vanishing treasures of Wikipedia
Perhaps the undergrads do not even remember the mytho-history of the Early Wikipedian, when articles contained personal reminiscences and advice, before the respectable edifice on which we all now rely was fully formed, before the 18th century academy* had been reconstructed in internet form.
And yet, in some forgotten corners the old ways remain, to delight shipwrecked seekers after wisdom and James Maliszewki and me. Thus, far down the poutine page:
The Acadian poutine is a ball of grated and mashed potato, salted, filled with chicken or pork in the centre, and boiled. The result is a moist greyish dumpling about the size of a baseball.
and
In Göteborg, Sweden, at many fish stands one can order a dish called fisktin, which consists of french fries, mozzarella cheese, and fish sauce with salmon and herring chunks.[citation needed]
Who would you cite and how? What could possibly improve this scribbled warning note, left for any unwary enough to wind up in Gothenburg in the first place? Obviously the tetchy [cn] wants to say, without saying: this does not meet our standards. Shape up and follow the style guide, or be purged! But it also does not quite have the heart to rip the note from its place because, after all, you wouldn't want to wash up at one of those fish stands, late on a Saturday night, unarmoured against such a spectre, would you? Somewhere deep in the dank recesses of the nameless cite-baiter's soul, he (and it will be he) recognises this most basic of truths.
* I was going to say occult Gormenghast of pseudonymous attack trolls but I realised 18th century academy got my point across better.
In other news: I would have nothing whatever to say about this foolishness were it not for the strange meekness and poverty of their claims. They wish to steer the course of language, but they admit that the OED trumps them. They seek a royal charter to say what is right, but no power of censuring or censorious powers to promote virtue and prevent vice. Some other words are fads that die out ...People misplace stress within a sentence. All these things are going haywire in the language. I must sit down. And wonder how they feel about "archaic" words, the great vowel shift, the absurd and unpopular attempts to Latinize English, by taking up against split infinitives and dangling prepositions.
AIUI the end point of it all would be for some old men to feel justified in sternly wagging their fingers at common usage. Wag away, old men! You need no certificate. Or, better, take up backgammon.
And yet, in some forgotten corners the old ways remain, to delight shipwrecked seekers after wisdom and James Maliszewki and me. Thus, far down the poutine page:
The Acadian poutine is a ball of grated and mashed potato, salted, filled with chicken or pork in the centre, and boiled. The result is a moist greyish dumpling about the size of a baseball.
and
In Göteborg, Sweden, at many fish stands one can order a dish called fisktin, which consists of french fries, mozzarella cheese, and fish sauce with salmon and herring chunks.[citation needed]
Who would you cite and how? What could possibly improve this scribbled warning note, left for any unwary enough to wind up in Gothenburg in the first place? Obviously the tetchy [cn] wants to say, without saying: this does not meet our standards. Shape up and follow the style guide, or be purged! But it also does not quite have the heart to rip the note from its place because, after all, you wouldn't want to wash up at one of those fish stands, late on a Saturday night, unarmoured against such a spectre, would you? Somewhere deep in the dank recesses of the nameless cite-baiter's soul, he (and it will be he) recognises this most basic of truths.
* I was going to say occult Gormenghast of pseudonymous attack trolls but I realised 18th century academy got my point across better.
In other news: I would have nothing whatever to say about this foolishness were it not for the strange meekness and poverty of their claims. They wish to steer the course of language, but they admit that the OED trumps them. They seek a royal charter to say what is right, but no power of censuring or censorious powers to promote virtue and prevent vice. Some other words are fads that die out ...People misplace stress within a sentence. All these things are going haywire in the language. I must sit down. And wonder how they feel about "archaic" words, the great vowel shift, the absurd and unpopular attempts to Latinize English, by taking up against split infinitives and dangling prepositions.
AIUI the end point of it all would be for some old men to feel justified in sternly wagging their fingers at common usage. Wag away, old men! You need no certificate. Or, better, take up backgammon.