set LIST=filelist.txt
set FILESPATH=x:\mp3
set DEST=y:\target
md %DEST%
dir /b /o > %FILELIST%
for /f %%x in ("%LIST%") do (
rem "%%~I"
forfiles /P "%FILESPATH%" /s /C "cmd /Q /C for %%I in (@file) do copy \"%%~I\" %DEST%
)

--

@~@ Simplicity is Beauty! Remain silent! Drink, Blink, Stretch!
/ v \ May the Force and farces be with you! Live long and prosper!!
/( _ )\ https://sites.google.com/site/changmw/
^ ^ https://github.com/changmw/changmw
The game is afoot... Meow...


--- PyGate Linux v1.5.18
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

Mr. Man-wai Chang,

Thats quite the "Rube Goldberg machine" you have there.

Whats wrong with doing a dir /s/b/o %FILESPATH% and using that ?

Also :

dir /b /o > %FILELIST%

FILELIST is not defined.

for /f %%x in ("%LIST%") do (

That executes exactly *once*. No wonder you need to use ForFiles.

Suggestion : run the above line, but echo the contents of that "x"
variable - a variable which you also do not seem to be using ...

Where does that "I" variable (in the REM %%~I line and the one below it)
come from ?

Bottom line, It looks like the AI you're using is hallucinating.


Writing programs is easy.

The fun starts with making sure the program does what you think it should
do.
The second fun thing ? Figuring out why it doesn't do what you want (aka: debugging it).

Regards,
Rudy Wieser



--- PyGate Linux v1.5.18
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

On Wed, 7/1/2026 1:14 PM, R.Wieser wrote:

Mr. Man-wai Chang,

Thats quite the "Rube Goldberg machine" you have there.

Whats wrong with doing a dir /s/b/o %FILESPATH% and using that ?

Also :

dir /b /o > %FILELIST%

FILELIST is not defined.

for /f %%x in ("%LIST%") do (

That executes exactly *once*. No wonder you need to use ForFiles.

Suggestion : run the above line, but echo the contents of that "x"
variable - a variable which you also do not seem to be using ...

Where does that "I" variable (in the REM %%~I line and the one below it) come from ?

Bottom line, It looks like the AI you're using is hallucinating.

Writing programs is easy.

The fun starts with making sure the program does what you think it should do.
The second fun thing ? Figuring out why it doesn't do what you want (aka: debugging it).

Regards,
Rudy Wieser

IDK. I think a human did that, while drinking a Dr.Pepper.

************************* CoPilot Question ********************************

A junior programmer wrote this script, to copy a filelist
of files from a source directory to a destination directory.

See if you can ascertain the "design intent", creating or correcting
variable names so that the code would actually do something productive.

The FILESPATH seems to hint that the Junior Programmer wants to copy
some MP3 files from that directory, but that is just a guess on my part. Normally, when carrying out tasks like this, the "filelist.txt" is
already populated (by some means) with the desired files to be transferred
as the textual content. Yet, the Junior Programmer is just listing
all the files to be found in some working directory (which is not defined). Perhaps if you add some comments to the code, defining how you would handle
the problem, the code would not look this bad.

set LIST=filelist.txt
set FILESPATH=x:\mp3
set DEST=y:\target
md %DEST%
dir /b /o > %FILELIST%
for /f %%x in ("%LIST%") do (
rem "%%~I"
forfiles /P "%FILESPATH%" /s /C "cmd /Q /C for %%I in (@file) do copy \"%%~I\" %DEST%
)

************************* CoPilot Answer ********************************

Here?s the concise takeaway: **the junior programmer?s batch file is broken because the
variable names don?t match, the loops don?t do what they think they do, and the ?design intent? is confused.**

But the *shape* of the script suggests the intent was:

**Read a list of filenames from `filelist.txt`, then copy matching files from `x:\mp3` into `y:\target`.**

Below is a cleaned?up, commented version that actually performs that job, followed by an explanation of what the junior programmer *thought* they were doing.

## Corrected & Commented Version (reflecting the likely design intent)


@echo off
rem ============================================================
rem INTENT (reconstructed):
rem 1. filelist.txt contains a list of filenames (one per line)
rem 2. FILESPATH is the directory containing source MP3 files
rem 3. DEST is the directory where selected files should be copied
rem ============================================================

set "LIST=filelist.txt"
set "FILESPATH=x:\mp3"
set "DEST=y:\target"

rem Ensure destination exists
md "%DEST%" 2>nul

rem Loop through each filename listed in filelist.txt
for /f "usebackq delims=" %%F in ("%LIST%") do (
rem Copy the file if it exists in the source directory
if exist "%FILESPATH%\%%F" (
copy "%FILESPATH%\%%F" "%DEST%" >nul
) else (
echo File not found: %%F
)
)


This version does something real:
**It reads filenames from `filelist.txt` and copies only those files.**

---

## What the junior programmer *actually wrote* ? and what it reveals

Let?s walk through their script and decode the intent.

