03-15-2015, 12:03 PM
Ah, so you snuck away and started this over here. You do not do me justice, you mischaracterize what I said. I argued for footnotes in two instances. The first and primarily is that it should be footnoted if the intent of a word, or phrase can not be found through research. This is especially true when the word or phrase used has a usage that is unique to a certain locale. There is no reasonable way a reader has of knowing this, despite applying a concerted effort to learn the answer, outside of finding someone from that locale (hard to do if it is not mentioned) and asking them.
The other is when it involves obscure nomenclature, especially short-hand jargon. In this case, even if the reader finds the definition it may do the reader no good as one needs to have a background in the field to make use of the definition. Here is an example of this from physics. The Higgs boson, or god particle as it is sometimes called could make for some intriguing word play. So there is a line in a satirical poem that is something tongue-n-cheek like, "God only plays ball on a Higgs field." so trying to find out what the person means by this our dutiful reader looks up "Higgs Field." Two items come up on Wiki in response to "Higgs Field." "Higgs Field" and "Higgs Field (Classic). Lets try the first, first.
Higgs Field: "a fundamental field first suspected to exist in the 1960s that unlike the more familiar electromagnetic field cannot be "turned off", but instead takes a non-zero constant value almost everywhere. The presence of this field – now believed to be confirmed – explains why some fundamental particles have mass even though the symmetries controlling their interactions should require them to be massless, and also answers several other long-standing puzzles in physics, such as the reason the weak force has a much shorter range than the electromagnetic force."
Does the reader quit here unenlightened, or does he research "symmetries" in order to try an understand this definition. After that not creating enlightenment should he then go enroll in a physics class, all for some poem? If so so, that arrogance far supersedes even mine, and as I am often forced to tell God how to run things...
Oh wait, there was the classical definition. That has to be simpler than the other one...right?
Higgs Field (classical): "Spontaneous symmetry breaking, a vacuum Higgs field, a Higgs boson are quantum phenomena. A vacuum Higgs field is responsible for spontaneous symmetry breaking the gauge symmetries of fundamental interactions and provides the Higgs mechanism of generating mass of elementary particles.
At the same time, classical gauge theory admits comprehensive geometric formulation where gauge fields are represented by connections on principal bundles. In this framework, spontaneous symmetry breaking is characterized as a reduction of the structure group G of a principal bundle P\to X to its closed subgroup H. By the well-known theorem, such a reduction takes place if and only if there exists a global section h of the quotient bundle P/G\to X. This section is treated as a classical Higgs field."
This is called the problem of sub-cultures. As a result of specialization in most fields today, most people are in a sub-culture with people in the same field. The people they work with, go out with with after work, often marry, are all part of this sub-culture that is composed of people with the same education history and experience and the same work history. Because they are constantly surrounded by people who know what they know, they then begin to think everyone knows what they know, because everyone they know does. They think this stuff is common knowledge, why would I need to explain such basic stuff to someone they say? Everybody knows this stuff. This happens from Physics to auto-mechanics. "Hey there buddy, hand me that there 9/16th inch box end wrench. I didn't say 9/16th socket. No that's an open end. What are you, some kind of an idiot, everyone knows what a box end is. Look I'm pointing to it. No, you retard, not metric. Geez, you are totally worthless, just o away, your no good to me."
This is no different than the alcoholic who thinks he drinks normally because everybody (he knows) drinks just like him. It just so happens that everyone he knows is also an alcoholic.
So what I am saying is a poet, or any writer must be aware of the possibility that they are unconsciously part of a subculture (certainly they are part of at least one sub culture. This is what happens to kids when they become teenagers and start rolling their eyes at you, because everyone knows this stuff and if you don't you must be a complete idiot) and take for granted the specialized knowledge that they have and unwittingly inflict on other people. Just because something may seem basic to you, does not mean it is to everyone else.
Of course there are some things that are just exempt cause everybody knows 'em. Like everybody with any sense knows when you're out catching frogs at night for a good frog leg stew, you takes your 22* so you can shoot that bump on their backs. Cause as everyone knows that just paralyses them, so you can go back at your leisure and collect them. Them frog legs is some good eating I'm here ta say.
* .22 cal gun, usually a rifle, certainly a rifle in this case. It is the most owned rifle in the United States owing to its good accuracy and lower cost of ammunition. Getting your first .22 rifle is still a right of passage in most rural areas in the United States, usually before the age of 10. It is also popular owing to the fact that it offers nearly all types of the best known configuration.
