On Wed, Nov 05, 2025 at 11:59:43PM -0500, Mouse wrote: > > | +If a file is made smaller, its extra data is lost. > > technically that should be "are lost" > > I'm not sure. I think it's a defensible stance that `data' has > acquired a mass-noun meaning, for which a singular verb is appropriate. > I might even go so far as to say it has eclipsed the old count-noun > meaning; in my recent experience, applying a plural verb to `data' is > quite the rarity.
It's not just a defensible stance, it's the only correct answer. It can only be plural in cases where it also makes sense to talk about a corresponding singular. -- David A. Holland [email protected]
