4 ms·

Less keystrokes = optmal laziness.

by countzeroasl 14y ago

lutusp 14y ago
> Less keystrokes ... (groan) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fewer_vs._less http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fewer_vs._less
- DanBC 14y ago
  Did you read the article you linked? > The comparative less is used with both count and uncount nouns in most informal discourse environments and in most dialects of English, and in these environments, the word fewer is hardly used at all. > Less has always been used in English with counting nouns. Indeed, the application of the distinction between less and fewer as a rule is a phenomenon originating in the 18th century. etc etc.
  - lutusp 14y ago
    > Did you read the article you linked? Yes. The rule is: "Less" of a continuous quantity. "Fewer" of a countable quantity. So "fewer" keystrokes. The issue is clear communications, not rules -- the rules serve the goal, not the reverse.
    - DanBC 14y ago
      How is "less keystrokes" unclear?
      - lutusp 14y ago
        It argues that some keystrokes are smaller than others, because that's what "less" means -- it describes the size (not the number) of the things under discussion. Goerge W. Bush once said there would be less soldiers in Iraq in a subsequent year. I immediately pictured the same number of soldiers, but each of them smaller. Again, it's not about correctness, it's about clear communications.
        DanBC 14y ago
        But you're using an arbitrary definition of 'less' that most people do not use, and have never used. You can't redefine words and then complain when people don't use your new definition. "Less keystrokes = optmal laziness." is perfectly clear in context. 'Smaller keystrokes' is, in context, nonsensical.
        lutusp 14y ago
        > But you're using an arbitrary definition of 'less' that most people do not use, and have never used. Contradicted by this: http://grammar.quickanddirtytips.com/less-versus-fewer.aspx http://grammar.quickanddirtytips.com/less-versus-fewer.aspx And this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fewer_vs._less http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fewer_vs._less And this: http://oxforddictionaries.com/words/less-or-fewer http://oxforddictionaries.com/words/less-or-fewer And this: http://afterdeadline.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/03/01/fewer-vs-less/ http://afterdeadline.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/03/01/fewer-vs-l... A quote from the last link: "The basic rule for precise use of 'less' and 'fewer' is simple (though we slip often). Use 'fewer' with countable, individual things, and 'less' with uncountable amounts, volumes, etc. So: 'I should drink less coffee,' but 'I should eat fewer doughnuts.'" > 'Smaller keystrokes' is, in context, nonsensical. Yes -- which is why I posted in the first place.
ryanaghdam 14y ago
This isn't a valid argument for anyone using a proper text editor -- vi has auto indent, and emacs can autoindent using the tab key.
- randomfool 14y ago
  Less common though is a delete which treats spaces as tabs. I'm sure many do it, but Sublime was the first one I encountered that did it automatically.

Less keystrokes = optmal laziness.

lutusp 14y ago

> Less keystrokes ... (groan) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fewer_vs._less http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fewer_vs._less

DanBC 14y ago
Did you read the article you linked? > The comparative less is used with both count and uncount nouns in most informal discourse environments and in most dialects of English, and in these environments, the word fewer is hardly used at all. > Less has always been used in English with counting nouns. Indeed, the application of the distinction between less and fewer as a rule is a phenomenon originating in the 18th century. etc etc.
- lutusp 14y ago
  > Did you read the article you linked? Yes. The rule is: "Less" of a continuous quantity. "Fewer" of a countable quantity. So "fewer" keystrokes. The issue is clear communications, not rules -- the rules serve the goal, not the reverse.
  - DanBC 14y ago
    How is "less keystrokes" unclear?
    - lutusp 14y ago
      It argues that some keystrokes are smaller than others, because that's what "less" means -- it describes the size (not the number) of the things under discussion. Goerge W. Bush once said there would be less soldiers in Iraq in a subsequent year. I immediately pictured the same number of soldiers, but each of them smaller. Again, it's not about correctness, it's about clear communications.
      - DanBC 14y ago
        But you're using an arbitrary definition of 'less' that most people do not use, and have never used. You can't redefine words and then complain when people don't use your new definition. "Less keystrokes = optmal laziness." is perfectly clear in context. 'Smaller keystrokes' is, in context, nonsensical.
        lutusp 14y ago
        > But you're using an arbitrary definition of 'less' that most people do not use, and have never used. Contradicted by this: http://grammar.quickanddirtytips.com/less-versus-fewer.aspx http://grammar.quickanddirtytips.com/less-versus-fewer.aspx And this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fewer_vs._less http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fewer_vs._less And this: http://oxforddictionaries.com/words/less-or-fewer http://oxforddictionaries.com/words/less-or-fewer And this: http://afterdeadline.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/03/01/fewer-vs-less/ http://afterdeadline.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/03/01/fewer-vs-l... A quote from the last link: "The basic rule for precise use of 'less' and 'fewer' is simple (though we slip often). Use 'fewer' with countable, individual things, and 'less' with uncountable amounts, volumes, etc. So: 'I should drink less coffee,' but 'I should eat fewer doughnuts.'" > 'Smaller keystrokes' is, in context, nonsensical. Yes -- which is why I posted in the first place.

ryanaghdam 14y ago

This isn't a valid argument for anyone using a proper text editor -- vi has auto indent, and emacs can autoindent using the tab key.

randomfool 14y ago
Less common though is a delete which treats spaces as tabs. I'm sure many do it, but Sublime was the first one I encountered that did it automatically.