David Burrowes on apostrophe abuse and parallels in software development:
Usually, when people criticise the abuse of the apostrophe, they seem to have the attitude that the abusers are somehow ignorant, uneducated, or just incompetent.
Perhaps they are.
Yet, as I read through this blog, I realized that this attitude sounds very similar to the attitude of some software creators: “That user isn’t smart enough to use my software!” In the usability field, we see this kind of thing as a problem of the design of the technology, not of the users.
From this viewpoint, the misuse only indicates that there is a usability problem in the written language.
(Link)
Facebook Comments
his discussion on usability problems is interesting. though i think he’s trying to make the english language more complicated than it is, which in turn only creates excuses.
misusage is not just usability. I am sure there are more and other important fields as well.
Apostrophe abuse is not a symptom of a 'usability problem'; it's a symptom of ignorance and the inestimable influence of greengrocers.