IETF Logo Mail Archive

[v6ops] Comments on draft-ietf-v6ops-ipv6-ehs-packet-drops-01: "can" vs "may" in English usage.

Fred Baker <fredbaker.ietf@gmail.com> Thu, 03 December 2020 17:11 UTC

Return-Path: <fredbaker.ietf@gmail.com>
X-Original-To: v6ops@ietfa.amsl.com
Delivered-To: v6ops@ietfa.amsl.com
Received: from localhost (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by ietfa.amsl.com (Postfix) with ESMTP id 3058E3A0957; Thu, 3 Dec 2020 09:11:31 -0800 (PST)
X-Virus-Scanned: amavisd-new at amsl.com
X-Spam-Flag: NO
X-Spam-Score: -2.098
X-Spam-Level:
X-Spam-Status: No, score=-2.098 tagged_above=-999 required=5 tests=[BAYES_00=-1.9, DKIM_SIGNED=0.1, DKIM_VALID=-0.1, DKIM_VALID_AU=-0.1, DKIM_VALID_EF=-0.1, FREEMAIL_FROM=0.001, SPF_HELO_NONE=0.001, SPF_PASS=-0.001, URIBL_BLOCKED=0.001] autolearn=ham autolearn_force=no
Authentication-Results: ietfa.amsl.com (amavisd-new); dkim=pass (2048-bit key) header.d=gmail.com
Received: from mail.ietf.org ([4.31.198.44]) by localhost (ietfa.amsl.com [127.0.0.1]) (amavisd-new, port 10024) with ESMTP id HHOid4N02RpI; Thu, 3 Dec 2020 09:11:30 -0800 (PST)
Received: from mail-pg1-x529.google.com (mail-pg1-x529.google.com [IPv6:2607:f8b0:4864:20::529]) (using TLSv1.2 with cipher ECDHE-RSA-AES128-GCM-SHA256 (128/128 bits)) (No client certificate requested) by ietfa.amsl.com (Postfix) with ESMTPS id EADB83A08BB; Thu, 3 Dec 2020 09:11:29 -0800 (PST)
Received: by mail-pg1-x529.google.com with SMTP id o4so1794169pgj.0; Thu, 03 Dec 2020 09:11:29 -0800 (PST)
DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; c=relaxed/relaxed; d=gmail.com; s=20161025; h=from:message-id:mime-version:subject:date:in-reply-to:cc:to :references; bh=vWSPK90cxtXFdYPpN+7PTI/2jX737yQ7zwYejUsCFHQ=; b=vZFfwuuGFHwtouoSAVxtq6gXQK3tMZKVvGfehbOVEucPvx1lGJJdCHucUj0oeWMPbp 5Nj2MygsOqpfkKsremJbNYkn7R3I6JbWWBKDatx8dPIDKQFu56ORosZ/AqHCrlTRt3n0 pPTjRifgvI3qQ8yXV4kcY0AH000lr8MO8m1qwE6CmuiXxmoI+GNzeHfM6P1sBzRGIzrh hvIHiNDDRCNAm2GW/5nxgkViHWDmLtL2w8fDzz/k+d4NOfQnzAQJ0lh2xtxSU2tYRTXO tsy3MIaeqB/PMoPH6PXkgP9jvy5ZBtayYRXGlvmkFUUkVhwkt0kDW2GvEHMlFB1BSEMv 3olA==
X-Google-DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; c=relaxed/relaxed; d=1e100.net; s=20161025; h=x-gm-message-state:from:message-id:mime-version:subject:date :in-reply-to:cc:to:references; bh=vWSPK90cxtXFdYPpN+7PTI/2jX737yQ7zwYejUsCFHQ=; b=gzwIbRVCndqJx9HhiDo4yZ3y3LRl6bHmT9/3v/lYxmco5tPrmG+GUvBYq5g8Pz86NP SubkWm9Z8mNalQKSluZo0mKraYhBBmjSrqUsS8ZbbyBdbLpGFQ8smDarsaQNQyq9nIhR NXvbZsJJPmUgn53/UvSSbeIw+NHOm8tJlPygS5NaenqggXVn570aUKbbiwu9rJnsWqkN 1KH1UCThjuLcNcDRf5S3r3JYDxBGm+Avf5ZW+D1RWg7PlX4c8cS+FXQ0aYMuoCeqS+S3 8kCPVvcueXH/VLusiFA4GRjIfQ+24TnI2ook2ZEenF92LHPs03b4sS3GO4+zlsBDex2/ ZjOg==
X-Gm-Message-State: AOAM530bZKhdTK+SNlL7YOR+lv2tKQA1THaoSak8Id38UzWg8MKsnTUZ uD52fKIOBfvsbWcDSXQSMLuTj1YpI9k=
X-Google-Smtp-Source: ABdhPJw+SIOmW17uwct6ol7LUpnJ3yefeNpokBRXON2WvH9Lu8SnoKGQPZNcUCq+SwzZHpHOd1Wt2w==
