Little words help us avoid ambiguity and add a little sense to the world, when used well. When we intentionally leave them out, for example to write headlines, we sometimes end up with confusion. I misread this headline, fresh out of the Reuters news factory, because I was distracted and thinking about the dishes from tonight’s dinner, still waiting to be done. “Facebook shares sink as reality overtakes hype.
My first thought was that this must be about the work space at FB offices, something about their kitchens. Took a minute to sink in.
Update Tuesday, the article has been replaced! So link above went dead and here is the new story, via Yahoo, which adds a word to fix the problem. The editorial desk at Reuters is hard at work.
GenevaLunch, 21 May 2012.
Filed under: Media
Tags: avoiding ambiguity
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