Linguistic logic-chopping Re: I-D ACTION:draft-ietf-secsh-publickey-subsystem-03.txt

[der Mouse <mouse%Rodents.Montreal.QC.CA@localhost>]

>>>>   SHOULD be sent.  Note that normally, status messages are only sent by
>>>> s/only sent by/sent by only/
>>> [...] status messages are only sent by the server [...]
>> It still suffers from the problem: the "only" is attached to the
>> wrong thing.  See http://webster.commnet.edu/grammar/modifiers.htm
> I disagree.  Maybe I'm wrong, but imho, "only" is modifying the verb,
> not the server.

Yes, I see it that way too - and that's why I see it as wrong.

Perhaps I'm misunderstanding the intent, but in the context, it seemed
clear (to me) that the intent was to say "normally, nobody but the
server sends these" (in which case the "only" needs to be attached to
the server, or perhaps the "by the server" phrase, as was mentioned
upthread), not "normally, the server does nothing with these but send
them" (which is what you have if the "only" modifies the verb).

> Aside from what the strictest rules of grammar say on the subject,
> "...are sent by only the server..." sounds.. well.. awful (to my
> ears).

I agree, though I'd put it less strongly than "awful".  That's part of
the reason I'd be content with "... are sent only by the server".

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