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[parent] [thread] 2 comments
1. kristo+(OP)[view] [source] 2016-03-10 20:53:36
Pardon me, but I see a double negative in your last sentence. For clarification are you saying that "it does appear to be non-obvious" or as you wrote, "it does not appear to be non-obvious" (as in, it appears to be obvious)?
replies(1): >>ams611+J9
2. ams611+J9[view] [source] 2016-03-10 22:03:21
>>kristo+(OP)
"not non-obvious" isn't quite the same as "obvious." English prose can't be parsed by pure logic alone.

I think in the context of the entire sentence it's clear that the choice of words is correct as written.

replies(1): >>krylon+nE
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3. krylon+nE[view] [source] [discussion] 2016-03-11 04:50:57
>>ams611+J9
Yes, that is what I meant. Sorry for my convoluted phrasing. ;-) In German, my native language, double negatives cancel each other out.

I mean that in retrospect the idea is obvious, as in, "why did I not think of that".

Of course, in computers and technology there are many, many ideas that appear obvious in retrospect but were still hard to arrive at.

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