Why this phobia to HTML mail?

[Skip Huffman]

On Mon, 18 Sep 2000 15:06:19 +0100, David Gaskill wrote:

>There is no body that issues RFCs for the English language; it evolves,  
>usage and conventions change and a lexicographers record these changes 
>but don't initiate them. There are some here in the UK that deplore the 
>new words and changing usage often initiated by your compatriots; if they 
>knew what html was I don't doubt they would deplore its use in e-mails ...

Actually there are de facto RFCs for the english language.  They
are called dictionaries.  New dictionaries are created on a
regular basis.  Each one contains words that were not in the
previous one and eliminates words that were in the previous
edition.  Words removed have been depecrated and should no
longer be used as they may not be easily understood, words added
may be used freely as they are now accepted in common usage.  If
I run across a word that I do not know, I should be able to look
in a cotemporaneous dictionary and find that word. For example,
I could use the word 'affluenza' today, and feel comfortable
that my readers could look it up (in the New Penguin English
Dictionary).  Where as recently as a couple of weeks ago I could
not do that.

Skip

PS for an excellent review of new dictionaries, see
http://www.quinion.com/words/articles/newpenguin.htm


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