NocturnalLogic

[NocturnalLogic]

Hello.  My name is Lukas.  I have a passion for programming, playing games, and learning new things.  My life revolves around computers.  I currently do lots of random web design & development using HTML, CSS, javascript, ajax, PHP, and MySQL. I also know C++, and C#, and I am new to Python, Java.  I'm new to linux;  Using Ubuntu 6.10 and 8.04. I look forward increasing my intelligence points, and possibly share some as-well. I plan to be around x86labs IRC in my spare time and will enjoy being active in the forums. My goal is to get through university successfully, and major in computer science/programming.


Current age: 18
From: Canada
School: Accepted university student
Current job: Grocery store newb
Favorite music: Techno, trance, electronica, etc...
Girlfriend: (online) Complicated
Boyfriend: No
Alternate clans: No
Friends here: Not atm, but soon hopefully.
Why do I want to join: Learn
Read the rules: Yes!
Favorite show: Tough one; I'd say Prison Break, but I'm too lazy to find a good stream online, or lay on a couch and watch it on TV.  Therefore I'm going to have to say South Park.
Favorite movie: The Professional
Favorite band: I don't really care who writes/performs/sings the music, if I like the music, I will dl or buy it.
Favorite country: Ireland (No real reason)
Favorite continent: Europe (No real reason)
Favorite season: Autumn/Fall (Thanksgivings turkey, halloween, less bugs)
Weather: Heavy rain with no lightning or hail.
Favorite subject: I'd say Computer Science, but I enjoy physics more.
Favorite chemical: Carbonated water
Favorite food: Sloppy joe's
Favorite drink: Pepsi-cola in 591 mL bottles
Favorite book: Fermat's Enigma
Favorite author: Simon Singh
Favorite operating system: Currently Mac OS X.  The only 100% operational operating system in my house.  Ubuntu doesn't work too well on PPCs.
Favorite phone company: Ones owned by Wireless Telecommunications professors at Community Colleges.
Favorite computer brand: Falcon Northwest (Have yet to own one)
Favorite linux distribution: Ubuntu (The only one I've really tried, so not really saying much.)
Favorite sport: Jousting
Current/Favorite sports teams: none
Favorite sporting events: Medieval style tournaments @ medieval festivals
Favorite game: Tetris
Favorite style of game: arcade, mmorpg
Favorite bird: Hummingbirds
Favorite type of animal: Used to be White Tigers until I learned how they are really created.  I don't have a favorite anymore.
Pet: Ginger.  My 6 year old Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever.

[Blaze]

So, I take it you're from Nova Scotia?

[Newby]

Favorite subject: I'd say Computer Science, but I enjoy physics more.

Awesome. I'm double majoring in physics/computer science, or at the very least, I plan to.

[NocturnalLogic]

@Blaze: No, I live in manitoba.  There is a breeder for Tollers here.  Although, logically, that was a good guess.

@Newby: You start university this fall?

@topaz~: Lol.  Well it's actually hard.  We can't really do everything we want to do, but she's planning on going to the same university in two years.  Luckily she has a webcam, and I plan to get one built-in soon when I get my new MacBook (built-in).  Watching her practice new routines is awesome.   And... not with my girlfriend. 

[Blaze]

Where in Manitoba?  Brandon?  Winnipeg?

[Ender]

Cool. I used Ubuntu for the past two years as my primary OS but I got a little sick of it so now I have OS X. I love the built-in camera, and I use it to great advantage in sending sexy pictures of myself to ex-girlfriends (especially the few of them who broke up with me, instead of vice versa).

I also used to declare white (Siberian) tigers my favorite animal, but then I got pet birds and my loyalties changed ;-) Dogs are cool, too, but I'm allergic =o Regardless, I think it goes without saying that birds are the coolest pets since they most closely resemble dragons.

[iago]

Winnipeg for the win!

[Newby]

@Newby: You start university this fall?

Yup. at UC Davis.

[dark_drake]

What's wrong with Dr. Pepper? Other than that, I'd give your introduction post an A-. With your liking Pepsi, though, it's an F. You may try again in 6 months.

Which school are you planning to go to? Also, which mmo('s) have you played?

[NocturnalLogic]

I live near Brandon, and I will be going to Brandon University this fall.

@dark_drake: I have said nothing against Dr. Pepper.  Did you mean to say that I get an F for preferring cola?  I assume that you prefer Dr. Pepper; Dr. Pepper is in fact a Pepsi product.  So if I fail for preferring the Pepsi company, then you would also fail for preferring the Pepsi company by preferring Dr. Pepper.  At work I buy Dr. Pepper more often than I do Pepsi-cola, because 1-in-5 Dr. Peppers win a free Dr. Pepper.

[iago]

Ewww, Brandon.

