sentient trees yes, usage no

Here's the official word from the list owner (me!) -- Talking about the works of Gene Wolfe: GOOD Talking about matters of English usage: DISCOURAGED Talking about email formatting: STRONGLY DISCOURAGED "Interleaving": ENCOURAGED Top-posting: MILDLY DISCOURAGED Complaining about top-posting: STRONGLY DISCOURAGED Quoting the minimum necessary from previous posts to make your reply intelligible: STRONGLY ENCOURAGED. EXCESSIVE USE of CAPITAL LETTERS: discouraged. Sorry. - ranjit

Ranjit, Thank you for clarifying. I wish you'd jump in more often!

Truly separable? Jeff

Not when we're discussing Able's narration, or that of the Horn twin who contributed to Return to the Whorl. matthew

Speaking of literature and speaking of language usage are topics that can not be separated. Communication requires reasonable language use.

Truly separable? Jeff

Look, just think of these as like Asimov's three laws of robotics. Only there's just two of them that I'm concerned with here, but bear with me:

....except where such discouragement would conflict with the First Law. And now for a new rule: Nitpicking the rules - AW, WHAT THE HECK. GO FOR IT. - ranjit

I don't think that's a good idea, Yogi. The Ranger won't like it.

....except where such discouragement would conflict with the First Law.

High praise to Ranjit for just the right amount of authority and self-deprecation :-) -bsharp