X-Received: by 2002:a63:1107:: with SMTP id g7mr3777650pgl.432.1607015489399; Thu, 03 Dec 2020 09:11:29 -0800 (PST)
Received: from [192.168.1.11] (ip72-205-75-17.sb.sd.cox.net. [72.205.75.17]) by smtp.gmail.com with ESMTPSA id i14sm1714441pgm.35.2020.12.03.09.11.27 (version=TLS1_2 cipher=ECDHE-ECDSA-AES128-GCM-SHA256 bits=128/128); Thu, 03 Dec 2020 09:11:28 -0800 (PST)
From: Fred Baker <fredbaker.ietf@gmail.com>
Message-Id: <2B7068A6-AB53-4685-AF47-9290A745BD13@gmail.com>
Content-Type: multipart/signed; boundary="Apple-Mail=_9EC350C0-747B-4D66-A749-7BAB8380F53F"; protocol="application/pgp-signature"; micalg="pgp-sha512"
Mime-Version: 1.0 (Mac OS X Mail 14.0 \(3654.40.0.2.21\))
Date: Thu, 03 Dec 2020 09:11:25 -0800
In-Reply-To: <d1814cfd-d603-9cc0-f6ae-d37feafb62b8@si6networks.com>
Cc: Gorry Fairhurst <gorry@erg.abdn.ac.uk>, IPv6 Operations <v6ops@ietf.org>, draft-ietf-v6ops-ipv6-ehs-packet-drops.authors@ietf.org, Fernando Gont <fernando@gont.com.ar>
To: Fernando Gont <fgont@si6networks.com>
References: <d97ca0fd-776a-1525-50d1-3a62fd7edf5f@erg.abdn.ac.uk> <0c121812-44cf-119e-fd09-bb138ff789de@erg.abdn.ac.uk> <d1814cfd-d603-9cc0-f6ae-d37feafb62b8@si6networks.com>
X-Mailer: Apple Mail (2.3654.40.0.2.21)
Archived-At: <https://mailarchive.ietf.org/arch/msg/v6ops/MUDW1eTlFBSRDxMrlXtYBjNsfy8>
Subject: [v6ops] Comments on draft-ietf-v6ops-ipv6-ehs-packet-drops-01: "can" vs "may" in English usage.
X-BeenThere: v6ops@ietf.org
X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.29
Precedence: list
List-Id: v6ops discussion list <v6ops.ietf.org>
List-Unsubscribe: <https://www.ietf.org/mailman/options/v6ops>, <mailto:v6ops-request@ietf.org?subject=unsubscribe>
List-Archive: <https://mailarchive.ietf.org/arch/browse/v6ops/>
List-Post: <mailto:v6ops@ietf.org>
List-Help: <mailto:v6ops-request@ietf.org?subject=help>
List-Subscribe: <https://www.ietf.org/mailman/listinfo/v6ops>, <mailto:v6ops-request@ietf.org?subject=subscribe>
X-List-Received-Date: Thu, 03 Dec 2020 17:11:31 -0000


> On Dec 2, 2020, at 9:52 AM, Fernando Gont <fgont@si6networks.com> wrote:
> 
> ("can" = ability, "may" = possibility)

I tend to use "can" in the sense of capability, which may correspond to your word "ability". "May", however, is about permission. "You can get get hot water from the kitchen" indicates that hot water is to be found there, and that you have the capability of trotting off there - whether or not you're interested in hot water or have any desire to go to the kitchen. "You may get hot water from the kitchen" gives you permission to go to the kitchen for that purpose.

Note that this differs from colloquial usage. "Can" is often used in the sense of "may" in common usage ("can I please have some candy?" with the meaning "may I please...?"), which can be very confusing. In written communications, I try to keep theses straight.

v2.23.0 | Report a Bug | By Email