugs the hell out of me.
How can you have a car with it written on the side or back and not know how to spell it.

I mean come on how many of us drive Shevrolays or Phords.

I gave a lady a deposit for a 98 Cavalier, she owned the car 5 years. l asked her if she would give me a receipt? Then she asked me how do you spell Cavalier? The lady worked as a Dental Hygienist.

I’m a terrible speller but I can look in the dictionary.
 

norry

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Out of my mind... Be back soon!
Why would a deaf person have a problem placing an ad on craigs list?

They "speak" American Sign Language, whose grammar differs from spoken English, and tend to type with similar grammar. It isn't *wrong*, since it's correct in ASL, but it's certainly different from what you're used to.

It reads oddly at first, but you get used to it quickly.
 

Moose-LandTran

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Over here a Sawzall is known as a reciprocating saw or a sabre saw.

When i bought one:

emot-eng101.gif
= Moose
emot-haw.gif
= ******* friend


emot-eng101.gif
Look what i bought!
emot-haw.gif
Awesome! A Cybersaw!
emot-eng101.gif
A what now?
emot-haw.gif
A cybersaw! Y'know, an electric saw!
emot-eng101.gif
You mean a sabre saw, right?
rolleyes.gif
No, *******. It's a cybersaw! It's called a cybersaw because it's electric. You should know this, you know about tools AND you just bought one.
emot-eng99.gif
*sigh*
 

swgray

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maryland
I see worse misspellings in my local newspaper. Reading the ads can be quite funny some days.

When my family had an appliance parts distributorship, I had a guy on the phone ask for a bake element for a Tampon stove. I repeatedly ask for the name and quizzed him "Is it a Tappan?". "No, it's a Tampon!", was his reply.

Those were the days.
 

Snappy

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S.E. PA
I wouldn't get too bent out of shape about what the seller has it listed as. A lot of people who sell old tools on craig's list or even ebay aren't that well versed in tools. Maybe it belonged to a relative who passed. Maybe they bought it for cheap at a garage sale with the idea of reselling it. Maybe they found it. Maybe they stole it. I don't expect non-tool users to know what everything is called. However, the buyer should.

I often talked to other experienced tool users and trades people who often don't know what I'm talking about when I say "adjustable wrench". They only know them by the name Crescent Wrench. I hear the same folks refering to all recip saws as sawzalls too. I also hear many folk call all tongue & groove pliers Channellocks regardless of what brand they may be. If I know what they mean then I'm not one to sit here and correct every mistake they make when trying to conversate. I only let it bother me when it matters.

I like when I search Ebay for Snap-on tools and find a Snap-on crescent wrench :wtf:
 

Zrexxer

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Pflugerville, TX
They "speak" American Sign Language, whose grammar differs from spoken English, and tend to type with similar grammar. It isn't *wrong*, since it's correct in ASL, but it's certainly different from what you're used to. It reads oddly at first, but you get used to it quickly.
OK, I'm still gonna laugh at ignorant posts on Craigslist, but you taught me something today. I had wondered why deaf people sometimes wrote sentences that I thought were oddly constructed... now I understand.
 

Charles (in GA)

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50 mi south of Atlanta
Over here a Sawzall is known as a reciprocating saw or a sabre saw.

When i bought one:

emot-eng101.gif
= Moose
emot-haw.gif
= ******* friend


emot-eng101.gif
Look what i bought!
emot-haw.gif
Awesome! A Cybersaw!
emot-eng101.gif
A what now?
emot-haw.gif
A cybersaw! Y'know, an electric saw!
emot-eng101.gif
You mean a sabre saw, right?
rolleyes.gif
No, *******. It's a cybersaw! It's called a cybersaw because it's electric. You should know this, you know about tools AND you just bought one.
emot-eng99.gif
*sigh*

Cute! Loved it.

Charles
 

tenorplayer23

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Messages
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Location
Rochester, NY
This seems to be just an example of what is all over these forums, eBay/Craigslist ads, you name it. I could care less that they don't know what the product is & therefore don't advertise it correctly.

What I do care about is the systemic misuse of our language & communication. What percentage of comments to posts on this forum (or any other you choose to subscribe to.......it makes no difference, except for perhaps a Mensa blog :)) answer questions (or comment in the wrong context) that the OP didn't ask? :dunno: Look at the grammar/misspelled words, sentences & paragraphs that make no sense at all, regardless of the original question.

Duh...........does anybody graduate from high school these days? Even when using a smartphone to respond, aren't there still are 26 letters on the keyboards?? :headscrat

Of course, that's just my opinion........I could be wrong (but, unfortunately, not likely in this case). :(

See ya :hellobye:
 
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Zrexxer

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What I do care about is the systemic misuse of our language & communication.*snip*(or any other you choose to subscribe to.......it makes no different, except for perhaps a Mensa blog :))
Since you brought it up, an ellipsis is just three periods...

