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- From: poynor@david.wheaton.edu (George V. Poynor)
- Newsgroups: comp.programming
- Subject: Re: What is Language Lawyering?
- Message-ID: <1992Nov7.013937.28985@wheaton.wheaton.edu>
- Date: 7 Nov 92 01:39:37 GMT
- References: <1992Nov3.175103.2052@saifr00.cfsat.honeywell.com> <1992Nov4.085231.15582@jyu.fi>
- Sender: news@wheaton.wheaton.edu (USENET News System)
- Organization: Wheaton College, IL
- Lines: 30
-
- In article <1992Nov4.085231.15582@jyu.fi> sakkinen@jyu.fi (Markku Sakkinen) writes:
- >In article <1992Nov3.175103.2052@saifr00.cfsat.honeywell.com> lam@saifr00.cfsat.honeywell.com (Josh Lam) writes:
- >>Please pardon my ignorance!
- >>
- >>What is 'language lawyering'? I have seen this phase used quite a few
- >>times in more language specific news groups, usually used as an accusation.
- >>So I suppose it is not good.
- >>
- >>My guess is that it refers to arguing over petty features or usage of a
- >>programming language that is often is of no value.
- >> ...
- >
- >Also used by designers and supporters of programming languages
- >when other people interpret a language definition as it is written
- >instead of what was "actually meant", or when inconsistencies and
- >flaws are pointed out. (I.e., 'petty' is very subjective and relative.)
- >
- >Regards,
- >Markku
- >recent PhD in language lawyering :-)
- >
- I've seen it used in the context of programmer teams, to
- describe the member who knew all of the arcana of the
- language.
- --
- geo...
- --
- George V. Poynor
- --
- poynor@david.wheaton.edu
-