How the Internet helps make me look more clever than I really am

[muckefuck]

I'm in an online discussion and someone wants to know why one of the mods is upbraiding people now for something he allowed an entire thread on before. I know there's some consecrated phrase out there which expresses, "Even superior minds have their senior moments" and it would be perfect here, since it would allow me to get in an erudite dig at the moderator, who considers himself particularly learned, but I can't remember exactly how it goes, and of course if I misuse it, I'll look like ten times the pompous ass I'm suggesting he is.

If the discussion were happening in real time, I would have to let it go. But because it's in an online forum, I can do this:

1. Google "Virgil nodded." Find nothing relevant.
2. Run downstairs and ask monshu what that phrase is about how some really famous dead dude nodded.
3. Run back upstairs and Google "Homer nodded."
4. Bring up a Wikipedia page on the phrase containing the original Latin formation.
5. Call up an online verb conjugator for Latin in order to find that the appropriate perfect tense form of dormito "nod [off]" is dormitavit.
6. Make the substitution and post the phrase to the thread.

Bonus: Now what it the use of going through all this work to appear clever if your audience isn't steeped enough in Classical learning to get the joke? But since everyone there has the same web access I do, I know that they can Google the phrase and get to the same Wikipedia page, or run it through Google Translate.

Is this progress or only a sad example of badly misplaced priorities? I honestly can't say.

Comments

[pne.livejournal.com]

Google Translate? For Latin?

...checks... well I'll be.

[pne.livejournal.com]

Now I wonder what parallel corpus they trained that thing on.

[mollpeartree.livejournal.com]

Talking of Google Translate, did you hear they're taking down at the end of this year? What's the best alternate translation site, do you think?

[muckefuck.livejournal.com]

Wow, for reals? I can't think of another one that approaches it either in breadth of coverage or in overall quality of translation (at least for major European languages).

[mollpeartree.livejournal.com]

Oh look, they changed their minds. Instead they're going to charge for it. Here's hoping it's a subscription rather than a per-word kind of thing.

[lhn.livejournal.com]

I think the API is the bit that lets other programs use Google Translate as a back end. I don't think they're getting rid of the translate.google.com page at this point.

[danthered.livejournal.com]

I can't help with your question, but here's a quote that comes to mind:

"I spent thirteen years on Usenet. The first twelve taught me how to argue on the internet; the last one taught me not to." --me

[muckefuck.livejournal.com]

Why do you think I'm sniping at the moderator rather than engaging him?

[danthered.livejournal.com]

I don't. I know nothing about the dynamics of the discussion. My quote isn't necessarily directly applicable.

[keyne.livejournal.com]

"I spent thirteen years on Usenet. The first twelve taught me how to argue on the internet; the last one taught me not to."

Hey, I resemble that remark.

[gorkabear.livejournal.com]

I'm just amazed how much I've forgotten the Latin I took in 2º de BUP (at 15) and I got the highest score ever in my school*. I checked the conjugator and I couldn't believe I still knew some of the words.

*Note that the exam didn't include any exercise with "ut", something I never understood.

But you're an incredibly resourced man. Not that these resources are not available for other people but how you use them :) Ets un crack!

[muckefuck.livejournal.com]

I have an odd relationship to Latin, since I've never studied it (either formally or informally), but everyone expects you know it when you've a reputation as a polyglot and will bug you for translations. Finding quick-and-dirty resources for it has been a survival tactic as much as anything.

[gorkabear.livejournal.com]

I accept your being modest but it's impressive how you use those resources. ¡Acepta el piropo, hombre! :)