There's always one!
> the US Thesaurus built into Windows lists "problem" as an alternative
for "issue."
Gates? You trust Gates to define your language for you? You must be joking
or, if you are not, a sadder character than I thought.
Incidentally, if anyone is of a mind to challenge whether or not this is a
valid
point to raise in this list or indeed in any of the technical lists to which I
and
many present subscribe, just look at a selection of the thread subjects.
Now I'm an incredibly understanding character myself and so I am going to
exercise extreme kindness and bow to the litigious folk between the shining
seas by quoting from a dictionary which I believe is held in highest esteem by
our wayward cousins, namely, "Webster's Seventh New Collegiate", on the
flyleaves of which the latest date I can find is 1966. Sadly, it's cloth- not
Morocco- bound!
I'd like to start out by saying - unless subject to overwhelming demand - I am
not going to refer to what this dictionary says about the word "problem"
since - I may be wrong - there should be no debate (see later) over what sort
of significance the word "problem" has.
So let us turn immediately to the word "issue" and I'll open the curtain -
sorry
drapes - since I need more light:
<transcribe>
1 issue n
1 pl : proceeds from a source of revenue (as an estate)
2 : the action of going, coming or flowing out : EGRESS, EMERGENCE
3 : a means or place of going out : EXIT, OUTLET
4 : OFFSPRING, PROGENY
5 a : final outcome : RESULT
b obs : a final conclusion or decision about something arrived at after
consideration
c archaic : TERMINATION, END <hope that his enterprise would have a
prosperous ~ - T.B. Macaulay>
6 a : a matter that is in dispute between two or more parties[1]
: a point of debate or controversy
b : the point at which an unsettled matter is ready for a decision (brought
the matter to an ~)
7 : a discharge (as of blood) from the body
8 a : something coming forth from a specified source (~s of a disordered
imagination[2])
b obs : DEED
9 a : the act of officially giving out or printing (as new currency, supplies,
an
order) : PUBLICATION
b : the thing or the whole quantity of things given out at one time (new ~ of
stamps) (stock ~)
syn see EFFECT
at issue
1 : in a state of controversy
: in disagreement[3]
2 : also in issue : under discussion or in dispute
</transcribe>
My eyes are beginning to feel the strain so I'll pick up the tool of the true
detective.
<transcribe>
2 issue vt
1 a : to go, come, or flow out
b : to come forth : EMERGE
c : to come to an issue of law or fact in pleading
2 : ACCRUE
3 : to descend from a specified parent or ancestor
4 : to be a consequence or final outcome : EMANATE, RESULT
5 : to appear or become available through being officially put forth or
distributed
: appear through issuance or publication
6 : EVENTUATE, TERMINATE
~ vt
1 : to cause to come forth : DISCHARGE, EMIT
2 a : to put forth or distribute officially <government issued a new airmail
stamp> <~ orders to advance>
b : to send out for sale or circulation : PUBLISH
syn - see SPRING - issuer n
</transcribe>
Would anyone care to (try to) point out which of these manifold possibilities
has anything whatsoever in this world to do with "problem"?
I'll give you a start: one of the explanations of the word "problematic"
includes
the word "debate" which is indeed a word which appears in the explanations of
the word "issue" above. That's the closest I can get!
-
> I have no problem understanding what Jags is saying, ...
I believe I don't either, just as I can get by with French, German, even some
Russian and Italian and, possibly a surprise, Bulgarian (an easier version of
Russian!) but I prefer when English is being used for it to be used correctly.
Furthermore, if I am offering help. I insist upon it! That's the "quid pro quo"
-
and odd snippets of Latin (or Ancient Greek) when appropriate!
-
[1] I guess if one "party" is the systems programmer and the other "party" is
the set of definitions he or she has coded and the desired result is not
forthcoming, I'm wrong, "issue" does mean "problem"!
[2] I'm not sure I could have put it better!
[3] You can say that again - "that", "that", "that", ...
-
Chris Mason
On Tue, 17 May 2011 09:45:17 -0700, Ron Hawkins
<[email protected]> wrote:
>Chris,
>
>Funny that the US Thesaurus built into Windows lists "problem" as an
>alternative for "issue." Why don't you take this up with Microsoft?
>
>I have no problem understanding what Jags is saying, ...
>
>Ron
>
>>
>> Incidentally, if we are dealing with something which you think should work
>but
>> doesn't, we are dealing with a *problem*, not an *issue*.
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