Biocurious

/ a biophysics blog

Call 4 Proper English

Posted 5 February 2006 by PhilipJ under

This is going too far. I’m able to ignore the fact that I now drive thru fast food places, and that something might be happening tonite, but I won’t stand for things going on 2morrow, or someone asking me “how r u?” Suffice to say, this banner ad on Nature’s website drives me nuts (click for full-size version):

We already know that scientists can’t write good, but this is going too far. Noah Webster and the entire city of Oxford should be furious. And Nature is even in the UK!

  

  1. Uncle Al    5 February 06    #
    At least Nature got the number correct. In American education, literacy and numeracy are hate crimes. “Every child left behind” – the most assured route to equality is to cut everybody down to size.

    Mediocrity is a vice of the doomed.
  2. PhilipJ    6 February 06    #
    I just don’t see the advantage to using ‘4’ over ‘for’. There’s copious dead space on their banner ad, it isn’t like they needed to cram in more text so shortening ‘for’ to ‘4’ adds anything. It just doesn’t make sense!
  3. luke Quinton    6 February 06    #
    I spose it’s just ‘cause ye scientists can’t read good, so, maybe the number will catch you eye instead.
  4. MT    7 February 06    #
    Spelling is the least of the threats to English.

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