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Strictly speaking, it should be alternative, but alternate is now considered to be an acceptable alternative.
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Acceptable to whom?
Not to English speakers.
Americans and Canadians, perhaps, may find it acceptable.
Alternative means another option, alternate means taking it in turns.
When playing chess the two players have alternate moves.
One may alternate between Left-hand Spin and Pace Bowling.
The only alternative is adopt the bastardised nonsensical grunts and whistles that passes for language on the western side of the Atlantic.
------------------------------------
I will never again mention that I was the poster of the One Millionth Lounge Post, nor that it was complete drivel. Dalek Dave
CCC Link[ ^]
Trolls[ ^]
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An alternate suggestion is fine and proper English. As a noun, alternate is synonymous to alternative. Your examples use the words as adjectives where they do differ in meaning; unless you're an illiterate septic of course.
Panic, Chaos, Destruction. My work here is done.
Drink. Get drunk. Fall over - P O'H
OK, I will win to day or my name isn't Ethel Crudacre! - DD Ethel Crudacre
I cannot live by bread alone. Bacon and ketchup are needed as well. - Trollslayer
Have a bit more patience with newbies. Of course some of them act dumb - they're often *students*, for heaven's sake - Terry Pratchett
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Nagy Vilmos wrote: Your examples use the words as adjectives
One is an adjective, but, as anyone who has bothered to attend school will tell you, my second example shows it as a verb.
Here[^] is a useful link.
As you see, there is a specific noun use, but it says that it is not to be confused with alternative.
------------------------------------
I will never again mention that I was the poster of the One Millionth Lounge Post, nor that it was complete drivel. Dalek Dave
CCC Link[ ^]
Trolls[ ^]
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Nagy Vilmos wrote: illiterate septic
I hope that was intentional. 
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Septic = American
Septic Tank, Yank.
Cockney Rhyming Slang, me ol' china.
------------------------------------
I will never again mention that I was the poster of the One Millionth Lounge Post, nor that it was complete drivel. Dalek Dave
CCC Link[ ^]
Trolls[ ^]
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One of the definitions accepted on alternate now is:
"Serving or used in place of another; substitute"
While I prefer alternative, alternate is now accepted as common use; especially as the site is Canadian and not hosted here in the UK.
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As I said, acceptable to non-English speakers, but still incorrect.
------------------------------------
I will never again mention that I was the poster of the One Millionth Lounge Post, nor that it was complete drivel. Dalek Dave
CCC Link[ ^]
Trolls[ ^]
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That still seems somewhat different than "alternative". An alternate football player may be used in place of the original in the case that the original is injured. An alternative football player is one of the many alternates you could choose from.
In the case of "alternate", it seems like the other is only used in the case that the original cannot be used. In the case of "alternative", it seems like there is a choice right away about which item to use (there may not even be an original).
Martin Fowler wrote: Any fool can write code that a computer can understand. Good programmers write code that humans can understand.
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Alternate can be used in the form "constituting an alternative: The alternate route is more scenic.", so an "Alternate tip" would be correct in this context. However, you are correct: we should not have a collection of alternate tips, we should have a collection of alternative tips.
[Edit: fixed, and will upload soonish]
cheers,
Chris Maunder
The Code Project | Co-founder
Microsoft C++ MVP
modified on Wednesday, August 3, 2011 12:31 PM
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bling-pakyaw wrote: How Do I Get Pregnant?
Erm.
Every man can tell how many goats or sheep he possesses, but not how many friends.
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I know. I try not to comment.
Panic, Chaos, Destruction. My work here is done.
Drink. Get drunk. Fall over - P O'H
OK, I will win to day or my name isn't Ethel Crudacre! - DD Ethel Crudacre
I cannot live by bread alone. Bacon and ketchup are needed as well. - Trollslayer
Have a bit more patience with newbies. Of course some of them act dumb - they're often *students*, for heaven's sake - Terry Pratchett
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Ok all but mike45art have been appropriately dealt with.
Mike somehow survived with only 4 hits to the head.
I've seen this quite often recently that the longer the list gets the less consequently the executions are followed through.
Like on this list I started and seemed to always deal the 3rd blow until about one third into the list when it became only the second. Some of our members eihter loose track in these long spammer lists or they loose intereset.
Let's see if this trend continues.
Cheers and good hunting!
"With sufficient thrust, pigs fly just fine."
Ross Callon, The Twelve Networking Truths, RFC1925
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It could be that you were quicker than somebody who started just before you and thus you overtook them.
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I didn't think of that!
Could be the explanation. Either I am quicker or on a speedier line.
Thanks & Cheers!
"With sufficient thrust, pigs fly just fine."
Ross Callon, The Twelve Networking Truths, RFC1925
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Thanks mate. You're a machine.
cheers,
Chris Maunder
The Code Project | Co-founder
Microsoft C++ MVP
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Recent changes have caused 1) the page to bounce up, then down, every time I click on a message and 2) when responding to a message, the textbox is no longer in focus by default, and I have to actually click on it to start typing. Both are new, repeatable on two different machine (XP and W7), and I've got IE8 on both. Both "features" (I'm trying to suck up to Microsoft here) are extremely annoying, and the hamsters responsible need to be fed - feet first - to hungry but terribly farsighted rabid beavers in front of their peers. Sober.
Will Rogers never met me.
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I love that thought - a site devoted to Microsoft development that doesn't support Microsoft products. Schweet! 
Will Rogers never met me.
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Not trivial.
Too many times typing away in a reply, only to look up and see the reply has been cut off in the middle of the fifth word.
The focus is being stolen by the advertisements when they (finally) load.
Why adverts even have a tab stop, I don't know.
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GenJerDan wrote: The focus is being stolen by the advertisements when they (finally) load.
The focus is being removed by the resizing control at the bottom of the text area. I made a fix for Sensible Browsers, but IE8 and below are still to be tackled.
cheers,
Chris Maunder
The Code Project | Co-founder
Microsoft C++ MVP
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Huh. Never even noticed it was there. Guess it's just the timing of thing, since it doesn't appear until the adverts do (or close enough to be simultaneously).
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Hmmmppphh!
Well that's a fine Howdeedoo. How did you manage to force my system to download and install IE9 last night? This morning when I woke, I found IE9 had installed overnight without my permission!
Will Rogers never met me.
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