Date: Wed, 12 May 1999 21:14:25 -0500 From: "Mike Avery" <mavery@mail.otherwhen.com> To: freebsd-chat@FreeBSD.ORG Subject: Re: Is it ok to use the FreeBSD name in a cyberpunkish fictional story? Message-ID: <199905130225.VAA25787@hostigos.otherwhen.com> In-Reply-To: <3.0.6.32.19990512202146.00958db0@mail.bfm.org> References: <Pine.BSF.4.05.9905121841010.28611-100000@o-o.org>
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On 12 May 99, at 20:21, G. Adam Stanislav wrote:
> At 18:42 12-05-1999 -0500, Licia wrote:
> >(smiles) I've got to get around to writing that glossary :) c&e is slang
> >the characters use to mean 'compress and encrypt', I'll try to start a
> >glossary when I get episode 2 online, and update it with each new episode
> >:)
> I have a better suggestion: Incorporate it in the story. When a slang term
> is used for the first time, find some excuse to explain to the reader what
> it means but not in an obvious way.
> Otherwise you are forcing the reader to interrupt the reading experience
> just to look something up in a glossary.
A very good point. When I am browsing in a book store and a work
of fiction has a glossary - or worse yet an explanation of a foreign
language the author and last 4 people the author slept with made up
while they were really wasted on their drug of choice - causes me to
look for another book.
The writers job is to communicate. And if a work of fiction requires
a glassary, the author hasn't communicated.
Mike
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