How to confound the world...

[TheCPUWizard]

Earlier today, I posted a reply to a thread. Nothing special, but the post contained a single letter "typo". Fortunately another member PM'ed me, about it.

It turned out that this simple mistake caused serious confusion for some international readers.

Although I have worked in the international community since the very early 1980's, it is still simple (for American's especially) to forget that the majority of the world does not use English as their primary language.

So the "serious" part of this thread is to encourage people (especially newcomers) to think about the phrasing of their posts, and how readable it will be to people who must translate it into their own language. This means no text speak, or obscure items.

On a lighter note, there have been many "funny" issues that have occured over the years because of this communication "disconnect. I would like this thread to cover items that people have personally experienced....

[TheCPUWizard]

August 1992....

I was on a Dutch Frigate (the new M-Class) for sea trials. While talking with one of the officers, I noticed a small speedboat on a quick release hoist.

I joked that they used it for water skiing. I got a chuckle, but the officer very seriously said it was for rescues of sailors who went overboard.

I asked if it had happend, and he replied that it had not happend on this ship (yet) but was unfortunately a fairly common occurance [a few times a year].

I then asked if the rescues were successful, and he replied with a very strong "YES". I felt a sense of relief (I am known to be accident prone).

It was only later that he expanded on the original response. Success meant that they always got back the body. The sailor was invariably dead either from the fall itself, or from hypothermia (the North Sea is ALWAYS code!).

ps: I stayed away from the desk rails for the remaineder of the trials....]

[laserlight]

Nothing special, but the post contained a single letter "typo".

Out of curiosity, what was the typographical error?

It was only later that he expanded on the original response. Success meant that they always got back the body. The sailor was invariably dead either from the fall itself, or from hypothermia (the North Sea is ALWAYS code!).

Heheh, I think you mean to say that the North Sea is always cold!

[TheCPUWizard]

Out of curiosity, what was the typographical error?

Ironically it was a typo on the word code....

Heheh, I think you mean to say that the North Sea is always cold!

Quite true, but it works as an uinintentional pun since the ONLY times I have been on the Norh Sea is to work on code that only "mis-behaved" in the field....

[Notsosuperhero]

When I was little my family was on vacation and my dad let my mom drive the boat and she plowed straight into the biggest wave on the lake(not a huge wave or anything) but I almost fell off the boat, and I was probably 7 or somewhere close to that age, and by then no one taught me how to swim(before that I almost drowned in Quality Inn pool before my friend pulled me out) so to this day I am terrified of boats even though I know how to swim, me and water is just not a good mix.