Pedants of the world unite

[About half the emails we receive can be split into two categories. First, those that haven't read the article properly and so witter on about where we've gone wrong without realising we've answered that very question in the text. And secondly, those that read them far too carefully, or with a sense of humour bypass. Here's just a few from this week]

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The Register

's repeated use of "forii" as the plural form of "forum" has finally pissed me off enough for me to write.

According to the dictionaries I can find, the plural form of "forum" is either "for a" or "forums". The first is consistent with "data" as the plural form of `datum'. My understanding is that the "-ii" plural
form is for words whose singular form ends "-ius". Thus the plural of "radius" is "radii" (I cannot find of another example of the use of this suffix).

Of course, I may have just missed the carefully constructed joke in which this misspelling plays a crucial role. In which case, I offer myself for public humiliation as one who just does not get it.

This is a minor complaint. I thank you for your insightful and irreverent coverage of the IT industry.

Will Adams

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[This week's Flame of the Week, is a computer-generated complaint letter to Simon Travaglia, BOFH writer. That's computer-generated]

Flame of the Week: BOFH is abysmal

Grab a small clue, will ya? As far as I know, Simon and the whole gang in the BOFH series /DO NOT EXIST/. Catch that? One more time then. Simon and the whole gang in the BOFH series /DO NOT EXIST/. There. I find it hard to believe that someone would go into as much of a tirade on a piece of humor. Other than that, you had a very well written letter.

Daniel McCaffery

PS These are my opinions, and not those of my Employer.
PPS I hate having to say that.

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[Tim wrote an "apology" to BT concerning its apparent summertime launch of ADSL. As was pointed out, BT didn't say it was necessarily the UK's summer]

BT: An Apology

I don't think you have anything to apologize for. I may not be a geographer, or a weatherman, but at least in Canada the "Summer Solstice" isn't until June 20-22 and the "Winter Solstice" is about the same dates in December.

My understanding is this is the reverse for the other hemisphere so October & November would be accurately described as Spring, definitely not "late summer". My thinks BT be talking out its arse.

Keep up the good work, I love your articles

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Actually, I think BT is still wrong on this matter.

In my understanding, October in the Northern Hemisphere is Fall (aka Autumn). This would make October the Spring for the Southern Hemisphere.

So... Is BT saying "Summer" for the Southern Hemisphere, which would make it Winter (ie January 2001) for the Northern? Or, are they really saying Summer for the Northern, which would mean they're late (for Y2K), or announcing vaporware (vapor-service?) for 2001?

In short, take back your "Sorry".

Keep up the good work.

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