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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Hurtfultater" data-source="post: 2105922" data-attributes="member: 29120">Insofar as it is the substance of fantasy worlds and games, isn't it inherantly ephemeral and effortlessly changeable?  Words do effect discourse, but the history behind the word and the connotations from its daily use outweigh the linguistic roots.  For a more mainstream example, the notions and connotations of 'gay' have precious little to do with its traditional meaning and uncommon uses.  To the degree to which it devalues what it describes, that devaluation is probably more informed by the attitudes of those who use it than vice versa.  It doesn't have a generally agreed upon single precise meaning.  This doesn't mean it isn't useful in communication or that it's frequently an obstacle to getting information across.  Linguistic drift is not a bad thing.  To say that to a novelist is insulting and silly because you're implying that the novelist is writing game fiction.  Most novels, as much as we can agree on the value of art, are just plain better than what's referred to as fluff, especially when divorced from its context.  Infinite Jest is better in many important ways than the intro to Paranoia 5th edition.  David Foster Wallace would be justified in punching me in the crotch if I said that to him.  I'm pretty sure the damage was done when we got together to pretend to kill orcs.  If someone understands the fluff/crunch dichotomy, he's already part of our little fraternity.</blockquote>

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