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Exactly, the phrase is ridiculous in most cases and demonstrates that allow and enable are not always interchangeable. But I am curious; did notice that I was responding to someone else's suggestion that the two terms are interchangeable, namely, "I see nothing wrong with the sentence, 'A good education will allow you to achieve your highest potential'"?
-----Original Message-----
From: techwr-l-bounces+lporrello=illumina -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com [mailto:techwr-l-bounces+lporrello=illumina -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com] On Behalf Of Lauren
Sent: Monday, April 09, 2012 2:36 PM
To: techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
Subject: Re: "Allow" vs. "Require"
On 4/9/2012 2:13 PM, Porrello, Leonard wrote:
> How about, "I will enable you to go to the restroom after I finish my lecture"?
So I am disabled when you lecture?
"Enable" suggests assistance, while "allow" suggests permission. If the tool must perform some function, then it enables the option. If the tool just makes an option available, then it allows the option.
When I configure options for maps in my Drupal installations, there is a location section ("Locative information") where I can set options for various fields for locations. For example, for each field, like the field zip code, I have the options of "do not collect," "allow,"
"require," and "force default." I _enable_ "Locative information" in my system, but I set my system to _allow_ various fields within Locative information.
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