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By, or Via?
11

By, or Via?

By, or Via?

(OP)
Wrote this today.
"................I acknowledge receipt of your message, have provided consent for the project and dispatched same by fax this afternoon to............."
Would it have been better to have said ...."sent via fax"?

RE: By, or Via?

I would say they are synonymous in this context BUT I much prefer "by".

M

--
Dr Michael F Platten

RE: By, or Via?

Nice one, Cyril.

via and by are pretty much synonymous, in context.

If I was bagging anything, the general language of the whole sentence needs a rewrite.

"I have received your message, and give my consent to the project, and have advised that consent, by (or via) fax dated.."

Seems more intelligible to normal people. You could make it shorter, but I bet you can't make it clearer.

Cheers

Greg Locock

Please see FAQ731-376 for tips on how to make the best use of Eng-Tips.

RE: By, or Via?

In my opinion, via is a more exact word to use.  It is a preposition that means "by way of".  

The word "by", when used as a preposition, doesn't exactly fit the context.  Here is the dictionary definition:  by - With the use or help of; through: e.g. We came by the back road.  However, in general use I think both could be utilized.

Also, I usually say "facsimile", but that's just my preference.  It sounds more professional for some reason.

RE: By, or Via?

2
Lawyers always say "via facsimile", which I think is reason enough to use two other, shorter, words.

Mike Halloran
Pembroke Pines, FL, USA

RE: By, or Via?

You can skin this in many ways.

"Thank you for your message.  I faxed my consent for the project to.... this afternoon."

.... would be my choice, but if you wanted to tart it up for appearances sake, you won't get a lot briefer than:

Received.  Approved: Fax Zeusfaber/<recipient> 101540Z Nov 05 refers.

(Eric,  please don't get me started on "utilised")

A.

RE: By, or Via?

Zeus - how about unnecessary use of 'hereby' and 'forthwith' in everyday written communication.

Some people just have to realise that trying and failing to use big words properly in an effort to appear more professional is much worse than plain, matter of fact writing.

I used to do it at university because I thought it made the content look more academic and technical, but I had it beaten out of me pretty quick in the real world.

LewTam Inc.
Petrophysicist, Head Stockman, Gun Welder, Gun Shearer, Ski Instructor, Drama Coach.

RE: By, or Via?

OK, between "utilised", "hereby" and "forthwith", you've hit on three of my buttons.

Only another five to go, and you'll be able to play (whiny) tunes on me (hint: look at the use of "same" in the original post, and you'll be halfway there)

A.

RE: By, or Via?

(OP)
Thanks to all for the always excellent and witty input.
Thankfully also, the receiving party understood the intent of my message because having read it again, the use of same infers that I was faxed the entire project. Now that would be something.
Greg. Who is Cyril?

RE: By, or Via?

During a course on Technical Report Writting run by the IEE the instructor made a point that I remember each time I start to try and use words such as 'hereby'or 'forthwith'

it was that if you do not really understand then you are only making money for the Solicitors.

If anybody needs to brush up on report writting I can recomend that course it is very practical and cuts out all the bull S**t

RE: By, or Via?

"Nice one Cyril" - it's the catchphrase from a Pommy soccer song referring to Cyril Knowles, who played for Tottenham Hotspur.

Cheers

Greg Locock

Please see FAQ731-376 for tips on how to make the best use of Eng-Tips.

RE: By, or Via?

2
lewtam:  Gun shearer?!  Should we take this to another forum?

You have my curiosity aroused.

RE: By, or Via?

(OP)
Modesty may prevent lewtam explaining.
In Australia a "gun" XXXXX is the fellow who is top drawer, the most skillful. The best of a particular group. Most commonly applied to a goup of sheep shearers. An expression used by country folk.

RE: By, or Via?

ISamuel 25:2, 11

Last night I read through this passage and was getting a mental picture of heaps of wool piled on the grassy hills.

Sorry to digress.

RE: By, or Via?

In reading the initial post, I struggled with the wording so that I wasn't sure what was actually faxed, although I understood the general context of the message.

Having the advantage of hindsight, would the following briefer version work?:

...I received your message and have faxed my consent for the project...

RE: By, or Via?

(OP)
metman. Yes, much better.

RE: By, or Via?

Metman: As rnd2 said, to be a 'gun' at anything, you just have to be the best at it in a group of people.  No exaggerations at all in my signature. :)

LewTam Inc.
Petrophysicist, Head Stockman, Gun Welder, Gun Shearer, Ski Instructor, Drama Coach.

RE: By, or Via?

lewtam, so I take it you are making no claim to being the best at any of the other categories you list.

To stay on topic, MikeHalloran, regarding your post a few days ago now, lawyers bill by the hour not only for themselves, but for all their staff, so anything they can say the long way results in higher billable hours.  Think about the amount of man hours nationwide or world wide just by stretching the words "by fax" to "via facsimile".  It might add up to real money.

rmw

RE: By, or Via?

message received. project approved by fax.

following the 6 word challenge started in another thread...
:oP

saludos.
a.

RE: By, or Via?

(OP)
abeltio
Very good, but as the saying goes: "Close, but no cigar." The fax did not approve the project.
With hindsight:
Message received. Project approved and faxed.

RE: By, or Via?

I don't know about that rnd2.  Seems to me this version also faxes the project.

RE: By, or Via?

2
Message received. Consent for project faxed.


Helpful SW websites  FAQ559-520
How to get answers to your SW questions  FAQ559-1091

RE: By, or Via?

Would give you star CorBlimeyLimey but since my IP updated with "improvements", certain functions no longer work.  As in this case when I click on ...Thank CorBlimey... all I get is a 'blink' sound and an itty bitty hand blinks at the cursor position.

RE: By, or Via?

(OP)
CorBlimeyLimey receives a star.

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