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0 pointsfapjacks9y ago0 comments

Here's another example of what I'm talking about from a recent post on HN [0]. Specifically in that post, an email correspondence goes like this: "Thought sharing this framework with you prior to our convo would make it more efficient. Would love to get your perspective on this when we chat in the morning (your evening)."

See the weird omission of reference to self? Here's something I didn't originally intend to share... The reason I notice this is because I used to type emails like that. I don't know why I used to do that, but I eventually stopped doing it consciously because I thought it sounded weird, and years later noticed it in the situation I mentioned earlier. I find it annoying these days to read people doing it. I totally get what you're saying about ESL, but I'm referring to it happening outside of non-native English speakers. I'm interested in your initial suggestion, though. Thanks!

[0] https://entrepreneurs.maqtoob.com/my-cofounder-said-i-love-w...

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waterhouse9y ago

The historical example that comes to mind is telegrams, where the sender was charged per word, and consequently people omitted as many words as possible while keeping the message on the right side of comprehensible. Sometimes just barely; Wiki gives this example telegram from Orville Wright:

"Success four flights thursday morning all against twenty one mile wind started from Level with engine power alone average speed through air thirty one miles longest 57 seconds inform Press home Christmas"

I sometimes omit first-person pronouns and some other words when writing text messages, because I find it considerably more difficult to type there. The charitable interpretation I would give is that, if someone writes emails like this, either they're writing on an inconvenient mobile platform now, or they're used to writing on such a platform and write that way even with a proper keyboard.

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waterhouse9y ago

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