### 1. Variable mismatch: LIST vs FILELIST
They wrote:


set LIST=filelist.txt

dir /b /o > %FILELIST%


There is **no variable named `%FILELIST%`**, so this line produces a file literally named `%FILELIST%`.
This is a classic beginner mistake: *they intended to populate `filelist.txt` but used the wrong variable name.*

### 2. They generate a filelist from the current working directory

dir /b /o > %FILELIST%


This contradicts the usual workflow (where `filelist.txt` already contains the desired filenames).
It suggests they misunderstood the purpose of the list.

### 3. The outer for /f loop is wrong

for /f %%x in ("%LIST%") do (


This syntax reads **only one token**, not the contents of the file.
They probably thought this loop iterated through each line of the filelist.
It does not.

### 4. The inner `forfiles` command is misused

forfiles /P "%FILESPATH%" /s /C "cmd /Q /C for %%I in (@file) do copy \"%%~I\" %DEST%"


This is a confused attempt to:

- iterate through files in `%FILESPATH%`
- copy them to `%DEST%`

But the syntax is wrong:

- `for %%I in (@file)` is meaningless
- `@file` is already the filename; wrapping it in another for loop does nothing
- the quoting is broken
- the outer loop variable %%x is never used

This is the hallmark of someone who discovered `forfiles` on StackOverflow and tried to glue it into a loop without understanding how it works.

---

## Reconstructed ?Design Intent?

Based on the variable names and structure, the junior programmer likely intended:

1. **`filelist.txt` contains a list of MP3 filenames to copy.**
(They mistakenly tried to generate it instead.)

2. **`FILESPATH` is the directory containing the MP3 files.**

3. **`DEST` is the target directory.**

4. **Loop through each filename in `filelist.txt` and copy it.**

This is exactly what the corrected script now does.

---

## If the *real* intent was instead "copy all MP3 files", here?s the clean version


@echo off
set "FILESPATH=x:\mp3"
set "DEST=y:\target"

md "%DEST%" 2>nul

forfiles /P "%FILESPATH%" /M *.mp3 /C "cmd /C copy @path \"%DEST%\""


This avoids filelists entirely.

---

## If you want, I can also produce:

- a PowerShell version
- a robust version with logging and error handling
- a version that preserves directory structure
- a version that filters by date, size, or pattern

Just tell me how you want the workflow to behave.

************************* End: CoPilot Answer ********************************

CoPilot then, thinks the script smacks of "StackOverflow" :-)

Paul

--- PyGate Linux v1.5.18
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

Paul,

Bottom line, It looks like the AI you're using is hallucinating.

...

IDK. I think a human did that, while drinking a Dr.Pepper.

What makes you think I thought anything else ? :-) I didn't want to /say/
it though.

Although I didn't mind that you let CoPilot infer the OP's intention, I'd rather seen you trying to /help/ the OP, instead of posting a/the solution. How will he ever learn what those batch commands in his script do and how to use them, when he can just copy-paste someone elses work ?

And by the way : the "/s" switch to "forfiles" indicates subdirectories too. It looks like Copilot missed it.

Regards,
Rudy Wieser



--- PyGate Linux v1.5.18
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

On 7/1/26 3:06 PM, R.Wieser wrote:

Paul,

Bottom line, It looks like the AI you're using is hallucinating.

...

IDK. I think a human did that, while drinking a Dr.Pepper.

What makes you think I thought anything else ? :-) I didn't want to /say/ it though.

Although I didn't mind that you let CoPilot infer the OP's intention, I'd rather seen you trying to /help/ the OP, instead of posting a/the solution. How will he ever learn what those batch commands in his script do and how to use them, when he can just copy-paste someone elses work ?

And by the way : the "/s" switch to "forfiles" indicates subdirectories too. It looks like Copilot missed it.

Regards,
Rudy Wieser

I let copilot do a lot of my small scripts in Linux and find that I usually have to tweak
it somehow, either telling copilot to do it, or doing it myself.

--
Mint 22.3, Thunderbird 140.12.0esr, Firefox 152.0.3
Alan K.

