{"id":4364,"date":"2006-02-07T13:35:09","date_gmt":"2006-02-07T17:35:09","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.law.harvard.edu\/formerlyknownas\/2006\/02\/07\/bummr-where-did-all-those-es-"},"modified":"2011-08-05T14:54:11","modified_gmt":"2011-08-05T18:54:11","slug":"bummr-where-did-all-those-es-go","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/2006\/02\/07\/bummr-where-did-all-those-es-go\/","title":{"rendered":"bummr: where did all those e’s go?"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/a><\/p>\n

\n

We’ve been so busy fighting the <\/FONT>“blawg” scourge<\/FONT><\/A> that threatens <\/FONT><\/DIV>
\n
our profession and language, that we almost missed the brave <\/FONT><\/DIV>
\n
cultural\/linguisitc battle launched by Microsoft’s Robert Scoble<\/A> <\/FONT><\/DIV>
\n
on February 5, 2006:<\/FONT><\/DIV>
\n

\n
\"deleteKey “I’ve seen several geek projects lately use the <\/FONT><\/DIV>
\n
‘r’ naming <\/FONT>that Flickr made popular and I don’t like it.”<\/FONT><\/DIV><\/BLOCKQUOTE>
\n
Valleywag<\/EM> joined <\/FONT><\/FONT><\/A>the fray in defense of the English Language, <\/FONT><\/DIV>
\n
explaining Scoble’s cause and then offering a kinder, and <\/FONT><\/DIV>
\n
perhaps more effective response:<\/FONT><\/DIV>
\n

\n
“<\/FONT>Robrt Scoble<\/FONT><\/A> says he’s sick of Flickr-style *r names <\/FONT><\/DIV>
\n
like <\/FONT>Grabbr<\/FONT><\/A> and <\/FONT>retrievr<\/FONT><\/A> and <\/FONT>gtalkr<\/FONT><\/A> (and <\/FONT>talkr<\/FONT><\/A> and <\/FONT>flagr<\/FONT><\/A> <\/FONT><\/DIV>
\n
and <\/FONT>Bloggr<\/FONT><\/A> and <\/FONT>gabbr<\/FONT><\/A> and <\/FONT>Frappr<\/FONT><\/A>). But should the <\/FONT><\/DIV>
\n
Microsoft bloggr be kindr in his dismissal?”<\/FONT><\/DIV>
\n
<\/FONT> <\/DIV>
\n
“Valleywag<\/EM> readrs are urged to donate “e”s to needy <\/FONT><\/DIV>
\n
trendoids. By cutting “e”s and passing on the credits <\/FONT><\/DIV>
\n
to these Web 2.0 victims, you too can be a hro.”<\/FONT><\/DIV>
\n
<\/FONT> <\/DIV>
\n
                                                                           \"eKeyS\"  <\/FONT><\/DIV>
\n
                                                                                \"eKeyS\"<\/FONT><\/DIV><\/BLOCKQUOTE>
\n
That’s<\/FONT> right, Scoble wants the “e” put back in the “agent” <\/FONT><\/FONT><\/DIV>
\n
-er suffix<\/A>. <\/FONT>Valleywag<\/EM> is right that we should try to help the <\/FONT><\/DIV>
\n
culturally <\/FONT>impoverished, who are so indifferent or ignorant of <\/FONT><\/DIV>
\n
their <\/FONT>language legacy<\/A>.   To help those who are particularly im-<\/FONT><\/FONT><\/DIV>
\n
pervious to subtle gestures, we suggest that you dig out any <\/FONT><\/DIV>
\n
old, <\/FONT>un<\/EM>used <\/FONT><\/FONT>Scrabble<\/FONT><\/A> games<\/FONT> and remove the 12  “e” tiles. <\/FONT><\/DIV>
\n
Then, <\/FONT>send one each to the dozen trendoids you know who <\/FONT><\/DIV>
\n
most need a <\/FONT>reminder of how our language operates (perhaps<\/FONT><\/DIV>
\n
with instructions). <\/FONT><\/DIV>
\n
<\/FONT> <\/DIV>
\n
We want to go further, however, and try to understand this <\/FONT><\/DIV>
\n
hypo-e disorder — especially after having such informative <\/FONT><\/DIV>
\n
discussions<\/FONT><\/A> recently with two linguists<\/FONT> at Language Log<\/A><\/EM>.<\/FONT> <\/FONT><\/DIV>
\n
You can help by commenting on some of the possible <\/FONT><\/DIV>
\n
theories and suggesting your own:<\/FONT><\/DIV>
\n
<\/FONT> <\/DIV>
\n
\"blackboard<\/FONT><\/DIV>
\n

