2335. Tom 7 (h-67-101-139-136.phlapafg.dynamic.covad.net) – 06 Apr 2005 19:38:10 [ They are a woman ]

Typographically, I think that punctuation inside quotation marks looks better (actually, "under" the quotation marks often looks even better).

Outside of formal writing, I often break with typographic tradition, putting punctuation after quotation marks except when it's really a quotation. Examples:

There is nothing wrong with the phrase "secular humanist".

He told me, "I'm a secular humanist."

Although he's a "secular humanist," he still attends atheist church.

(In the last example there is the added benefit of reducing ambiguity.) I think I get this from programming, where languages often use quotation marks to designate string constants (putting the punctuation in there kind of violates its sanctity). But like I said, in formal writing I try to be uncontroversial.

2334. mjn (pool-151-205-107-113.ny325.east.verizon.net) – 06 Apr 2005 16:50:10 [ They are a woman ]

Well, she's certainly got the language skills of a President, I guess.

I believe I agree with Tom--probably she thought something like:
1. Hey, that should be "women".
2. No, wait, "they are a woman" is acceptable.
...and thusly forgot all about the "people".

I think the biggest problem, though, is that there are *three* possible antecedents for "they". Sheesh...

Incidentally, "you guys" is fine, but what's wrong with good old-fashioned "y'all"?

Digression: How do y'all feel about punctuation and quote marks? MLA says that punctuation goes inside a quotation, but outside a word-as-word; I think I'd prefer to have it outside all the time, actually (unless it's part of the quotation, of course)...

2333. Tom 7 (gs82.sp.cs.cmu.edu) – 05 Apr 2005 14:07:31 [ RDR 2005 Tees ]

Also, shorter distance!

2332. Tom 7 (gs82.sp.cs.cmu.edu) – 05 Apr 2005 14:07:23 [ RDR 2005 Tees ]

Man, last year I was second-to-last. I was pretty out of shape, had a bunch of crap in my pockets, and didn't think to get water before I started running, but I also sucked. Please, more sucking runners!

2331. Donna (donnam.pc.cs.cmu.edu) – 05 Apr 2005 12:20:55 [ RDR 2005 Tees ]

Registration is still open, up until the race day, even.

If you are not a good runner, then please make sure to sign up. Because I fear I will be the last one to finish. This is a very rational fear; I think I'd take at least a minute longer to finish than the last person to finish last year.

Tom: I like the shirt. :)

2330. jcreed (wittgenstein.wv.cc.cmu.edu) – 05 Apr 2005 10:40:19 [ RDR 2005 Tees ]

Is registration still open?

2329. sexy_karl_6@hotmail.com (belf-cache-2.server.ntli.net) – 04 Apr 2005 14:24:01 [ Half-Life 2 Delayed Again ]

hey i searched habbbo backdoors and this website came up ?? wat da fuk is this about

2328. Marc (c-24-62-124-147.hsd1.ma.comcast.net) – 04 Apr 2005 08:56:43 [ They are a woman ]

English does have a pair of gender neutral singular pronouns: ze (the person) and hir (the possessive). But unfortunately they are extremely obscure. So that said, the english language certainly does need gender neutral singular pronouns that more than 0.1% of the population knows about...

2327. Tom 7 (h-67-101-139-156.phlapafg.dynamic.covad.net) – 04 Apr 2005 02:15:40 [ NEW: Escape Beta 2! ]

Now it's fixed on the server, so don't try to exploit it! The next release will have the fix, too.

2326. effika (ip68-97-28-142.ok.ok.cox.net) – 04 Apr 2005 01:50:39 [ They are a woman ]

This place needs threaded discussions. Now I don't know if I made no sense, or if Clinton made no sense! :-)

2325. Tom 7 (h-67-101-139-156.phlapafg.dynamic.covad.net) – 04 Apr 2005 01:45:40 [ NEW: Escape Beta 2! ]

Broken bots are just another kind of bot (that's why they're numbered), so they can be anywhere that the player can be, including on top of stuff.

But you're right, some of these are bugs (they affect all the kinds of bots). Probably none of the levels rely on them, because it's hard to get bots on top of stuff (only through teleporting or the initial conditions can it be done). It should prevent you from pushing a block that has a bot on it. I'll fix this right away. (The trap behavior is correct, because any entity "stepping" (= being pushed) off a trap causes it to become the next thing in the sequence.)

2324. Tom 7 (h-67-101-139-156.phlapafg.dynamic.covad.net) – 04 Apr 2005 01:39:16 [ They are a woman ]

Thanks for your insight, Sam. ;)

2323. Stephan (fl-69-68-129-98.dyn.sprint-hsd.net) – 04 Apr 2005 01:27:28 [ NEW: Escape Beta 2! ]

I've found some strange things (bugs?) about the broken Dalek bots.
1) It's possible to place broken bots on top of other objects. This results in very strange behavior:

a) On a yellow block, the yellow block and bot become immovable.
b) On a camoflaged hole (trap2), the push motion seems to trigger the trap, so pushing the broken dalek off and then moving off the trap2 leaves a hole.
c) A broken bot on a broken grey block works fine; the first push destroys the block, a second push moves the bot.
d) On a blue or gray block, moving the block from under the broken dalek is possible, but then you're immediately electrocuted. (How very odd!)

