Error Message

More fun with language.

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13 Responses to Error Message

  1. David Kay says:

    Sorry, I believe your verb is intransitive active and not passive voice.

  2. Duplex Frane III says:

    The official Microsoft guidelines on Windows error messages are a rather amusing read and they do indeed recommend the passive voice in certain circumstances.

    “Don’t use phrasing that blames the user or implies user error. Avoid using you and your in the phrasing. While the active voice is generally preferred, use the passive voice when the user is the subject and might feel blamed for the error if the active voice were used.”

    Unfortunately, the guidelines don’t explicitly address error messages that blame the programmer or imply programmer error.

  3. IB says:

    Obligatory “‘has occurred’ is not the passive voice at all” comment.

  4. Eric says:

    awesome! and…sadly true 🙁

  5. archie says:

    But… it’s not in passive voice.

  6. Jeroen Brattinga says:

    Imagine a PC saying “I have made a boo boo!”. Computers are way too serious these days 🙁

  7. willwot says:

    oh DARN I thought I was responding to Slothman, I was wondering why Doug was doing a still life of Howard Hughes…

  8. willwot says:

    This one is out loud laughing worthy.

  9. Glynis says:

    Doug,
    I don’t suppose you would ever make a Savage Chickens with a chicken and a honey badger? I know, I know; the whole “honey badger don’t care” thing is probably way too old of a meme at this point. But it’s a rallying cry in my marketing department and you’re my favorite daily feed, so thought I would ask.
    Glynis

    ps. do you ever get called Doug Doug Dougie Doug Doug (a la Stu’s Song from The Hangover) ?

  10. StrangeRover says:

    “Mistakes were made.”

  11. Wildbird says:

    Like in the classic 6os sci fi series THE OUTER LIMITS was WE CONTROL ALL YOU SEE AND HEAR its BIG BROTHER

  12. Wyatt Allen says:

    That’s not passive voice at all. That’s a past imperfect active participle.

    Most of the time when people complain about passive, they’re actually complaining about the auxiliary verb in an active participle construction.

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