--- PyGate Linux v1.5.18
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

On Wed, 7/1/2026 4:38 PM, Alan K. wrote:

On 7/1/26 3:06 PM, R.Wieser wrote:

Paul,

Bottom line, It looks like the AI you're using is hallucinating.

...

IDK. I think a human did that, while drinking a Dr.Pepper.

What makes you think I thought anything else ? :-)ÿÿ I didn't want to /say/ >> it though.

Although I didn't mind that you let CoPilot infer the OP's intention, I'd
rather seen you trying to /help/ the OP, instead of posting a/the solution. >> How will he ever learn what those batch commands in his script do and how to >> use them, when he can just copy-paste someone elses work ?

And by the way : the "/s" switch to "forfiles" indicates subdirectories too. >> It looks like Copilot missed it.

Regards,
Rudy Wieser

I let copilot do a lot of my small scripts in Linux and find that I usually have to tweak it somehow, either telling copilot to do it, or doing it myself.

One thing I try to do, when I write a script by hand,
is I try to capture "prototypes" or a sampling of
my intentions, at the top of the script. This allows
me to refer back to actual (good or bad) examples of what
the script is trying to do. Someone can look at my script
then and say "hmmm, design intent does not match implementation".
But at least they can see via my straw man examples at
the top of the page, what my plan was.

This is why, we couldn't really write a script, without
a better specification of what the individual is after.
If you "considered every possibility", it could be a
hundred thousand lines of code.

For example, if I tar up a tree, it's got everything in it,
I have no fear of losing anything. If I don't have a
specification, such an implementation hasn't lost anything.

*******

Writing scripts should not be necessary. The audience
was probably willing to point this out, but this topic
has come up before so why bother. Here is why.

1) Open File Explorer.
2) Highlight top of source tree x:\mp3
3) Go to search box, upper right. Enter "ext:mp3" without the double quotes.
This selects every file with that extension (does not require Search Indexer
to be programmed or up-to-date).
4) Now, the search results have a subset of the tree. Control-A to select all.
Select Copy.
5) Navigate to destination directory. Select Paste.

With the right hot-key-combo, you can also knock
out single entries from the selection or add single
entries to the selection. If you didn't like my search
specification, you could select files one by one with
the right hot-key-combo.

Maybe a tool like XYExplorer could do this too.

There's nothing wrong with scripting, as long as
you select a subset of the entire application
space for your effort. If you really really want
an anything goes tool, a commercial tool that
costs money may be the right answer. Rewriting this
same code, over and over again... I guess that
builds character.

Paul

--- PyGate Linux v1.5.18
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

On Wed, 7/1/2026 4:38 PM, Alan K. wrote:

On 7/1/26 3:06 PM, R.Wieser wrote:

Paul,

Bottom line, It looks like the AI you're using is hallucinating.

...

IDK. I think a human did that, while drinking a Dr.Pepper.

What makes you think I thought anything else ? :-)ÿÿ I didn't want to /say/ >> it though.

Although I didn't mind that you let CoPilot infer the OP's intention, I'd
rather seen you trying to /help/ the OP, instead of posting a/the solution. >> How will he ever learn what those batch commands in his script do and how to >> use them, when he can just copy-paste someone elses work ?

And by the way : the "/s" switch to "forfiles" indicates subdirectories too. >> It looks like Copilot missed it.

Regards,
Rudy Wieser

I let copilot do a lot of my small scripts in Linux and find
that I usually have to tweak it somehow, either telling copilot
to do it, or doing it myself.

The design is intended to burn up tokens.

At one time, it would do something kinda human. It would
find a sample code, then add to it. But there have also been
instances where it got "lazy", with some funny results.

I don't think I would be particularly happy, if I was paying
for the tokens.

I have an LLM-AI file loaded on the other machine,
but haven't given it programming tasks. So far the evidence
suggests it is quite limited on context somehow.

Paul




--- PyGate Linux v1.5.18
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

Do notice that the OP has been altering the x-posted newsgroups. Including
to some that have got zero to do with batch scripts

He's not a troll, he's just here to try to cause mayhem.




--- PyGate Linux v1.5.18
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

Subject: Not a troll? (Was: Batch file to copy files based on a list - targetted newsgroups)

In article <112bn70$dqm4$1@dont-email.me>, R.Wieser <address@is.invalid> wrote: >Do notice that the OP has been altering the x-posted newsgroups. Including >to some that have got zero to do with batch scripts

He's not a troll, he's just here to try to cause mayhem.