\n
\"tiny Virtually Out of E’s<\/EM>:  Did our troubled trendoids <\/FONT><\/DIV>
\n
simply run out of e’s over the last decade, after <\/FONT><\/DIV>
\n
sticking one in front of every pre-existing concept <\/FONT><\/DIV>
\n
that found <\/FONT>its way into computers or onto the internet? <\/FONT><\/DIV>
\n
<\/FONT> <\/DIV>
\n
\"tiny Spawn of Blog<\/EM>: Having so casually maimed the <\/FONT><\/DIV>
\n
word “weblog” by chopping off its “we-,” did they <\/FONT><\/DIV>
\n
grow up without any sense of conscience over <\/FONT><\/DIV>
\n
abandonment of e’s and other forms of language <\/FONT><\/DIV>
\n
abuse and neglect?<\/FONT><\/DIV>
\n

\n
\"eKeyS\" Note,<\/EM> though:  Creating that ugly, <\/FONT><\/DIV>
\n
little <\/FONT>word to denominate weblogs <\/FONT><\/DIV>
\n
should <\/FONT>have created a surplus by now of <\/FONT><\/DIV>
\n
trillions of extra e’s. (The w’s, however, <\/FONT><\/DIV>
\n
were surely used up in all those URLs,<\/FONT><\/DIV>
\n
because compu-nerds took the only letter that <\/FONT><\/DIV>
\n
is not mono-syllabic and used it three times<\/FONT><\/DIV>
\n
— forcing speakers <\/FONT>to say 9 syllables when-<\/FONT><\/DIV>
\n
ever giving out <\/FONT>a website address.  Sorry<\/EM>, <\/FONT><\/DIV>
\n
wrong vent.)<\/FONT><\/DIV><\/BLOCKQUOTE>
\n
\"tiny IM-Blackberry Dis-e’s<\/EM>:  Have constant use of <\/FONT><\/DIV>
\n
instant messaging <\/FONT>and tiny handheld devices burned <\/FONT><\/DIV>
\n
out the crucial <\/FONT>“e” synapses in trendoid brains, <\/FONT><\/DIV>
\n
while also rapidly aging their thumbs?<\/FONT><\/DIV>
\n
<\/FONT> <\/DIV>
\n
\"tiny  Vanity Plate Syndrome<\/EM>:  Have the trendoids done <\/FONT><\/DIV>
\n
most of their real-word reading in traffic, at red lights<\/FONT> <\/FONT><\/DIV>
\n
— thus mistaking license plate lingo for <\/FONT>literature?<\/FONT><\/DIV><\/BLOCKQUOTE>
\n
One thing for sure: haiku writers did not cause the shrinkage <\/FONT><\/DIV>
\n
of the agent-e-suffix.  We don’t care about letter count, and <\/FONT><\/DIV>
\n
Flickr, Grabbr and the rest still have two syllables each.<\/FONT><\/DIV>
\n
<\/FONT> <\/DIV>
\n
We need your input and your e’s.  You’ve (almost) never let <\/FONT><\/DIV>
\n
us down before.  Don’t start now.  No Quittrs allowed.<\/FONT><\/DIV>
\n

\n
\"tiny  Special thanks to <\/EM><\/FONT><\/FONT>TechLaw Advisr<\/FONT><\/EM><\/A> Kevin Hellr<\/A> <\/FONT><\/DIV>
\n
for the great pointr.  (makes my skin<\/FONT>crawl just <\/FONT><\/DIV>
\n
looking at those pathetic e-less non-<\/FONT>words.)<\/FONT><\/DIV><\/BLOCKQUOTE>
\n
                                                                                      \"ScrabbleE\"<\/FONT><\/DIV>
\n
<\/FONT> <\/DIV>
\n
update<\/FONT><\/STRONG><\/EM> (Feb. 6, 6 PM): I don’t know whether UPenn linguist    <\/FONT><\/DIV>
\n
Benjamin Zimmer talks fast, but he surely does read and type<\/FONT><\/DIV>
\n
quickly.  He’s already posted at Language Log<\/EM><\/A> in reaction to <\/FONT><\/DIV>
\n
this post, reminding us of prior campaigns seeking the <\/FONT><\/DIV>
\n
donation of letters. <\/FONT><\/DIV>
\n
<\/FONT> <\/DIV>
\n
update<\/FONT><\/STRONG><\/EM> (Feb. 7, 2005): A Comment from Pat M. pointed me <\/FONT><\/DIV>
\n
to <\/FONT>Georges Perec<\/FONT><\/A>‘s 2005 novel <\/FONT><\/FONT>A Void<\/FONT><\/EM><\/A> (translated <\/FONT><\/SPAN>from the <\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/DIV>
\n
French by Gilbert Adair):  The book was written (and trans-<\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/DIV>
\n
lated) without using the letter “e.”  This tour de force deserves <\/FONT><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/DIV>
\n
its own post, and it got one today — <\/FONT>sought: haiku-sans-e<\/FONT><\/A>, in <\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/DIV>
\n
which haiku poets are asked to submit a haiku that is e-less.<\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/DIV>
\n
<\/SPAN><\/FONT> <\/DIV>
\n
\"NoER\" <\/FONT>A Void<\/FONT><\/EM><\/A>, by Georges Perec<\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/DIV>
\n
<\/FONT> <\/DIV>
\n
<\/FONT> <\/DIV>
\n
\"tiny From the new inside the mirror<\/EM><\/A>: <\/FONT>red moon anthology<\/EM><\/FONT><\/A> <\/EM><\/FONT>2005<\/EM>, <\/FONT><\/DIV>
\n
here are examples of some <\/FONT>real English and real <\/FONT>haiku <\/FONT><\/DIV>
\n
from teacher Tom Painting <\/FONT>and accountant paul m:<\/FONT><\/DIV>
\n

