| From: | Doctor Doom <jcha@******.NET> |
|---|---|
| Subject: | Shadowrun and Stylistics (now safe for fabrics) |
| Date: | Fri, 14 Aug 1998 15:13:32 -0500 |
Von Herrn Jameson:
> Apparently everyone from Adam J. to the DLOH are violently insistent that
> it be spelled "Shadowrun." No capitalized "R."
> I can't claim to be a fan of it either, but as I recall, that was a conceit
> of yours from day one.
Naturally, my intent was never to vex the aesthetic sensibilities of the
Dark Lord on High; quite the contrary, I am want to eschew such
transgressions. In days of yore, the stylistic tendency was not -- at least
my perceptions were that it was not -- peculiar to myself. However, styles
are notoriously subject to the vicissitudes which come with the passage
of time.
Although the cessation of old tendencies is always fraught with difficulty,
I shall endeavor to do so.
II. Styles
I find it curious that my particular slightly archaic sesquipedalian mode
of expression should actually find itself as an active thread. I approach
expression through correspondence this way for /effect/. Much as
consonance
and dissonance are utilized in musical composition, the terms one employs
to express one's self contribute to the overall impact. How one
communicates
is as important as what one communicates. Acrimoniousness and even
intricacies are valid if not frequently seen in everyday parlance.
Now, as to Mongoose's point with regards to the conventional usage of
"disabuse," he is correct. I would defend my own utilization as
"grammatically legal." The term means "to free from error or
fallacy,"
such a definition does not requisite that an individual be the object of
said action; however, convention states that it does. In fact, my
original draft of my communique did say "disabuse me" but, upon reflection,
I
considered the phrasing too suggestive of a challenge, giving the missive
a belligerent tone (which was not my intent). Accordingly, I modified
it before transmission. Only following this did I consider how this ran
counter to how the term is more commonly utilized.
Whatever the merits or appeal (or lack thereof) of my peculiar means of
composition, may I submit that this devolves only to a matter of the
aesthetics of a particular style. I do work in academia, even assist in
the preparation of papers for publishing; my degree is in the humanities,
upon which I hope to build further educational experience, so perhaps it
is fitting that I should elect to appeal to the more sophisticated (and
complex) than resorting to the demotic Anglo-Saxon. One must keep in
practice, after all.
Electronic mail is just that: electronic correspondence, which would
seem make it more akin to the formal traditions of letter-writing.
However, it is more often than not treated and approached with the
informality of a telephone conversation. Oftentimes it suffers from
being altogether too terse, frequently too confrontational, and
insufficiently considered previous to it being submitted to the
receiving party. Any of these deficiencies are likely to exacerbate
the e'er present possibility of miscommunication. All three acting
in concert can almost determine that one's ideas will not be
comprehended fully, if at all.
[ one might even go so far as to claim that the incessant invocation of an
ever-increasing (informal) register of acronyms in the stead of phrases
further obfuscates clarity, as they can frequently be a source of
confusion to those not fully initiated in the verbal minutia and
linguistic customs peculiar to "net-ese"/"net jargon" as well as to
individuals who might otherwise be considered "regulars." ]
Brevity may be the soul of clarity, but brevity to a /point/, to a purpose,
to an effect. I may stand alone in my position, but I maintain there is
something to be said for a meditative appeal to a different aesthetic.
Now, hopefully, the analysis of my mode of speech has expiated and more time
granted to matters pertaining to Shadowrun.
-- Doctor Doom
^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^
"Has the planet gone MAD? My brother, passion's hostage; I ask for justice?
Denied. I shall not submit. I shall conquer! I shall rise! My name is
Gomez Addams, and I have seen Evil! I have seen Horror! I have seen the
unholy maggots which feast in the dark recesses of the human soul!
"But until today, I have never ... seen ... you."
-- Gomez Addams, "Addams Family Values"