How is that not a troll?

--
They say that Trump is a stupid man's idea of a clever man, a poor man's
idea of a rich man, and a weak man's idea of a strong man.

Well, Melania is an unclassy man's idea of classy.

--- PyGate Linux v1.5.18
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

Subject: Re: Not a troll? (Was: Batch file to copy files based on a list - targetted newsgroups)

Kenny McCormack wrote on 7/4/2026 3:57 PM:

In article <112bn70$dqm4$1@dont-email.me>, R.Wieser <address@is.invalid> wrote:

Do notice that the OP has been altering the x-posted newsgroups. Including >> to some that have got zero to do with batch scripts

He's not a troll, he's just here to try to cause mayhem.

How is that not a troll?

These days, everyone on usenet seems to be either a troll, or a troll
hunter.


--- PyGate Linux v1.5.18
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

On 7/5/2026 5:34 AM, Hank Rogers wrote:

Kenny McCormack wrote on 7/4/2026 3:57 PM:

In article <112bn70$dqm4$1@dont-email.me>, R.Wieser <address@is.invalid> wrote:

Do notice that the OP has been altering the x-posted newsgroups. Including >>> to some that have got zero to do with batch scripts

He's not a troll, he's just here to try to cause mayhem.

How is that not a troll?

These days, everyone on usenet seems to be either a troll, or a troll
hunter.

You people should stop trolling trolls.
Answer their questions, and all trolling
will stop.

--

@~@ Simplicity is Beauty! Remain silent! Drink, Blink, Stretch!
/ v \ May the Force and farces be with you! Live long and prosper!!
/( _ )\ https://sites.google.com/site/changmw/
^ ^ https://github.com/changmw/changmw
The game is afoot... Meow...

--- PyGate Linux v1.5.18
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

Subject: Re: Not a troll? (Was: Batch file to copy files based on a list - targetted newsgroups)

Kenny,

He's not a troll, he's just here to try to cause mayhem.

How is that not a troll?

I guess it depends on what you define a troll is.

Would you call that friend who strings you along just for fun (you can laugh about afterwards) a troll ? Or just a jokester ?

Would you call all those first-of-april jokers trolls ? Why not ?

iow, it depends on the intention. To me a troll is not something inherently negative - even when we sometimes get cought out by them.

Regards,
Rudy Wieser



--- PyGate Linux v1.5.18
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

Subject: Re: Not a troll? (Was: Batch file to copy files based on a list - targetted newsgroups)

On 2026/7/5 8:23:20, R.Wieser wrote:

Kenny,

He's not a troll, he's just here to try to cause mayhem.

How is that not a troll?

I guess it depends on what you define a troll is.

Would you call that friend who strings you along just for fun (you can laugh about afterwards) a troll ? Or just a jokester ?

I would say on the whole yes; my tolerance for "jokesters" is pretty
low, though I'd _sometimes_ accept them; call me a misery if you like.
It's not a million miles from assorted forms of (mostly) female abuse in society: "it was only meant as a joke/compliment".

Would you call all those first-of-april jokers trolls ? Why not ?

A _good_ one, no. Because it amuses. the spaghetti harvest being of
course probably the best example.

iow, it depends on the intention. To me a troll is not something inherently negative - even when we sometimes get cought out by them.

I'd say a usenet troll is someone who persists well beyond any joke,
continuing a conversation. Often wasting the time of many
well-intentioned respondents who genuinely try to help. I don't _really_
mind being caught out if the originator owns up on the second or at most
third round.

Regards,
Rudy Wieser

John
--
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/<1985 MB++G()ALIS-Ch++(p)Ar++T+H+Sh0!:`)DNAf

"The great tragedy of science, the slaying of a beautiful theory by an
ugly fact. - Thomas Henry Huxley

--- PyGate Linux v1.5.18
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

Subject: Re: Not a troll? (Was: Batch file to copy files based on a list - targetted newsgroups)

John,

It's not a million miles from assorted forms of (mostly) female abuse
in society: "it was only meant as a joke/compliment".

As I said it, it depends on the intention. And some jokesters simply
aren't good at it - causing hurt without meaning to.

Would you call all those first-of-april jokers trolls ? Why not ?

A _good_ one, no. Because it amuses.

And there you have another problem : that something "amuses" is fully
dependant on the bee holder. Just like there is no cook who can create a
meal to *everybodies* liking, there is no jokester who can make a joke
everyone will like. Putting a pair of googely eyes on a statue might amuse most, but could enrage others.

the spaghetti harvest being of course probably the best example.

