All the Perl that's Practical to Extract and Report

Not Tasteless

davorg on 2002-01-15T19:53:43

Well that was easy. Web Sense sent me an email this morning saying that my web site had been "added to our database under the wrong category" and now I've been reclassified into "Personal Web Sites" which sounds a bit fairer.

I miss being tasteless tho' :)

Websense

Odud on 2002-01-15T21:14:11

Maybe they should have two categories:
tasteless (site owner's choice) and
tasteless (everybody else)....

We use websense now at work and it seems basically o.k. but does seem to block some fairly random sites. My big criticism is that any site that has a "cracker" connotation gets blocked. As a sysadmin you need to be able to access these to be informed so as to be able to defend properly ....

Before that we used some US system which blocked my personal site because of "strong language, obscene images, sex, and nudity" I was ever so pleased. (Oh it probably didn't have an Oxford comma)

Oxford comma?

TorgoX on 2002-01-16T22:44:32

What's an Oxford comma?

Re:Oxford comma?

pudge on 2002-01-16T23:29:44

The second comma in "This, that, and the other." Also known as the "serial comma."

William F. Buckley, December 18, 1972, memo to National Review:

The other thing. A ukase. Un-negotiable. The only one I have issued in seventeen years. It goes: "John went to the store and bought some apples, oranges, and bananas." I am told National Review's style Book stipulates the omission of the second comma. My comment: National Review's Style Book used to stipulate the omission of the second comma. National Review's Style Book, effective immediately, makes the omission of the second comma a capital offense!

And a response:

Dear Mr. Buckley,

About your un-negotiable Style Book ukase: Flowler says the comma before the "and" is considered otiose (his word). Too many sections.

Seventeen years of silence, then the ukase labored and brought forth a comma, by caseurean section no doubt. Yours,

VOX DICTIONARIOUS
C/O GEORGE FOSTER
LOS ANGELES, CALIF.

And:

Dear Vox: Otiose blotiose. He dreamed of conquering Guatemala, Panama, San Salvador and Nicaragua? Without the comma, San Salvador and Nicaragua appear positively zygotic. Is that what you want, Vox? Well, count me out! -- WFB

From "Usage II: The Great Who/Whom Wars & Other Matters", Buckley: The Right Word

I'd like to quote more from the treatment in the book, but I haven't the time. It's a great book, from what I've read thus far.

Re:Oxford comma?

davorg on 2002-01-17T17:37:37

This lead to a small disagreement between Manning and me. I'd alway been taught that lists don't need that final comma (e.g. this, that and the other) but they follow the Chicago Style Manual which insists on its presence.

They won.

Re:Oxford comma?

pudge on 2002-01-17T19:25:38

Well, I would tend to agree with Buckley, but my real concern is understandability. In the Pudge Style Manual, if it is at all confusing, you *must* use the extra comma. If it is clear without it, then it *may* be ommitted, but is allowed (and perhaps even recommended).

Re:Oxford comma?

Odud on 2002-01-17T15:25:24

I mainly use it to annoy people - it does serve a very useful purpose in removing ambiguity in a sentence such as "I'd like to thank my parents, Larry Wall, and God.". It's clear that this is a list of three items.