[Blaze]

Ewww, Brandon.

Haha, I thought the same!  There's nothing to do there. 

[Chavo]

Ewww, Brandon.

He doesn't smell THAT bad

[Blaze]

Ewww, Brandon.

He doesn't smell THAT bad

Haha. 

[dark_drake]

@dark_drake: I have said nothing against Dr. Pepper.  Did you mean to say that I get an F for preferring cola?  I assume that you prefer Dr. Pepper; Dr. Pepper is in fact a Pepsi product.  So if I fail for preferring the Pepsi company, then you would also fail for preferring the Pepsi company by preferring Dr. Pepper.  At work I buy Dr. Pepper more often than I do Pepsi-cola, because 1-in-5 Dr. Peppers win a free Dr. Pepper.

I suppose I owe you an explanation. Every year, I randomly pick one or two introduction posts and grade them. There's not that much objectivity to it, so don't take it personally; I just don't like Pepsi products that much (Mountain Dew is an abomination). And yes, this started with your post.

Also, Dr. Pepper is not a Pepsi product. In Canada, though, PepsiCo owns the distribution rights. Next to the deliciousness that is Dr. Pepper, my favorite thing about Dr. Pepper is that it can be found almost everywhere I eat. And if it's not available, there's Mr. Pibb that is pretty similar. The only sad part is I don't drink that much soda/pop anymore.

Also, mmorpg you play? I've played a few of them. SWG (Pre-CU, CU, NGE), WoW, various free ones, Anarchy Online (it's free now ), some EQ1, and a little EQ2. Of these, I preferred Pre-CU SWG the most. WoW is a distant second to this, and I can't really say why.

[NocturnalLogic]

I haven't really played many MMOs.  I do enjoy playing WoW.  I have not played on the real servers yet though.  When I get my new laptop I'll probably start doing that.  Also I do intend to play EVE at some point.

[iago]

Did you ever work at Convergys? I used to talk to a guy from Brandon online, worked at Convergys (he was somehow related to Battle.net, but I forget how)

[NocturnalLogic]

No, but my mom worked there.  Convergys is not going to be in Brandon anymore.  I forgot why.

[Hitmen]

I just don't like Pepsi products that much (Mountain Dew is an abomination). And yes, this started with your post.

Also, Dr. Pepper is not a Pepsi product. In Canada, though, PepsiCo owns the distribution rights. Next to the deliciousness that is Dr. Pepper, my favorite thing about Dr. Pepper is that it can be found almost everywhere I eat. And if it's not available, there's Mr. Pibb that is pretty similar. The only sad part is I don't drink that much soda/pop anymore.

you have horrible taste in beverages

[Blaze]

you have horrible taste in beverages

I know!  Moxie all the way.  And, if out, Mr. PiBB.

[dark_drake]

you have horrible taste in beverages

I'm sorry, you're not qualified to make that judgement. 

[Joe]

[Mountain Dew]

Use: Instantly restores 100 energy or 100% of base mana, but permanently decreases your total HP by 5. No global cooldown.

[Lead]

Hello.  My name is Lukas.  I have a passion for programming, playing games, and learning new things.  My life revolves around computers.  I currently do lots of random web design & development using HTML, CSS, javascript, ajax, PHP, and MySQL. I also know C++, and C#, and I am new to Python, Java.  I'm new to linux;  Using Ubuntu 6.10 and 8.04. I look forward increasing my intelligence points, and possibly share some as-well. I plan to be around x86labs IRC in my spare time and will enjoy being active in the forums. My goal is to get through university successfully, and major in computer science/programming.

I say Slackware over Ubuntu! DOWN WITH UBUNTU

[iago]

Hello.  My name is Lukas.  I have a passion for programming, playing games, and learning new things.  My life revolves around computers.  I currently do lots of random web design & development using HTML, CSS, javascript, ajax, PHP, and MySQL. I also know C++, and C#, and I am new to Python, Java.  I'm new to linux;  Using Ubuntu 6.10 and 8.04. I look forward increasing my intelligence points, and possibly share some as-well. I plan to be around x86labs IRC in my spare time and will enjoy being active in the forums. My goal is to get through university successfully, and major in computer science/programming.

I say Slackware over Ubuntu! DOWN WITH UBUNTU

Eh, Linux is Linux. Linux users need to give up the animosity and to save their hatred for something worthy, like Windows.

[Camel]

Eh, Linux is Linux. Linux users need to give up the animosity and to save their hatred for something worthy, like Windows.

Down with proper infinitives!

[edit] Upon close inspection that sentence is proper either way, so just down with infinitives in general.

[iago]

Eh, Linux is Linux. Linux users need to give up the animosity and to save their hatred for something worthy, like Windows.

Down with proper infinitives!