Of course I'm sure you all knew that didn't you? Sure ya did, or ya would just be idgits.
Dale
The other is when it involves obscure nomenclature, especially short-hand jargon. In this case, even if the reader finds the definition it may do the reader no good as one needs to have a background in the field to make use of the definition. Here is an example of this from physics. The Higgs boson, or god particle as it is sometimes called could make for some intriguing word play. So there is a line in a satirical poem that is something tongue-n-cheek like, "God only plays ball on a Higgs field." so trying to find out what the person means by this our dutiful reader looks up "Higgs Field." Two items come up on Wiki in response to "Higgs Field." "Higgs Field" and "Higgs Field (Classic). Lets try the first, first.
Higgs Field: "a fundamental field first suspected to exist in the 1960s that unlike the more familiar electromagnetic field cannot be "turned off", but instead takes a non-zero constant value almost everywhere. The presence of this field – now believed to be confirmed – explains why some fundamental particles have mass even though the symmetries controlling their interactions should require them to be massless, and also answers several other long-standing puzzles in physics, such as the reason the weak force has a much shorter range than the electromagnetic force."
Does the reader quit here unenlightened, or does he research "symmetries" in order to try an understand this definition. After that not creating enlightenment should he then go enroll in a physics class, all for some poem? If so so, that arrogance far supersedes even mine, and as I am often forced to tell God how to run things...
Oh wait, there was the classical definition. That has to be simpler than the other one...right?
Higgs Field (classical): "Spontaneous symmetry breaking, a vacuum Higgs field, a Higgs boson are quantum phenomena. A vacuum Higgs field is responsible for spontaneous symmetry breaking the gauge symmetries of fundamental interactions and provides the Higgs mechanism of generating mass of elementary particles.
At the same time, classical gauge theory admits comprehensive geometric formulation where gauge fields are represented by connections on principal bundles. In this framework, spontaneous symmetry breaking is characterized as a reduction of the structure group G of a principal bundle P\to X to its closed subgroup H. By the well-known theorem, such a reduction takes place if and only if there exists a global section h of the quotient bundle P/G\to X. This section is treated as a classical Higgs field."
This is called the problem of sub-cultures. As a result of specialization in most fields today, most people are in a sub-culture with people in the same field. The people they work with, go out with with after work, often marry, are all part of this sub-culture that is composed of people with the same education history and experience and the same work history. Because they are constantly surrounded by people who know what they know, they then begin to think everyone knows what they know, because everyone they know does. They think this stuff is common knowledge, why would I need to explain such basic stuff to someone they say? Everybody knows this stuff. This happens from Physics to auto-mechanics. "Hey there buddy, hand me that there 9/16th inch box end wrench. I didn't say 9/16th socket. No that's an open end. What are you, some kind of an idiot, everyone knows what a box end is. Look I'm pointing to it. No, you retard, not metric. Geez, you are totally worthless, just o away, your no good to me."
This is no different than the alcoholic who thinks he drinks normally because everybody (he knows) drinks just like him. It just so happens that everyone he knows is also an alcoholic.
So what I am saying is a poet, or any writer must be aware of the possibility that they are unconsciously part of a subculture (certainly they are part of at least one sub culture. This is what happens to kids when they become teenagers and start rolling their eyes at you, because everyone knows this stuff and if you don't you must be a complete idiot) and take for granted the specialized knowledge that they have and unwittingly inflict on other people. Just because something may seem basic to you, does not mean it is to everyone else.
Of course there are some things that are just exempt cause everybody knows 'em. Like everybody with any sense knows when you're out catching frogs at night for a good frog leg stew, you takes your 22* so you can shoot that bump on their backs. Cause as everyone knows that just paralyses them, so you can go back at your leisure and collect them. Them frog legs is some good eating I'm here ta say.
* .22 cal gun, usually a rifle, certainly a rifle in this case. It is the most owned rifle in the United States owing to its good accuracy and lower cost of ammunition. Getting your first .22 rifle is still a right of passage in most rural areas in the United States, usually before the age of 10. It is also popular owing to the fact that it offers nearly all types of the best known configuration.
Of course I'm sure you all knew that didn't you? Sure ya did, or ya would just be idgits.
Dale
How long after picking up the brush, the first masterpiece?
The goal is not to obfuscate that which is clear, but make clear that which isn't.
The goal is not to obfuscate that which is clear, but make clear that which isn't.