This guy posted a link to my profile on Twitter, could you tell me what he wants to say?
asked Jan 25, 2011 at 18:35
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why down vote my question? I really cannot sure what he want to say.– lovespringCommented Jan 25, 2011 at 22:39
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Don't know why it got downvoted. +1.– Billy ONealCommented Jan 25, 2011 at 23:29
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According to META, the original "wanna" instead of want to in the title may have annoyed some purists.– mplungjanCommented Jan 27, 2011 at 14:02
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@mplungjan I, as a no native speaker, don't have much more feel in word. So if somebody tell me 'wanna' means 'want to' then I just accept it.– lovespringCommented Jan 27, 2011 at 15:15
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I understand. I just answered your question "why downvote my question" since I saw a discussion about silent editing on meta that mentioned your question– mplungjanCommented Jan 28, 2011 at 10:13
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3 Answers
I think BoltClock is pointing out that it's kind of a strange thing to say. For other readers, this is your profile text reposted:
I'm an advanced typist. I can type in many languages, including Chinese, English, c++, php, javascript and SQL.
When you say "typist", it means the action of actually typing -- pushing the keys that make the words come out on the screen. The only way someone becomes an advanced typist is by being a faster typist. This is because the word "typist" used to refer to a clerk or secretary who was paid to operate a mechanical typewriter. For example, you don't be a typist by knowing C++, just as you don't know C++ by being a typist. Being a typist means you can type quickly, while knowing C++ means you can program in that language. (Granted, any good C++ programmer is also going to know how to type, but that doesn't mean you can't know the language and still be a hunt-and-peck person)\
What you probably want is "Advanced programmer", because "programmer" specifically indicates a computer operator who knows one or more programming languages, which seems to be the message you want to convey with your list of languages.
answered Jan 25, 2011 at 18:48
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7And I think he was making a clever statement in his profile. Rather like Steve Yegge's old post.– mmyersCommented Jan 25, 2011 at 18:52
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1@Billy Sorry for my poor English, But it's a joke (or I want to say a joke). I really know I'm a programmer. Commented Jan 25, 2011 at 22:41
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1@lovespring: Your English isn't bad. (The only reason I knew you weren't a native speaker is because it says so in your profile :P) I just didn't see the joke, and I could see how others might not get the joke. (But once you tell them why the joke is funny they feel like an idiot, as I do now :( ) Commented Jan 25, 2011 at 23:29
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I see. thank you! I just translate the profile joke words by words from my profile in my native language. Commented Jan 27, 2011 at 15:17
Your Stack Overflow profile currently says:
I'm an advanced typist. I can type in many languages, including Chinese, English, c++, php, javascript and SQL.
Your Stack Overflow profile used to say:
I'm a advanced typist. I can type in many language, including Chinese, English, c++, php, javascript and SQL.
He's pointing out that an advanced typist should know how to type, spell and capitalise properly. It should really be:
I'm an advanced typist. I can type in many languages, including Chinese, English, C++, PHP, JavaScript and SQL.
In fact, it's usual only to mention your typing skills in natural languages, and only if you really mean the physical skill of typing at a keyboard. It might be that you want to say your an advanced speaker of these languages. And for programming languages, you'd more likely talk about your programming skills.
"A advanced typist" is bad English, which he assumed to be bad typing, and so funny where you claim to be a good typist. (Your joke is not relevant to his joke).
answered Dec 1, 2011 at 13:24
