From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Received: from pigeon.gentoo.org ([69.77.167.62] helo=lists.gentoo.org) by finch.gentoo.org with esmtp (Exim 4.60) (envelope-from ) id 1JWCGB-0005WA-1k for garchives@archives.gentoo.org; Mon, 03 Mar 2008 15:07:23 +0000 Received: from pigeon.gentoo.org (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by pigeon.gentoo.org (Postfix) with SMTP id 7CF33E0830; Mon, 3 Mar 2008 15:07:21 +0000 (UTC) Received: from dcnode-02.unlimitedmail.net (unknown [212.85.44.112]) by pigeon.gentoo.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 24079E0830 for ; Mon, 3 Mar 2008 15:07:21 +0000 (UTC) Received: from ppp.zz ([137.204.208.98]) (authenticated bits=0) by dcnode-02.unlimitedmail.net (8.14.2/8.14.0) with ESMTP id m23F7BQp012709 for ; Mon, 3 Mar 2008 16:07:12 +0100 From: Etaoin Shrdlu To: gentoo-user@lists.gentoo.org Subject: Re: [gentoo-user] Re: Digest of gentoo-user@lists.gentoo.org issue 1422 (76278-76327) Date: Mon, 3 Mar 2008 16:17:56 +0100 User-Agent: KMail/1.9.7 References: <20080303060451.12984.qmail@vh0.comintec.net> <200803031057.44516.shrdlu@unlimitedmail.org> <4ABD5A80-50FB-43A0-965E-7E0A7D66241C@stellar.eclipse.co.uk> In-Reply-To: <4ABD5A80-50FB-43A0-965E-7E0A7D66241C@stellar.eclipse.co.uk> Precedence: bulk List-Post: List-Help: List-Unsubscribe: List-Subscribe: List-Id: Gentoo Linux mail X-BeenThere: gentoo-user@lists.gentoo.org Reply-to: gentoo-user@lists.gentoo.org MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Disposition: inline Message-Id: <200803031617.56981.shrdlu@unlimitedmail.org> X-UnlimitedMail-MailScanner-From: shrdlu@unlimitedmail.org X-Spam-Status: No X-Archives-Salt: 88fdb5a7-5fa5-4392-9205-4b5c2f2db7ba X-Archives-Hash: 99b9d5c7cbca385c9786de645e01790e On Monday 3 March 2008, Stroller wrote: > On 3 Mar 2008, at 09:57, Etaoin Shrdlu wrote: > > On Monday 3 March 2008, Jan Seeger wrote: > >> NOTE: I don't speak spanish. But somehow, I read it thusly: > >> On Mon, 03. Mar, mvidela@ases.com.ar spammed my inbox with > >> > >>> todos los temas relacionados con soporte t=E9cnico > >> > >> all technical support requests (relations?) > > > > all technical support-related issues > > > > Ok, not that it changes much... :-) > > Noooo! It changes EVERYTHING!! > > "Issue" is word to describe an individual periodical in a series of > publications, and is a weasel-word when it's used as a synonym for > "problem". Ok. Literally, the word "tema" (pl. temas) would mean "subject, theme,=20 topic, matter". The degree of "problematic-ness" intended by whoever=20 wrote "temas" can't of course be deduced, but only guessed. In my interpretation, I took "todos los temas relacionados con soporte=20 t=E9cnico" as meaning "anything related to technical support", so issue=20 seemed an acceptable translation (where "issues" include "problems" as=20 well, of course).=20 Also, I've seen many times "if you have issues, call 123456-789". In my=20 understanding, no doubt I'll call that technical support number if I=20 have issues, faults or problems (however serious they may be). But english is not my native language, so I could very well be mistaken=20 in my understanding. > Clearly if your computer isn't booting it's a PROBLEM, not merely an > "issue", so we can tell that the author of the email is engaged in > the sort of environment where weasel-words are employed. > > I have dealt with such technical support departments in the past - I > knew of one at which the management insisted that staff were not > allowed to describe a dead PC as a problem because that "sounds too > downbeat". Such scenarios were to be passed off to the customer as > merely "an issue" ("however seriously we're addressing your issue, > sir"), rather than the disaster it actually was. > > Agreed. I know that kind of environment. So, are you saying that "issue" means "nuisance" or "minor problem"=20 rather than "real problem", and using the word to mean "problem" is=20 incorrect? Or you just hate it when they say "issue" when they really=20 should say "disaster" (in this case, I totally agree with you)? -- gentoo-user@lists.gentoo.org mailing list