Re: Colloquial language [Re: Last Call: <draft-hoffman-tao4677bis-15.txt> (The Tao of IETF: A Novice's Guide to the Internet Engineering Task Force) to Informational RFC]

[Brian E Carpenter <[e-mail]>]

On 2012-05-31 07:59, Dave Crocker wrote:
> 
> On 5/31/2012 8:36 AM, Brian E Carpenter wrote:
>> Have we any evidence that this is a problem for the community? The
>> informal
>> style is one of the virtues of the Tao. I'd be sorry to lose it.
> 
> 
> Let's separate use of colloquial language from overall writing style. It
> is possible to write in an informal style without using colloquialisms. 
> I could, for example, insert some side comment here that would be
> informal and lack colloquialisms.  By some measures, the preceding
> sentence is an example of exactly that...
> 
> Colloquialisms are well known to impede understanding by non-native
> English speakers.
> 
> So, do you have any evidence that this is /not/ a problem for that part
> of our community?

I actually have no evidence either way; that's why I suggested asking
some of them ;-)

   Brian