Re: i.e. and e.g. used with incorrect meaning - Mailing list pgsql-docs

From Bruce Momjian
Subject Re: i.e. and e.g. used with incorrect meaning
Date
Msg-id 20210115173705.GA8740@momjian.us
Whole thread Raw
In response to i.e. and e.g. used with incorrect meaning  (PG Doc comments form <noreply@postgresql.org>)
List pgsql-docs
On Thu, Jan 14, 2021 at 01:15:41PM +0000, PG Doc comments form wrote:
> The following documentation comment has been logged on the website:
> 
> Page: https://www.postgresql.org/docs/13/ssh-tunnels.html
> Description:
> 
> You're gonna hate this -- a grammar nit pick.
> But for the few of us who know what e.g. and i.e. mean, the wrong one is
> confusing.
> 
> e.g. = exempli gratia = for example.
> i.e. = id est = that is.
> 
> "that is" implies that there's no other option.
> "for example" implies that there are other options.

I wrote this text in this commit:

    commit 472e518a44
    Author: Bruce Momjian <bruce@momjian.us>
    Date:   Fri Oct 2 21:39:33 2020 -0400
    
        doc:  clarify the use of ssh port forwarding
    
        Reported-by: karimelghazouly@gmail.com
    
        Discussion: https://postgr.es/m/159854511172.24991.4373145230066586863@wrigleys.postgresql.org
    
        Backpatch-through: 9.5

> So in the following text, they seem to be the wrong way round:
> 
> "The name or IP address after this is the remote bind address you are
> connecting to, i.e., localhost, which is the default. The second number,

I think you are right that this should be e.g..  I used i.e. because I
thought it was odd to have the "which is the default" text after the
example text, since it might not make sense.  I will change it to:

    "The name or IP address after this is the remote bind address
    you are connecting to, i.e., localhost (the default).

> 5432, is the remote end of the tunnel, e.g., the port number your database
> server is using."

I think the above is correct, since "the port number your database
server is using" is an example, not a rephrasing of the earlier part of
the sentence.

-- 
  Bruce Momjian  <bruce@momjian.us>        https://momjian.us
  EnterpriseDB                             https://enterprisedb.com

  The usefulness of a cup is in its emptiness, Bruce Lee




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