GalacticCactus Forum

Forums => English & Linguistics => Topic started by: Brinestone on February 14, 2006, 12:34:51 PM

Title: Can I change this?
Post by: Brinestone on February 14, 2006, 12:34:51 PM

I have been asked to revise, structure, and edit a document for my workplace. The document is about my workplace's criteria for awarding bonuses and promotions. Bonuses are awarded based on employees' scores in the following areas:

1. Sales
2. Quality Assurance
3. Schedule Adherence
4. Quality of Work
5. Supportive

Obviously I want to change #5, and I would totally do it in most circumstances.

The thing is, I think most employees should be familiar with these five categories, and they probably appear in many other documents that I will not be editing. Changing this one word here may cause confusion, which is worse (to me) than nonparallelism.

O editors of Galactic Cactus, what would you do in this situation?

Title: Can I change this?
Post by: Jonathon on February 14, 2006, 12:35:49 PM

Run it past someone in charge.

Title: Can I change this?
Post by: Icarus on February 14, 2006, 03:26:42 PM

Change it, and, if possible, change it to something similar-sounding but parallel. But for God's sake, change it!

Title: Can I change this?
Post by: Brinestone on February 14, 2006, 03:40:52 PM

Like supportiveness?

Title: Can I change this?
Post by: Porter on February 14, 2006, 03:59:54 PM

That's an improvement.

Title: Can I change this?
Post by: Jonathon on February 14, 2006, 04:35:31 PM

Supportitude.

Title: Can I change this?
Post by: Porter on February 14, 2006, 04:37:43 PM

Go whole hog.  Supportitudeness.

Title: Can I change this?
Post by: Jonathon on February 14, 2006, 04:41:54 PM

I think you mean supportitudinousness.

Title: Can I change this?
Post by: Porter on February 14, 2006, 04:46:31 PM

Actually, I didn't, but you win anyway.

Title: Can I change this?
Post by: rivka on February 14, 2006, 05:41:30 PM

I beg to differ. I believe it should be supportivivity. Or perhaps supportivitiness.

Title: Can I change this?
Post by: sarcasticmuppet on February 14, 2006, 05:45:22 PM

Uh, what about "Support"?

Title: Can I change this?
Post by: TheTick on February 14, 2006, 05:45:27 PM

Dude, you forgot supportocity.  Or supportocituitiveness.

Title: Can I change this?
Post by: Porter on February 14, 2006, 05:47:40 PM

That's just crazy talk, Muppers.

Title: Can I change this?
Post by: Brinestone on February 14, 2006, 08:13:41 PM

I don't think support really means the same thing.

Title: Can I change this?
Post by: Porter on February 14, 2006, 08:35:12 PM

That's what you're supposed to do for athletic programs.

Title: Can I change this?
Post by: pooka on February 15, 2006, 02:59:49 PM

Whenever you look at the document, say "supportive" as if it were some kind of french word that is a noun in English and maybe it won't bother you personally.

Title: Can I change this?
Post by: Brinestone on February 15, 2006, 03:02:42 PM

I like pooka's suggestion.