misleading wording

  • Thread starter Thread starter Craig
  • Start date Start date
C

Craig

Microsoft - Please consider changing the phrase
"known spyware free program" to
"known spyware-free program"...

This grammatical error led me to delete two innocent
startup programs after I misinterpreted "known spyware
free" as a combination of "known spyware" and "free"
rather than "certified not to contain any spyware."

Sure, I was over-hasty, but fixing the language will
prevent others from making the same mistake.

Craig
 
-----Original Message-----
Microsoft - Please consider changing the phrase
"known spyware free program" to
"known spyware-free program"...

This grammatical error led me to delete two innocent
startup programs after I misinterpreted "known spyware
free" as a combination of "known spyware" and "free"
rather than "certified not to contain any spyware."

Sure, I was over-hasty, but fixing the language will
prevent others from making the same mistake.

Craig
Click to expand...

Are you related by any chance to... "Miss Perspicacia Tick"
 
Andre Da Costa said:
Still don't see the difference with the hyphen.
Click to expand...


The OP read the sentence as meaning "known free spyware program".
Sometimes the order of the adjectives is unimportant, sometimes it is.
However, I sincerely doubt any anti-spyware scanner gives a gnat's fart
whether or not the spyware was free or not but is more concerned whether
the spyware is overtly or covertly delivered. I have yet to see
*covert* spyware program that wasn't "free [to get it and install it]".
 
The wording caused me pause as well. At first glance it looked like a "known
(free) spyware program." The op is correct; the hyphen makes a significant
difference.
 
I agree, for non native english speaking would be better to have something
like
"known program (spyware free)"
 
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