While browsing for nothing in particular, I came across an unintentional nugget of wisdom, a textbook example of poor writing exposed by time. I quote from Macworld, the Macintosh-focused magazine with the largest circulation in North America and sister publications all around the world. Macworld is certainly an authority in the field of personal computing, especially when it comes to the products from Cupertino.
In 2000, the utterly unqualified reporter Tom Negrino, spectacularly inept with words, wrote a little review of a web browser that had just come out. The article that can still be found on Macworld's website states:
Microsoft's Internet Explorer 5 is not only the best Web browser ever released for the Macintosh, but also arguably the best Web browser ever released for any computing platform.
Never mind that Internet Explorer was never released for the majority of computing platforms. It doesn't run under Linux, SGI, HP Unix, DEC Alpha – and those are only the ones I'm familiar with. More relevant is that I have been using Macintoshes for four years, and I have never once encountered this browser. I wonder how it can happen that I don't know of the existence of the best browser ever? Not even my Thinkpad, happily running Windows, has Internet Explorer 5 installed.
I could go on, but you get the point. Mind your words when you write for an audience (or even if you just talk to your neighbor). Ever means ever. If you want to say something is the best so far, what's holding you back? Just say it. Language can be clear, but it requires a little effort.
2 comments:
lol
ever means ever
that is true!
So many people are careless about what they say--perhaps they are unaccustomed to being taken seriously, or are unaware of what the consequences can be
firefox is way better than internet explorer anywayz!
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