Something ought to be done about the ambiguous term "sorting mail." It has
two distinct meanings: to put messages into a desired order, or to file them
into their appropriate places. The former could more clearly be called "se-
quencing" mail and the latter is already known as "throwing" mail.
Sunday and again today people have posted questions here about "sorting"
their mail. Nobody has answered the one from Sunday, at least not publicly;
the other one just came through. I can't respond to either because I don't
know whether they want help to sequence their mail a certain way or help to
throw their mail a certain way. In today's question I'd guess its author
means sequence, not throw, but I'm less than positive; for Sunday's question
I can't even guess.
I propose that ambiguous uses of "sorting mail" be declared obscene on this
list. If you mean sequencing, please say "sequencing" or "putting in order"
or something similar; if you mean throwing, please say "throwing" or "separa-
ting" or something comparable.
Anyone posting here about "sorting" mail without making it clear whether
(s)he means sequencing or throwing who has been speaking English (perhaps
along with other languages) since first becoming verbal or whose studies of
English began five years or longer before posting, will be presented with the
NAUSEA (Naughty Ambiguous Usage of `Sort Email' Award). Anyone doing so who
is less familiar with English should get a patient explanation, at least the
first time or two.
As to whether it's the usage or the award that I'm calling naughty, well,
that's just another nasty ambiguity.
Retroactive NAUSEAs will not be awarded. Posthumous ones might.
_______________________________________________
procmail mailing list
procmail(_at_)lists(_dot_)RWTH-Aachen(_dot_)DE
http://MailMan.RWTH-Aachen.DE/mailman/listinfo/procmail