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EuGene Smith
14-Apr-2008, 05:24
Often I see in someone's posting a word (generally standing alone) such as "bump" or "snip" and don't know what is meant by the useage of these terms. Can anyone explain them to me?

I think I need a Computerese to English dictionary!

Eu

David A. Goldfarb
14-Apr-2008, 05:27
"Bump" is when someone posts an essentially empty post just to get the thread back on the "new posts" list, because they want to see if there are any new responses to their query, or perhaps to bump up a For Sale ad.

"Snip" is when someone quotes another post but edits out a segment, so they might say "snip" instead of just using ellipses, as one would in normal writing.

EuGene Smith
14-Apr-2008, 05:52
Thanks, David. Now those terms make sense to me. EuGene

wfwhitaker
14-Apr-2008, 08:26
[snip]Now those terms make sense to me[snip]

bump

Vaughn
14-Apr-2008, 09:21
"ellipses"?

reellis67
14-Apr-2008, 09:29
...

Murray
14-Apr-2008, 10:40
are "ellipses" the plural(ity) of "ellipsis"?

Marko
14-Apr-2008, 11:14
No, "ellipses" are the plurality of "ellipse" (a type of curve in geometry). ;)

Ellipsis is normally a single character that cannot be displayed correctly in HTML because it falls outside of the plain ASCII, so it is normally substituted with three consecutive period characters (dots) like at the end of this sentence...

But this being the World Wild Web, words often get used in a more liberal and even dyslexic manner than in formal correspondence, and this includes both spelling and grammar, for which some people still care a lot, while many others "could care less". ;)

EuGene Smith
14-Apr-2008, 12:02
. . . at least those who "could care less" have admitted by default to some modicum of feeling for or interest in the subject matter, as opposed to those who "couldn't care less" and therefore have totally dismissed the subject as not worthy of their concern.

Eu

Greg Lockrey
14-Apr-2008, 12:27
How about the word "sticky"?

Murray
14-Apr-2008, 22:46
I think 'sticky' makes a post 'stick' somewhere, like as a 'new' or 'popular' thread so it's highly visible & doesn't get buried (as easily).

I think ellipsis predates html & the Web. I vaguely recall it from some dark distant past analog context like typesetting or... I don't know.

----------------
Hey, why I didn't look instead of ask I don't know.

"The plural of ellipsis is ellipses (handy to remember when you're playing Scrabble), but the points themselves (the dots that make up the ellipsis) are called ellipsis points or ellipsis marks." from http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/marks/ellipsis.htm

& it apparently comes from Greek for 'omission'...can't omit that.

Tom Westbrook
15-Apr-2008, 04:11
'Sticky' is a way the moderators can glue a thread to the top of the forum list so it remains visible over time as newer threads are added. Mostly we just use that in the 'News' section, though.

EuGene Smith
15-Apr-2008, 08:41
So spaketh Murray: < it apparently comes from Greek for 'omission'...can't omit that >

Probably the same source as for "elision" or "elide"??

Jiri Vasina
15-Apr-2008, 23:45
are "ellipses" the plural(ity) of "ellipsis"?

Yes, they are. Arising from latin, all words ending in singular with -is when used in plural are correctly spelled -es (instead of the wrong one -isis or something like). I think it should only be effective in words directly arising from latin, not words originating in other languages.

But I'm not a linguist by profession, so as always I could be wrong.

MIke Sherck
16-Apr-2008, 07:17
How about the word "sticky"?

Sssspilled jjelly& on kkyb0ard, kkeyzz ssttickking!!!$%#@!

EuGene Smith
16-Apr-2008, 20:35
Good old loveable iconoclastic Sherck . . . now there's my kinda fella, incorrect in every way! I aspire to be remembered the same way when I am swept up to the great darkroom in the sky - that excentric geezer with the old fashioned Matthew Brady style camera.

toyosnapper
1-Jun-2008, 03:53
How about some of the abbreviations? BTW is OK, but BTT? Dennis

Ralph Barker
1-Jun-2008, 05:52
BTT usually means "back to topic", but can vary with the context.

Ole Tjugen
1-Jun-2008, 08:07
There are a few more "basic" ones:

AFAIK = TTBOMK : "As Far As I Know", and "To The Best Of My Knowledge". These are often more accurate than the next one.

IMHO : "In My Humble Opinion". There's really only one response to that, IM(NS)HO:

LOL : "Laughing Out Loud", or sometimes ROTFL : "Rolling On The Floor Laughing"(may have additions of a descriptive nature).

Kuzano
1-Jun-2008, 09:05
"ellipses"?

I believe that's where the sun or moon go into the earths shadow??? :D

Preston
1-Jun-2008, 10:25
"LOL : "Laughing Out Loud", or sometimes ROTFL : "Rolling On The Floor Laughing"(may have additions of a descriptive nature)."

Such as ROFLMAO: Rolling On The Floor Laughing My A$$ Off.

EuGene Smith
1-Jun-2008, 13:15
Hey, Preston: If one is rolling around on the floor, he is likely to lose his wallet, right? So, does that indicate that A$$ means Assets?

Eu

EuGene Smith
1-Jun-2008, 19:43
While I was laughing my assets off, I began to wonder about BOKEH . . . what is that? Is that what you check out when you sniff the wine? (us hillbillies aren't much up on wine knowledge, 'cuz we tend more towards corn squeezin's).

Eu

Preston
1-Jun-2008, 21:08
If I laughed my assests off that wouldn't leave much.

I agree EuGene, I always thought bokeh had something to do with flowers.

-PB

John Kasaian
1-Jun-2008, 21:28
I thought 'bokeh" was someone from maine who took bets ;)

seawolf66
2-Jun-2008, 06:01
Did these not all come about because of slow transmission rates and incoming speed's during the dark ages of the Compu-net era , I vaguely remember: HFC snd LOL

EuGene Smith
20-Jun-2008, 20:09
Well, if everyone promises not to laugh their a$$ets off, there is another word I see on this forum that really has me stumped >>>------> "gaffer's" tape. I know that electricians are called gaffers in some places (besides Hollywood), and they usually use certain types of tape. I know of only 3 types in common use by electricians:

1. Black plastic tape
2. Black cloth tape (that tends to be sticky on both sides)
3. A sort of moldable tape (like putty or clay?) that you squeeze to form it around a connection, I guess to make it waterproof

Is gaffer's tape one of the above, or is it something different?

Ralph Barker
20-Jun-2008, 20:18
Gaffer's tape is cloth based, similar to mechanic's tape, but is very sticky - sort of like duct tape on steroids. It rips across the width fairly easily, but is otherwise very strong. It's sold through photo dealers and consumables suppliers to the film industry. 1" and 2" widths are common.

Kino
20-Jun-2008, 20:42
www.filmtools.com is a good place to buy both gaffer's tape (in all manner of colors), but also long wooden cotton swabs, art tape that won't hurt emulsion when pulled off, cotton editing gloves and a ton more stuff.

Their expendables section is amazing...

No, I don't get a commission...

EuGene Smith
20-Jun-2008, 21:52
Thanks for the info, guys. I need to get some of that gaffer's tape to fix the bottom flaps on some older wooden holders that I want to rebuild. I just didn't know what to look for.