2) Finally, in the editor, why do broken bots get numbered?

2322. Sam (cpe00119506c8b1-cm000a739a6669.cpe.net.cable.rogers.com) – 04 Apr 2005 00:19:34 [ They are a woman ]

That makes no sense at all. NO SENSE. Wow.. deep. Not. LOL

2321. effika (ip68-97-28-142.ok.ok.cox.net) – 03 Apr 2005 15:12:32 [ They are a woman ]

Ack, not "their" as singular. Plural. Ack.

2320. effika (ip68-97-28-142.ok.ok.cox.net) – 03 Apr 2005 15:10:20 [ They are a woman ]

When the gender is unknown, I feel that in casual context it's OK to use "they" and "their" as singular pronouns. However, Clinton clearly knew the gender of the people she was speaking of, and should have used "she", or "they are women" as given above.

TASP doesn't seem confusing to me at all. This may be because I grew up in the rural midwest and have heard it all my life. :-) Usually when TASP is needed the context supplies the count of the subject, if not the gender. (IE-- "Who do you think the winner will be?" "I don't know, but they will have to beat my mother's amazing carrot cake.")

English obviously needs a nuetral singular pronoun that isn't "it", as "it" seems to be reserved for non-human things.

I don't think TASP should be carried over into writing, but having it in the spoken vernacular solves a particular problem.

A note on the singular/plural "you" problem: I've started using "vous" when I mean plural-you. My friends thought I was crazy at first, but they started using it as well. English has taken so many other words from French, why not a prounoun?

2319. Stephan (fl-69-68-129-98.dyn.sprint-hsd.net) – 03 Apr 2005 12:49:25 [ NEW: Escape Beta 2! ]

A note about the 'half tile cropping' problem seen in XP when the window is maximized: if you maximize the window, then minimize it to the task bar and finally restore or re-maximize, it redraws the window properly, without the cropping.

2318. Anonymous (pcp01935919pcs.hamden01.ct.comcast.net) – 03 Apr 2005 11:59:04 [ They are a woman ]

I mean they and thine.

2317. Anonymous (pcp01935919pcs.hamden01.ct.comcast.net) – 03 Apr 2005 11:57:20 [ They are a woman ]

At least one of you is a purist, but I'm not sure who you are.

2316. FARINA00 (host226-98.pool8536.interbusiness.it) – 02 Apr 2005 07:05:43 [ They are a woman ]

I didn't follow this leviathan-thread, but I just want to take the chance to tell you (Tobot or everyone? :)) that your "you are X" used both for "Tobot is X" and "Everyone is X" is our doom when learning english. Back to the roots! Back to Britannia!

2315. Tom 7 (h-67-101-139-156.phlapafg.dynamic.covad.net) – 02 Apr 2005 00:39:23 [ NEW: Escape Beta 2! ]

Can you tell me anything about what you did and what happened (or didn't)?

2314. peeznluv (pool-71-101-103-176.tampfl.dsl-w.verizon.net) – 01 Apr 2005 23:50:52 [ NEW: Escape Beta 2! ]

Just downloaded your game, Tom 7, and couldn't get anything to happen. I'm on G4 (eMac,) 10.3.8 768MB DDR SDRAM
?

2313. Cloud Street (p32218-adsau04yokonib2-acca.kanagawa.ocn.ne.jp) – 01 Apr 2005 23:41:04 [ They are a woman ]

I've got no problem with Hilary using the word 'diss' - language is meant to evolve and change. But the use of TASP is a different matter. Whereas 'diss' evolved naturally, TASP is forced down our necks by pretentious politicians and the increasingly safe media who are destroying a language in their own self interest.

By making words taboo, you only serve to increase their negative features. Words like ‘Paki’ and ‘Black’ still feature in Australia’s media and it was only after moving overseas that I considered them derogatory. As everyone is fully aware, it’s not the word but the intent that’s the issue. Remove one word and we’ll find another to use in its place. How many ‘official’ words for black have America been through now?

2312. Lord British (mheath.stu.wesleyan.edu) – 01 Apr 2005 15:13:43 [ They are a woman ]

I beg thy pardon!

2311. Tom 7 (h-67-101-139-156.phlapafg.dynamic.covad.net) – 31 Mar 2005 20:34:28 [ NEW: Escape Beta 2! ]

Yeah, the problem only shows up in the XP theme. Perhaps SDL has some hard-coded size for the title bar, which is definitely a bug. For now, I guess just don't maximize it and I'll see if I can get the bug fixed in SDL.