And that would be "difference" :D

Couldn't help it... glass houses, you know! ;)
 

TheCarbideRat

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Phony Phone call:

car fixin guy, making call: "Hello Friendly Local Part store? Uh, yeh, I'd like a rear axle keyway for a '32 Packard, how much are those jimbos going for and do you actually stock them?

FLP guy: " Sure, we have an unlimited number in stock, all free of charge"

c.f. guy: " NOO chit?, wow! I'll be right down! But hey, how come they're free?"

FLP guy: " Because keyways aren't made out of, or consist of, anything at all except a groove cut into a rotating shaft"

c.f.guy hanging up: :eyecrazy:
 

tenorplayer23

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Messages
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Location
Rochester, NY
Ugh.................can't spell "difference"...........well, it was a "different" sentence before I posted it as it is currently! But, you got me............broke my own rule for spell check! :willy_nil But, then again, my house is made of "Lexan". As for the ellipsis, even I don't care if I leaned on the period key.

But, you get my point............ (note, lots more periods) just take a look/do your own polling to look at ~percentages. Of course, you'd know.........you're the only one who could point out that ellipses are only 3 periods, grammatically speaking. :)

I'll stick my observations!

See ya. :hellobye:

Since you brought it up, an ellipsis is just three periods...

And that would be "difference" :D

Couldn't help it... glass houses, you know! ;)
 

Joe69

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Muncie, Indiana
Yah well look at how literally half of the people who sell their Camaro's spell it "Camero". I don't have one but have always loved them from 67-73. It bugs the hell out of me.
How can you have a car with it written on the side or back and not know how to spell it.

I mean come on how many of us drive Shevrolays or Phords.

When I was a teenager, I was at Autoworks, and saw a key fob that clearly said "Camero" on it. You'd think that manufacturers could spell it right.

Joe
 

Joe69

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The real problem is they're hurting their chances of selling their item. If someone searches for "Sawzall" on Craigslist, this person's item doesn't pop up in the results. Same goes for ebay sellers who don't know how to accurately type in the brand and model of their product.

Their problem, not mine.

I've gotten some pretty good deals on Ebay by purposely misspelling keywords. No one sees them, so no one bids. I got a nice spacesaver spare for my Boss 351 for $40.

Joe

Edit. I guess I should have finished reading the replies before posting. I'm not the only one who does this.
 
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franzdom

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NC
…...…...

Wow I learned something about grammar or computers, not sure which. It appears that the alt-0133 ellipsis is not quite the same as three periods, as it's only one character.
 

krusty the clown

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sometimes it requires more periods...................for dramatic effect.

so the guy is wanting to sell a saw-saw. big deal, so he's not a genius you knew what he was talking about.
 

Charles (in GA)

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50 mi south of Atlanta
Yes, but no one mentioned the...........

BRAISING torch (what kind of meat are we grilling tonight?)

or..............

SOLTIRING (what better way to join copper pipes together?)

Apparently he cannot read, his own pic shows the cylinder markings, 40 CU. FT.

I don't think he knows how to set the date on his camera either.

Charles
 

Joe69

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Calling a reciprocating saw a sawzall is really no different than calling a facial tissue a kleenex.

Joe
 

porschedude996TT

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Santa Maria, California
My favorite part about the original ad was the inclusion of "&" to porter cable. A good friend and I go back and forth all the time ridiculing people for improperly referencing the brand. "Im'a get me one uh them thar porter and cable drills", or "How many feet of that porter cable you think i'll need to fix my TV antenna?"

They probably think the "Four Point Star" was an "&" symbol???
 

Charles (in GA)

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50 mi south of Atlanta
Or this one.

http://macon.craigslist.org/tls/1446437057.html

Great for stealing cars..................

NEW Universal Lockout Tool Set, consisting of: -Thin Bar, -Wide Bar, -Wire Form S-Hook, -Slide lock Tool, -Wonder Tool, -Plastic Coat Hanger, -Wedge (2 pcs), -Gas Cap Tool, -Instructions.

Please pick up at Dogpatche, 147 Hwy 18E (James St) Next to Police Station. Days & Hours of operation: 11am to 5pm Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.


Charles
 

Charles (in GA)

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50 mi south of Atlanta
Calling a reciprocating saw a sawzall is really no different than calling a facial tissue a kleenex.

Joe

For years (decades actually) Xerox has been synonymous with photocopying, "I'm going to Xerox this form..." and for years, Xerox has vigorously defended their name, to keep it from falling into public domain.

Charles
 
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