:-) I like that one too. But think of how angry all those (adult!) people where be who believed it and had to hear from others they where taken for a ride ...

I'd say a usenet troll is someone who persists well beyond any joke, continuing a conversation.

I would call someone like that a "bad troll", just like I would call a
jokester taking his joke to far a "bad jokester".

Often wasting the time of many well-intentioned respondents who
genuinely try to help.

Yeah, some people are like that. To me they are not trolls though, just
people with a (very) bad attritude.

Worse, some of those people do not consider themselves to be trolling at
all, but just righteously trying to make others understand their idea of how the world should be working (I still remember Arlen Holder's topic about smartphones that *had to have* micro-sd capabilities).

I don't _really_ mind being caught out if the originator owns up on the second
or at most third round.

And there you have it : a troll who fesses up to stringing you (/me/others?) along for a bit is acceptable to you (/me/us?).

Bottom line: the word "troll" does not have an inherent negative meaning to
me - even though its often used as such.

Regards,
Rudy Wieser



--- PyGate Linux v1.5.18
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

Subject: Re: Not a troll? (Was: Batch file to copy files based on a list - targetted newsgroups)

On 2026/7/5 9:55:35, R.Wieser wrote:
[]

Bottom line: the word "troll" does not have an inherent negative meaning to me - even though its often used as such.

Regards,
Rudy Wieser

Whether you call them a troll, a jokester, a misogynist, or just an MCP,
there will always be people who "go too far" - in the opinion of others.
That opinion varies - and it doesn't help when yet others call them over-sensitive, "snowflake", or whatever: society _on the whole_ _does_
improve very gradually (look at how certain "jokes" about race,
religion, gender, and sexual orientation are no longer acceptable), but
it's _very_ slow, and easily set back (for example, by certain politicians).

"Be a man", "can't take a joke" (especially preceded by "she"), ...
--
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/<1985 MB++G()ALIS-Ch++(p)Ar++T+H+Sh0!:`)DNAf

Alcohol is way ahead of cocaine as the world's deadliest drug,
hastening around three million people per year into their graves
(cocaine and heroin and crystal meth account for around half a million annually). - Revd Richard Coles, RT 2021/7/3-9

--- PyGate Linux v1.5.18
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

Subject: Re: Not a troll? (Was: Batch file to copy files based on a list - targetted newsgroups)

John,

Whether you call them a troll, a jokester, a misogynist, or just an
MCP, there will always be people who "go too far" - in the opinion
of others.

Some people will make a problem of /any/ joke - just because they can.

"Be a man", "can't take a joke" (especially preceded by "she"), ...

And if you do not make "that kind" of jokes you're not a real man. :-(

Remarkable that when the joke is on/about them they often can't handle it. <whistle>

Regards,
Rudy Wieser



--- PyGate Linux v1.5.18
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

Subject: Re: Not a troll? (Was: Batch file to copy files based on a list - targetted newsgroups)

Daniel70 graced us with on 7/6/2026 3:14 AM:

On 5/07/2026 10:20 pm, J. P. Gilliver wrote:

<Snip>

"Be a man", "can't take a joke" (especially preceded by "she"), ...

O.K., this will do!

Some time ago, we used to have the Titles 'Mrs' and 'Miss' for married
and singular women respectively .... but these gave an indication of the marital Status of the Women, so the term 'Ms' was introduced.

Fair enough.

But, now-a-days, in a multi-sexual situation, even the use of the terms
'Mr' and 'Ms' could be considered 'Sexual' or some such, so, in a Job Application situation I heard about today, the term 'Mx' has been used
in place of 'Mr', 'Mrs' and 'Miss' or, even, 'Ms'!!

'Mx'?? Really!! ;-P I suppose, in a fashion, it had to happen!!

Why not just Xx, Xy, Yy and "X?" ?


--
Sailfish
CDC Covid19 Trends: https://www.facebook.com/groups/624208354841034
Rare Mozilla Stuff: http://tinyurl.com/z86x3sg

--- PyGate Linux v1.5.18
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

Subject: Re: Not a troll? (Was: Batch file to copy files based on a list - targetted newsgroups)

On 2026/7/7 2:22:53, Sailfish wrote:

Daniel70 graced us with on 7/6/2026 3:14 AM:

[]

But, now-a-days, in a multi-sexual situation, even the use of the terms
'Mr' and 'Ms' could be considered 'Sexual' or some such, so, in a Job
Application situation I heard about today, the term 'Mx' has been used
in place of 'Mr', 'Mrs' and 'Miss' or, even, 'Ms'!!

