Posted by one of my acquaintances that claims to be an ANCAP but also thinks Fucker Carlson has good ideas, and that trans people and poor people are ruining America. Also worships Elon. I hate these people.

  • Bytemeister@lemmy.world
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    3 days ago

    I think you’re mixing up consistently historical use with consistent use in your comment.

    Also, chattel slavery was outlawed less than 200 years ago. Are you going to continue to keep slaves? The rule has been in place longer than you or your grandparents have been alive, I don’t think you have much standing on a historical basis here.

    • TheDoozer@lemmy.world
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      3 days ago

      I have never come across a situation where the word “less” being used instead of “fewer” led to any kind of confusion. The “rule” is nonsense and doesn’t add to the language.

      I’m generally a fan of stricter guidelines to language to prevent it from losing meaning (e.g. if “literally” can mean “figuratively,” we no longer have a word for what “literally” is supposed to mean). But rules for the sake of rules (e.g. don’t end a sentence on a preposition) that don’t add anything to the language is ridiculous. The point of language is to convey information. If the rules do more to get in the way of that communication than help it (like “it’s actually fewer, not less” in the middle of a discussion), then those rules are bad and should be ignored.

      • Bytemeister@lemmy.world
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        3 days ago

        Well, I’m sorry my scope for history included greater or less years than your preferred scope, I hope this doesn’t make you think fewer of my point.

        Next you’re going to tell me you don’t care about affect/effect, and the dreaded alot.

        • TheDoozer@lemmy.world
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          3 days ago

          I don’t have alot of issues with either, they don’t effect me either way (though affect and effect are two different words with distinct meaning, but I don’t think having them as distinct words is necessary. Plenty of words have noun and verb variations). The “effect as a verb” should really go away, though. It only breeds confusion.

    • givesomefucks@lemmy.world
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      3 days ago

      Also, chattel slavery was outlawed less than 200 years ago.

      Well…

      First off you’re acting like America is the only country in the world.

      Second, by this logic chattel slavery is a very recent abnormality in human history.

      • Bytemeister@lemmy.world
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        3 days ago

        by this logic chattel slavery is a very recent abnormality in human history.

        So is the English language.

        • givesomefucks@lemmy.world
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          3 days ago

          Eh, depends on definition of history

          English was about 500 AD, which is most of recorded history, but on human existence.

          But it evolved from proto Germanic like most North Western European languages, so it’s hard to draw clear line when it became English

            • givesomefucks@lemmy.world
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              3 days ago

              I mean, I explicitly used “history” instead of “existence” for that precise reason…

              I’m sorry that still wasn’t clear enough for you from the initial comment. But at least we finally got there.

              • Bytemeister@lemmy.world
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                3 days ago

                Well, I’m sorry my scope for history included greater or less years than your preferred scope, I hope this doesn’t make you think fewer of my point.