\n
<\/FONT> <\/DIV>
\n
midday blues<\/FONT><\/DIV>
\n
a row of icicles<\/FONT><\/DIV>
\n
taking shape<\/FONT><\/DIV>
\n
<\/FONT> <\/DIV>
\n
<\/FONT> <\/DIV>
\n
<\/FONT> <\/DIV>
\n
<\/FONT> <\/DIV>
\n

\n
nursing home<\/FONT><\/DIV>
\n
my father<\/FONT><\/DIV>
\n
the way I left him<\/FONT><\/DIV>
\n
<\/FONT> <\/DIV>
\n
<\/FONT> <\/DIV><\/BLOCKQUOTE>
\n
<\/FONT> <\/DIV>
\n
Tom Painting<\/FONT><\/A><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/DIV>
\n
“midday blues” – mariposa<\/EM> 13 <\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/DIV>
\n
“nursing home” – Haiku Poets of No. Calif, <\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/DIV>
\n
         senryu contest, hon mention 2004<\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/DIV>
\n
<\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT> <\/DIV>
\n

\n

\n

\n

\n
daffodil shoots–<\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/DIV>
\n
all these years<\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/DIV>
\n
as an accountant<\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/DIV>
\n
<\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT> <\/DIV>
\n
<\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT> <\/DIV><\/BLOCKQUOTE><\/BLOCKQUOTE><\/BLOCKQUOTE><\/BLOCKQUOTE>
\n
\"dandelionClock\"<\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/DIV>
\n

\n

\n

\n

\n
<\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT> <\/DIV>
\n
<\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT> <\/DIV>
\n
orderly fields<\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/DIV>
\n
of an Amish farm<\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/DIV>
\n
the things I can’t tell her<\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/DIV>
\n
<\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT> <\/DIV>
\n
<\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT> <\/DIV>
\n
<\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT> <\/DIV>
\n
<\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT> <\/DIV>
\n

\n

\n
drifting seed fluff . . . <\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/DIV>
\n
the rented horse <\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/DIV>
\n
knows an hour’s worth<\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/DIV>
\n
<\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT> <\/DIV><\/BLOCKQUOTE><\/BLOCKQUOTE>
\n
 
\n
paul m<\/STRONG><\/FONT><\/A> <\/FONT><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
\n
“orderly fields” – Acorn<\/EM> 14<\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
\n
“<\/FONT>daffodil shoots<\/FONT><\/A>” – The Heron’s Nest <\/EM>(Sept. 2005)<\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
\n
“<\/FONT>drifting seed fluff<\/FONT><\/A>” – The Heron’s Nest<\/FONT><\/EM> (June 2005)<\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/DIV><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/DIV>
\n

\n

\n
<\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT> <\/DIV><\/BLOCKQUOTE><\/BLOCKQUOTE>
\n
                                                                \"ScrabbleEn\"<\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/DIV>
\n
<\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT> <\/DIV><\/BLOCKQUOTE><\/BLOCKQUOTE><\/BLOCKQUOTE><\/BLOCKQUOTE><\/FONT><\/BLOCKQUOTE><\/BLOCKQUOTE><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

We’ve been so busy fighting the “blawg” scourge that threatens our profession and language, that we almost missed the brave cultural\/linguisitc battle launched by Microsoft’s Robert Scoble on February 5, 2006: “I’ve seen several geek projects lately use the ‘r’ naming that Flickr made popular and I don’t like it.” Valleywag joined the fray in defense of the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":94,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[2926],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4364","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-pre-06-2006"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p6kP1R-18o","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4364","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/94"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4364"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4364\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12791,"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4364\/revisions\/12791"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4364"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4364"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4364"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}