'Mx'?? Really!! ;-P I suppose, in a fashion, it had to happen!!

Why not just Xx, Xy, Yy and "X?" ?

Mx has been around for at least a decade or two - since last century, I
think. As a suggestion only: I'm not aware of anywhere where it is
actually used; I suspect it is seem as a step too far (and may even have
been proposed tongue-in-cheek in the first place?).

I think "Dear J. Smith" - or just J. Smith on e. g. an envelope - works
if you want to avoid anything without making a big thing of doing so; it
does require knowledge of at least one initial though.
--
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/<1985 MB++G()ALIS-Ch++(p)Ar++T+H+Sh0!:`)DNAf

Does the pope sh*t in the woods? - John Cleese (2017-4-22 or before)

--- PyGate Linux v1.5.18
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

Subject: Re: Not a troll? (Was: Batch file to copy files based on a list - targetted newsgroups)

On 2026/7/10 13:37:20, Daniel70 wrote:

On 7/07/2026 11:22 am, Sailfish wrote:

Daniel70 graced us with on 7/6/2026 3:14 AM:

[]

But, now-a-days, in a multi-sexual situation, even the use of the
terms 'Mr' and 'Ms' could be considered 'Sexual' or some such, so, in
a Job Application situation I heard about today, the term 'Mx' has
been used in place of 'Mr', 'Mrs' and 'Miss' or, even, 'Ms'!!

'Mx'?? Really!! ;-Pÿ I suppose, in a fashion, it had to happen!!

Why not just Xx, Xy, Yy and "X?" ?
Oh, come on, Sailfish, they would, sort of, indicate the sexual/marriage

status of the persons involved, surely.

There are few situations where a title is used, in which either status
is actually relevant.

I think Mrs. - usually pronounced (and sometimes spelt, though usually humorously if so) Missus - was originally "mistress". A term of respect
by a servant maybe? I'm less sure about Mr. - Mister - as "Master" was
used to refer to the son of the head of household, especially when a
child, with Mister for the adult. (Though the son might still be "Young
Master Richard" or whatever even when adult, if the father was still
running the company/household/whatever.) I don't know where "Miss" comes
from.
--
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/<1985 MB++G()ALIS-Ch++(p)Ar++T+H+Sh0!:`)DNAf

WANTED, Dead AND Alive: Schrodinger's Cat

--- PyGate Linux v1.5.18
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

Subject: Re: Not a troll? (Was: Batch file to copy files based on a list - targetted newsgroups)

On Sat, 7/11/2026 9:44 AM, Daniel70 wrote:

On 11/07/2026 1:32 am, J. P. Gilliver wrote:

On 2026/7/10 13:37:20, Daniel70 wrote:

On 7/07/2026 11:22 am, Sailfish wrote:

Daniel70 graced us with on 7/6/2026 3:14 AM:

[]

But, now-a-days, in a multi-sexual situation, even the use of the
terms 'Mr' and 'Ms' could be considered 'Sexual' or some such, so, in >>>>> a Job Application situation I heard about today, the term 'Mx' has
been used in place of 'Mr', 'Mrs' and 'Miss' or, even, 'Ms'!!

'Mx'?? Really!! ;-Pÿ I suppose, in a fashion, it had to happen!!

Why not just Xx, Xy, Yy and "X?" ?
Oh, come on, Sailfish, they would, sort of, indicate the sexual/marriage >>> status of the persons involved, surely.

There are few situations where a title is used, in which either status
is actually relevant.

I think Mrs. - usually pronounced (and sometimes spelt, though usually
humorously if so) Missus - was originally "mistress". A term of respect
by a servant maybe? I'm less sure about Mr. - Mister - as "Master" was
used to refer to the son of the head of household, especially when a
child, with Mister for the adult. (Though the son might still be "Young
Master Richard" or whatever even when adult, if the father was still
running the company/household/whatever.) I don't know where "Miss" comes
from.

And, on the female side, wasn't the eldest Girl in the Smith family referred to by 'Miss Smith' whilst the younger girls might have been "Miss Barbara Smith',
'Miss Catherine Smith', as appropriate??

You remind me of Social Shirley in the newspaper.

Shirley could properly name everyone at a Debutante Ball.
"Attending was Ms.Crustacia Smith in the white dusting frock"
"The three course meal was served on Costco silverware and fine china"

That's the job of Shirley, is to let the air out of peoples tyres.

Paul

--- PyGate Linux v1.5.18
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)