Re: the true literal
On 11/22/2013 11:07 AM, Jeff Higgins wrote:
On 11/22/2013 09:37 AM, Eric Sosman wrote:
[...]
To me, this seems a good example of a "difference that makes
no difference" -- but a hair-splitting literal-ist (sorry) might
find a difference just so he can feel smug about it.
[...]
In general discussion, including usenet, a hair-splitting literal-ist
(ok?) stance can be taken, and motivated by smug. Specification writers,
compiler writers, general purpose program writers,and others might
have other motivations. I'm certain that Stefan Ram was not seeking an
answer to his question in preparation to take a smug stance in some
discussion. My motivation to respond to Stefan's question was not smug,
even if it appeared hair-splitting and literalist. Other respondents
have not come off as smug to me. The (online) Free Dictionary has
literalist as a noun and literalistic as an adjective.
Jeff, I intended to apply the word "smug" to the writers
of the JLS, not to you nor to Stefan nor to anyone else in
this thread. If my post came across as insulting, I humbly
crave pardon; I should know by now that Usenet does not always
convey nuance well, and should not have expected that wryness
would come across as such.
--
Eric Sosman
esosman@comcast-dot-net.invalid