From: mumble@nomail.invalid   
      
   On 05/17/2014 12:23 PM, J.Pascal wrote:   
   > On Saturday, May 17, 2014 4:15:23 AM UTC-6, mumble wrote:   
   >> On 05/16/2014 11:58 PM, J.Pascal wrote:   
   >>   
   >>> On Friday, May 16, 2014 11:13:06 PM UTC-6, William Vetter wrote:   
   >>   
   >>>> People who have not had formal education, but have learned primarily from   
   books, even though they may have learned more than many people who have   
   completed degrees, can teach themselves to pronounce unfamiliar words as they   
   are written.   
   >>   
   >>>>   
   >>   
   >>>>   
   >>   
   >>>>   
   >>   
   >>>> One afternoon, I was talking to a laboratory stockman at his counter.  He   
   was excited because he had bought a new telescope, and wanted to use the   
   setting circles to find the Ring Nebula and so forth, and he was telling me   
   about sidereal time.  He    
   pronounced it "SIDE REAL."   
   >>   
   >>>   
   >>   
   >>>   
   >>   
   >>> Er....   
   >>   
   >>>   
   >>   
   >>> Honest, I don't think I've ever heard that word spoken.   
   >>   
   >>>   
   >>   
   >>> -Julie   
   >>   
   >>>   
   >>   
   >>   
   >>   
   >> Back in olden times they had these devices called "dictionaries" that   
   >>   
   >> contained information on pronunciation in addition to specific meanings,   
   >>   
   >> and some few were taught to look up the words they encountered which   
   >>   
   >> were new to their personal vocabularies.  I think that I might still   
   >>   
   >> have a hardcopy dictionary around somewhere, covered in dust; new words   
   >>   
   >> seem to be added to the consensus vocabulary faster than dictionaries   
   >>   
   >> are published, and one is not always online when reading; so it goes.   
   >   
   > Which is great if I'm ever giving a speech and have to pronounce the word   
   sidereal.   
   >   
   > Actually, this would be a really great app for computers and tablets to go   
   with the word-look up functions.  Then a person could hear it instead of   
   having to figure out what the little pronunciation symbols mean.   
   >   
   > -Julie   
   >   
      
   I agree, but computers and tablets of the "portable" variety (ipads etc)   
   seem only for playing games and interacting with others of one's own   
   ilk.  I like my "dumb cellphone" because it lets me talk with others via   
   spoken words, and I like my netbook because it lets me engage in   
   computing.  I'm too far gone (age-wise, at least) to worry about gaining   
   accurate vocabulary, I could probably lose 90% of what I already have to   
   brain dysfunction and still remain above-average, just like the rest of   
   those reading this nosegrope.  Most of those pocket computers are just a   
   way of selling bandwidth to people who think it's cool and cute,   
   Twitter-ing away and FaceBorking and texting while driving and so forth.   
     But it would be a useful function, maybe useful enough to disqualify   
   it as a marketplace competitor.    
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)