JustinLL dot Com

April 22, 2009

Don't Write These Words

Filed under: UnTagged — Tags: , , — JustinLL @ 2:02 am

In my college-going days, one of my Software Engineering courses had a professor who put a sound deal of emphasis on the documentation side of programming — the written description of the solution to the problem our software was trying to solve. For a wannabe English minor with a focus in grammar like myself, his courses were a nice break from all the number- and theory-oriented course load required of the curriculum. I don’t know if said professor is still teaching, and I’m not that concerned, but he was one of the ones who left me with something worth remembering, and that was his list of words we weren’t to use in our writing, the "bad words list." (Surprisingly or not, it’s one of those handouts I’ve held onto all these years later, and I still make some kind of effort not to include those words in my writing, but then I also chuckle a bit when I notice that I have included one.) Long story short, here’s the list as last updated in November 1997:

Bad Words List

Avoid using these words in documents and on tests. They convey little
information and won’t help the reader understand.

  • and/or, etc., misc.
  • It is always possible to re-write the sentence to remove these vague terms.

  • basically, basic
  • A common speech filler; in a document, it is of the same genre as generally and is basically unclear.

  • compatible
  • These are hundreds of different opinions on this word. Say what you mean.  (e.g. The computer must be able to run Doom.)

  • easy, easier, easiest, easily, simply, hard, harder, hardest
  • These are impossible to test. State some specific number to write a clear sentence.

  • efficient, more efficient, less efficient
  • Unless you are discussing furnaces, this word is vague. Say
    what you mean.

  • flexible, flexibility
  • Unless you are discussing gymnastics, this word is vague. Say
    what you mean.

  • quickly, more quickly, less quickly, fast, faster
  • Same problem as easy.

  • maximize, minimize, optimize
  • These are precise in mathematics; in English they are basically unclear.  State clearly what parameters you are trying to maximize or minimize.

  • module, modular, modularity
  • These terms have a wide variety of definitions, probably more than compatible.

  • user friendly
  • Are you kidding?

  • usually, generally, should, probably
  • These are all of the same, unclear, genre. Write what you mean.   Document readers hate these words.

  • very
  • If emphasis is needed, use a precise word.

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February 26, 2009

Luigi's Pizza By The Slice

Filed under: General — Tags: , — JustinLL @ 10:43 pm

Get there before it closes and check out the fungarden, if you’re into that sort of thing.  Otherwise, just enjoy the pizza.

Update: When I wrote this, I meant get to convey that people should get to Luigi’s before it closed for the night, not before it closed indefinitely. As far as I know, they are doing quite well and are in no danger of shutting their doors for good.  A slice and a soda is still the way to go.

February 12, 2009

What's The Point?

Filed under: General — Tags: , — JustinLL @ 11:38 pm

It doesn’t count to blag everyday if you’re not going to take it seriously and write something you’ve thought about, right?  Except, you can’t write it without first thinking, even if only long enough to get the message from your head to your fingers.  So it goes.

February 8, 2009

Sunday Slow Day, Let's Take A Break Day

Filed under: General — Tags: , — JustinLL @ 7:22 pm

While most Sundays are lazy share days, this here Sunday is a let’s take a rest day, so I’m shutting it down.  A break.  A sigh. And  a laugh.

Back tomorrow with further more and whatever we’re selling.  In the meanwhile, watch as I want this rest and nap.

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April 7, 2008

You Probably Can't Tell

Filed under: Nonsense — Tags: , , — JustinLL @ 6:26 am

I have a bike-less seat and a seat-less bike. Yes, those both make sense, and the piece I’m missing measures 28.6. (I’m thinking diameter in mm.) Nevertheless, once I removed the rack and basket from my orange beast I was able to ride in the cool night air. That’s right, it was cold last night. But nothing that a little drink couldn’t protect. Ha! That and a pair of jeans and a jacket.

For some reason this seems like one of the longest weekends in a while. I think we’re on week 16 of the year. I think that.

I haven’t been to the market in 2 weeks, so as soon as I finish here I’m going there to buy food. The rest of you need to return my phone calls. I’m not interested in broken parts or dead batteries.

And there we have it.

April 1, 2008

April Fools' Day

Filed under: Holiday and Travel — Tags: , , — JustinLL @ 7:31 am

What is that, anyway? An April Fool? I don’t get it. Generally I can’t, for whatever reason, get interested in this holiday of non-holidays. A day of joke-playing and practical pranks. Elaborate hoaxes. Maybe it’s just that I’m upset at never having been the punchline for one of these laughable scenarios. I don’t believe that, but let’s leave it at that for the sake of not having to think about it any longer.

Even though I’m not a fan of the practical prank/joke, I do enjoy an unexpected outcome. While moving through the day with my boss, she received a call from her son where he told her that he’s engaged to be married to his girlfriend. His mom, my boss, is not immediately jumping for joy with excitement, the response I’m sure her son was seeking so he could then holler “April Fools!” Instead he was met with the sound of fear in his mother’s voice and the dreaded “Why?”

It was all I could do to keep from laughing, and I wasn’t on the call. Needless to say, my boss was much relieved (and jumping for joy) when she found out the engagement wasn’t real. At which point she directed her son to tell his girlfriend that “she was excited” when she heard the news and “let down” when she found out it was just an April Fools’ Day joke. Ha!

I’m not sure which of the three characters is the true butt of the joke, so we’ll have to wait and see how the story plays itself out. Until then.

March 4, 2008

Well, It's Here Again

Filed under: Nonsense — Tags: — JustinLL @ 5:49 am

that’s right, national grammar day. march 4th, every year.

I say, good folks, abandon the overly proscriptive rules and split your infinitives today. Split them as if you’ve never enjoyed to do so. to go quickly where others want to quickly leave. (oh bother.)

On another note…actually, no time for that. I have this thing in my head, and I’m pretty sure it has very little to do with my brain.

blah!

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