Follow up to the 'jobsworth' thread

[ban-all-sheds]

Why do you have to be so rude?

I wrote nothing which was rude.

All I did was state fact. Said nothing about doing a good job or not.

What you did was to screw up quoting again, and again not bother to put it right.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

I thought that, strictly speaking, all 'electrical work' undertaken per BS7671 required testing and an MWC (or EIC), and confess that I hadn't noticed the exception to which you refer relating to 'like-for-like 'maintenance' replacement".

Does BS 7671 allow you to sign an EIC to say that you'd complied with the regulations when replacing a damaged switch when it would not have allowed you to do so if you had replaced it for aesthetic reasons?

Yes, we agree. I stated my understanding of the situation and you asked a rhetoric question (in the 'original' thread)

It wasn't rhetorical

As you will be aware, I started a new thread about this issue yesterday.

Apologies - at the time I was not aware of that.

 

[JohnW2]

It wasn't rhetorical

Hmmm. It would only really 'not be rhetorical' if you didn't know the answer - and, unless I'm over-estimating you, I think that you do know the answer!

Kind Regards, John

 

[stillp]

[quote="JohnW2";p="3174485" It would only really 'not be rhetorical' if you didn't know the answer [/quote]Has the definition of 'rhetorical' changed then John?
Must update my dictionary.

 

[JohnW2]

It would only really 'not be rhetorical' if you didn't know the answer

Has the definition of 'rhetorical' changed then John? Must update my dictionary.

If your not careful, BAS will be telling you off for your 'bad job' at formatting that message (I've had to 'mend' it above, to make it re-quotable!!)

Anyway, are you just splitting hairs or what? If you want to update your dictionary, you might want to look at:

Rhetorical. ADJECTIVE. .... 2. (Of a question) asked in order to produce an effect or to make a statement rather than to elicit information.

I agree that it does not explicitly say that one only uses a rhetortical question when one doesn't need 'to elicit information' (since one already knows the answer) - but that is surely the implication, and definitely the 'common usage'.

It must be 'a quiet day at work' because, all the above aside, both you and BAS knew exactly what I meant

Kind Regards, John

 

[ban-all-sheds]

If your not careful, BAS will be telling you off for your 'bad job' at formatting that message

 

[ban-all-sheds]

As for the Q, whilst I did think I knew the answer, I might have been wrong.

 

[JohnW2]

If your not careful, BAS will be telling you off for your 'bad job' at formatting that message

It really must be 'a quiet day at work' !!

Kind Regards, John

 

[stillp]

If your not careful, BAS will be telling you off for your 'bad job' at formatting that message

 

[stillp]

Anyway, are you just splitting hairs or what? If you want to update your dictionary, you might want to look at:

Rhetorical. ADJECTIVE. .... 2. (Of a question) asked in order to produce an effect or to make a statement rather than to elicit information.

It must be 'a quiet day at work' because, all the above aside, both you and BAS knew exactly what I meant

Splitting hairs? Moi? Pot, kettle...

Yes, that is the OED definition. What does it say about knowing the answer (or not)?

Not exactly a quiet day, just working at home so the pace is somewhat relaxed.

 

[JohnW2]

Yes, that is the OED definition. What does it say about knowing the answer (or not)?

I admitted that it it did not explicitly say that. However, it does say that a rhetorical question is not asked 'to illicit information', and it also says that the question is asked 'to produce an effect or make a statement' - so, common sense suggests that a rhetorical question would not be asked unless the questioner was pretty sure that (s)he knew the answer, since otherwise they might not be 'producing the effect or making the statement' that they intended!

Kind Regards, John