[edit] Upon close inspection that sentence is proper either way, so just down with infinitives in general.

Haha, I actually went back and added that, because I don't think it's right without:

(Linux users need)
(to give up the animosity)
(and)
(to save their hatred)
(for)
....

Because the first clause starts with a "to", I think the second should also. *shrug* whatever.

[Camel]

Eh, Linux is Linux. Linux users need to give up the animosity and to save their hatred for something worthy, like Windows.

Down with proper infinitives!

[edit] Upon close inspection that sentence is proper either way, so just down with infinitives in general.

Haha, I actually went back and added that, because I don't think it's right without:

(Linux users need)
(to give up the animosity)
(and)
(to save their hatred)
(for)
....

Because the first clause starts with a "to", I think the second should also. *shrug* whatever.

alt:
(Linux users)
(need to give up the animosity)
(and)
(save their hatred)

It does indeed change the meaning to something ambiguous

[iago]

alt:
(Linux users)
(need to give up the animosity)
(and)
(save their hatred)

The other way is less ambiguous, but not necessarily more correct.

But you can't say "Linux users save their hatred", so that doesn't make sense.

[Camel]

Obviously; why else would I have edited 17 seconds before you posted?

[edit] Oh, and yes you can, but not in that tense

[Newby]

├───[linux users]
    ├───[need to]:
        ├───give up the animosity
        ├───[AND]
        └───save their hatred

How's that?

[Camel]

├───[linux users]
    ├───[need to]:
        ├───give up the animosity
        ├───[AND]
        ├───save their hatred

How's that?

The 'to' comes from the infinitive form of 'give;' you've split it.

Way to split iago's infinitive.

[iago]

├───[linux users]
    ├───[need to]:
        ├───give up the animosity
        ├───[AND]
        ├───save their hatred

How's that?

Bad, it doesn't work like that. "give" and "save" are both verbs, which need to be preceded by "to".

[Newby]

In my case, they're suggestions or commands.

"You need to clean the dishes, vacuum the floor, and mow the lawn."

Nobody says "you need to clean the dishes, to vacuum the floor, and to mow the lawn."

[Camel]

In my case, they're suggestions or commands.

"You need to clean the dishes, vacuum the floor, and mow the lawn."

Nobody says "you need to clean the dishes, to vacuum the floor, and to mow the lawn."

In writing, you should! The spoken word often breaks rules that you should otherwise follow.

[edit] Also, that sentence is bad, as the semicolon breaks the link to need.

[edit2] "to need" is not the infinitive form in edit1, where as "to clean" is the infinitive form in your sentence.

[Newby]

I write like I speak. It works out pretty well, usually; I never got anything less than an A+ on non-book-based writing assignments.

But yeah, "to" should, in theory, go before each of the verbs.

[Newby]

[edit] Also, that sentence is bad, as the semicolon breaks the link to need.

[edit2] "to need" is not the infinitive form in edit1, where as "to clean" is the infinitive form in your sentence.

Where is a semicolon?

[Camel]

I write like I speak. It works out pretty well, usually; I never got anything less than an A+ on non-book-based writing assignments.

But yeah, "to" should, in theory, go before each of the verbs.

Actually, you write as you speak!

Only in the infinitive forms. That is, when the verb is not the action that the subject is taking.

[Newby]

Only in the infinitive forms. That is, when the verb is not the action that the subject is taking.

It was implied that I was talking about the infinitive form of the verbs. At least, I knew I was talking about them.

[Camel]

Where is a semicolon?

You'll never believe this, but there's actually a spec of dust on my laptop screen that lines up perfectly with the first comma in this sentence to form a semicolon:

Nobody says "you need to clean the dishes, to vacuum the floor, and to mow the lawn."

[Ender]

├───[linux users]
    ├───[need to]:
        ├───give up the animosity
        ├───[AND]
        ├───save their hatred

How's that?

Bad, it doesn't work like that. "give" and "save" are both verbs, which need to be preceded by "to".

Nah, the jury's out on this one. I think most authorities are leaning towards allowing the split infinitive, if used properly, since it can often eliminate confusion in sentences.

Your sentence, "Linux users need to give up the animosity and save their hatred" is okay grammar IMO. Grammar should and tends to have a logical basis, not a pedantic one, and if the reader doesn't have to expend any more energy on understanding the sentence then it should be fine.

[rabbit]

I write like I speak. It works out pretty well, usually; I never got anything less than an A+ on non-book-based writing assignments.

But yeah, "to" should, in theory, go before each of the verbs.

Actually, you write as you speak!

Only in the infinitive forms. That is, when the verb is not the action that the subject is taking.

Like works well in that situation, since he probably doesn't type exactly the same as he talks (I know I don't).

