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Re: Re: W3C and Linking - what is the future?

• To: AndrewWatt2000@a...
• Subject: Re: Re: W3C and Linking - what is the future?
• From: John Cowan <jcowan@r...>
• Date: Thu, 24 Oct 2002 11:56:36 -0400 (EDT)
• Cc: jcowan@r..., xml-dev@l...
• In-reply-to: <c.c277a8.2ae96778@a...> from "AndrewWatt2000@a..." at Oct 24, 2002 11:10:48 AM

AndrewWatt2000@a... scripsit:

> For some reason I had previously assumed you were benighted Irish. :) ... Not 
> sure why.

I bear an Irish name, certainly, and my grandfather emigrated thence.
Of course, American English is essentially Hiberno-English
in the mouths of refugees from Bismarck's Prussia.  See
http://www.ccil.org/~cowan/essential.html for much more of this.

> "Lose the plot" means pretty much the same as "lose the thread". But if the 
> latter exists in American English it may, as these things can, have a 
> different meaning.

"Lose the thread" suggests to me forgetting what one is talking about,
or ceasing to follow a conversation.

> In "standard English" to "lose the plot" indicates a loss of perspective with 
> regard to (at least some) important matters. ... :) That sounds terribly 
> formal for a phrase which is much more expressive. ... It can also carry the 
> sense of, as a result of the loss of appropriate prioritisation, getting 
> things into a mess or leaving them in a mess. That seems to me a not 
> unreasonable comment about linking. But your mileage may differ. :)

I think I interpreted you correctly, then.  If the plot is lost at W3C,
it may indeed be found at some other standards organization in future.

> What I was saying is that I perceive linking at W3C as a bit of a mess and, 
> implicitly, it seems to me that more work needs to be done to improve things. 

Indeed.  But that does not mean that W3C is either an appropriate or a necessary
forum for the purpose.

> Does that help?

Admirably.

-- 
John Cowan  jcowan@r...  www.ccil.org/~cowan  www.reutershealth.com
"In computer science, we stand on each other's feet."
        --Brian K. Reid

• References:
  • Re: Re: W3C and Linking - what is the future?
    • From: AndrewWatt2000@a...

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