I just wrote a question about pointers to pointers. I couldn't figure out how to write proper code. But when I had written my post, I realized it. So I never sent it. Now I know that if I go to the Programming Forum, a.cc might throw an alert suggestin that I continue to write the unsent post. And I can retrieve the text I wrote. And this I can do on another computer. So my stupid question is actually saved on the a.cc server, right?

Actually I'm not sure if a.cc behaves exactly like I explained. I never created the new thread. It might be that you only face the alerts, when you have earlier started typing in the message box in an existing thread. But nevertheless, it always scares me a little that my typing seems to escape to the cyberspace even if I don't click submit.

I print out all discarded posts and then host parties where we all sit around and laugh at what people almost said.

It bothers me that this bothers you!

I discard more posts than I submit.
This is the kind of post I'd normally would cancel.

Oh goodness, please invite me to said parties. Also, we have to print them out using a dot-matrix printer for dramatic effect.

Daisy-wheels got more rhythm and soul.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qvra1Ddmr1U;t=43

You mean: "He just luvs how you use word "said".

Matt removed the "the", but I have no idea why.

Actually,

here's a random legal document I googled for:

(and so on)

You're saying they omit it in documents, but you can't use it in forum posts? And if there was a distinction, are forum posts subject to "dialog" constraints, or to other written documentation constraints?

Programmers abhor such technicalities as the end of a sentence in a literal string.

Rule 1: Matt is always right.

Rule 2: If Matt is wrong, see Rule 1.

"the said" just sounds retarded.

Any use of it outside a legal context just sounds pretentious.

It sounds pretentious within a legal context as well, but that's what they're aiming for. Make the unwashed masses think they can't understand legal stuff.

Ah.