[Hitmen]

wtf is all this english shit dont we have an off topic forum

[Ender]

wtf is all this english shit dont we have an off topic forum

Stop being a troll.

[Camel]

Nah, the jury's out on this one. I think most authorities are leaning towards allowing the split infinitive, if used properly, since it can often eliminate confusion in sentences.

Your sentence, "Linux users need to give up the animosity and save their hatred" is okay grammar IMO. Grammar should and tends to have a logical basis, not a pedantic one, and if the reader doesn't have to expend any more energy on understanding the sentence then it should be fine.

It's not a split infinitive; that was a joke that isn't all that funny anyways, but won't make any sense unless you actually know what a split infinitive is. "To boldly go where no one has gone before" is an example where the word 'boldly' splits the infinitve 'to go;' it's done exclusively for emphasis.

I tend to agree that grammar is focused on logic, but this is not purely academic. The reader for which Grammar is designed is the most naive fluent reader. In the above example, the split infinitive is poor grammar because it will trick a naive reader in to thinking the verb is 'to bodly;' an irrecoverable mistake. It's important to follow the rules when you're writing, because it's not a trivial operation for the reader to say "what did you mean by that?"

Grammatically, iago's sentence makes no sense without the second 'to,' as it changes the tense of the second phrase, after a rather confusing shuffle. To a native speaker, it's intuitively obvious what the intention was. Someone who is not a native speaker, even if they are fluent, is apt to read the sentence literally and become confused.

I write like I speak.

Actually, you write as you speak!

Like works well in that situation, since he probably doesn't type exactly the same as he talks (I know I don't).

Wrong. It's a simile. You can't put the word like there; its grammatically invalid.

[Ender]

Linux users need to give up the animosity and save their hatred

The emboldened words split "save" from "to", hence split infinitive. (Though you may more generally be addressing parallel construction.)

Analogously, do you think people should write, "I will go outside and I will play basketball" versus "I will go outside and play basketball"? The former sentence has a slightly different meaning, after all.

[Joe]

x86 grammar: To boldly go where no man has ever gone before.

[rabbit]

Wrong. It's a simile. You can't put the word like there; its grammatically invalid.

First,

A simile is literary device that uses the words "like" or "as" to compare two ideas. [...] a simile allows the two ideas to remain distinct in spite of their similarities

Second, He's comparing two forms of the same thing, which means it's not even a simile, it's a comparison, in which case "like" is still grammatically correct.

[iago]

wtf is all this english shit dont we have an off topic forum

Only by name...

[Camel]

Linux users need to give up the animosity and save their hatred

The emboldened words split "save" from "to", hence split infinitive. (Though you may more generally be addressing parallel construction.)

I never thought of it that way, but I don't think that's correct anyways because 'give' hijacks the 'to;' it's certainly debatable.

Analogously, do you think people should write, "I will go outside and I will play basketball" versus "I will go outside and play basketball"? The former sentence has a slightly different meaning, after all.

You already answered the question, but I'll add that the former is also run-on sentence.

[Camel]

Wrong. It's a simile. You can't put the word like there; its grammatically invalid.

First,

A simile is literary device that uses the words "like" or "as" to compare two ideas. [...] a simile allows the two ideas to remain distinct in spite of their similarities

Second, He's comparing two forms of the same thing, which means it's not even a simile, it's a comparison, in which case "like" is still grammatically correct.

Your conclusions is erroneous; the definition you quoted agrees with my use of the word. The sentence compares the ideas of 'writing' and 'thinking,' which are similar yet distinct.

Even if you argue with that, we've already established that grammar is not pedantic, so your point is irrelevant in that regard.

Finally, the grammatical error isn't even conditional on it being a simile. The word 'like' can only be followed by a noun, where as the word 'as' can only be followed by an adverbial phrase. It may have been confusing that I even mentioned it's a simile, but the rule (see link below) usually comes with the word, since they're so closely linked.

http://trc.ucdavis.edu/bajaffee/SAS90B/Course%20Content/Grammar%20Syllabus/Like%20vs%20As.htm


QED

[Joe]

Camel smells like a camel.

I just followed "like" with an article, not a noun.

[Newby]

Finally, the grammatical error isn't even conditional on it being a simile. The word 'like' can only be followed by a noun, where as the word 'as' can only be followed by an adverbial phrase. It may have been confusing that I even mentioned it's a simile, but the rule (see link below) usually comes with the word, since they're so closely linked.

http://trc.ucdavis.edu/bajaffee/SAS90B/Course%20Content/Grammar%20Syllabus/Like%20vs%20As.htm
QED

Only correct because you linked to my school.

[Camel]

Only correct because you linked to my school.

Your school uses IIS; fail.

[Newby]

And ancient Solaris for their shells!