[plug] Oz Govt Linux Deal

[Kev]

Bernd Felsche wrote:
> "Jonathan Young" <jonathan at pcphix.com> writes:
> 
>>"Bennett, Phillip" <Phillip.Bennett at bestroads.com.au> wrote:
> 
> 
>>>>"... open source government contract in Australia of its kind, ..."
> 
> 
>>>So what does "Australia of its kind" mean?  How do people with that
>>>level of language skill become journalists - and plenty do?
> 
> 
>>>I'm not too sure...  But what I find disgusting is going through
>>>the morning and weekend papers and being able to pick up all the
>>>mistakes.  I'm not sure WHAT they are teaching people these days,
>>>but I'm sure it's not english. :(
> 
> 
>>Agreed.  It's quite a worry!
> 
> 
>>I would have gone with, "In Australia, it's the first open source
>>government contract of it's kind." or similar since that is taken
> 
> 
> KISS.
> 
> "It's the first open source government contract of it's kind in
> Australia"
> 
> No starts. No stops. No pauses. Parses sensibly without effort.
> 
> I call it "Writing for Readers".
> 
> 
>>out of context from your quote and not from the original article.
> 
> 
>>This stuff happens all the time though unfortunately.  I'm surprised
>>that a newspaper journalists software doesn't include a decent grammar
>>checker!
> 
> 
> It's supposed to be the job of editors to police that sort of thing.
> But now they're there to consume expensive lunches between mumbling
> inflamatory editorials.

We must keep in mind that journalists are the logical consequence of 
those kids at school who failed (or barely scraped through) any "useful" 
subjects, but were good at creative writing.  ie, they understand little 
of what goes on around them, but can make up an engaging fictional 
story.  Journalism just gives them a way of making income from their 
furtive imaginations.

Btw, if there are any journos monitoring this, take notes, and don't 
become like the vast majority of your colleagues. ;-)

Kev

-- 
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Kev Downes
kdownes at tpg.com.au  ph 0404 7 0808 2
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