RE: I had to say it because I was afraid no one else would

["Leonard C. Porrello" <Leonard -dot- Porrello -at- SoleraTec -dot- com>]

I don't understand why you assume that I find the allusion troubling or
otherwise problematic. Perhaps it was my use of "but". I agree, I should
have said "and". But as I said to John, I actually enjoy the images that
"graceful" evokes. I'm a big fan of metaphor.

And while I can just as easily imagine other genres of dancing,
"graceful" also brings to mind ice skating and gymnastics. I'm sure that
the word evokes other images for other people. For some, perhaps a
sports car. For others, perhaps a bird flight or leaping gazelle. There
is a whole world of possibilities.

If you truly do find this scandalous, you might consider a new career in
the Records Department of the Ministry of Truth.

Leonard

-----Original Message-----
From: Combs, Richard [mailto:richard -dot- combs -at- Polycom -dot- com] 
Sent: Thursday, February 05, 2009 8:17 AM
To: Leonard C. Porrello; techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
Subject: RE: I had to say it because I was afraid no one else would

Leonard C. Porrello wrote:
 
> Industry standard yes, but it nevertheless evokes the image of a
> ballerina flittering around a computer, gracefully pressing buttons
and
> keys between pirouettes, plies, and arabesques.

The word "graceful" is not limited to ballet, any more than the word
"appears" is limited to magic. 

I don't understand why people become fixated on narrow, idiosyncratic
interpretations of a word like that. If the word "graceful" causes you
to see disturbing images of ballerinas, or the word "appears" triggers a
haunting childhood memory of a cheesy magician pulling a coin out of
your nose -- well, I submit that the problem is with you and not with
the word. :-)

Richard


Richard G. Combs
Senior Technical Writer
Polycom, Inc.
richardDOTcombs AT polycomDOTcom
303-223-5111
------
rgcombs AT gmailDOTcom
303-777-0436
------





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