Today's English Expression 4/30 · Stage: Opening an issue. All examples are created for this post. They are not copied from actual repository comments, and function names and versions are examples.
Table of Contents
- At a Glance
- 1. Meaning and Nuance
- 2. Examples
- 3. Similar Expressions and Differences
- 4. Common Mistakes Made by Koreans
- 5. One-Line Practice
- Sample Answer
- References
At a Glance
| Expression | As far as I can tell, ... (Abbreviation AFAICT) |
| Meaning | As far as I can verify ..., From what I can see ... |
| Usage Context | Root cause analysis comments, review replies, design discussions |
| Politeness | Neutral to slightly humble. Gives a sense that you have a basis while avoiding assertion |
1. Meaning and Nuance
Merriam-Webster lists as/so far as one can see/tell/judge as an idiom and explains it as meaning "the speaker believes this to be true, but may not know information that would make it incorrect." This is why this expression is frequently used in open-source comments. It is because even when you have read the code, reviewed the logs, and reached a conclusion, you do not know the entire history of the repository and its hidden usages.
This expression conveys an 「informed assumption」. I think is an opinion, and I'm sure is a definitive statement. As far as I can tell sits right in the middle, attaching the condition "within the scope I can check." Therefore, even if what follows turns out to be wrong, you don't lose face, and it makes it easy for the other person to supplement with "Actually, in this case..."
In chat or short comments, it is abbreviated as AFAICT. A similar abbreviation is AFAIK (as far as I know). The difference is that AFAICT means "as a result of direct inspection," while AFAIK means "based on the knowledge I have."
2. Examples
Situation 1: Root Cause Analysis Comment
As far as I can tell, the timeout comes from
waitForReady(), which uses a hard-coded 30s limit. I didn't find any config option that overrides it.
It is good practice to state the scope of your check in the following sentence, such as "I looked for it but couldn't find it."
Situation 2: Review Reply
As far as I can tell, this function isn't called anywhere outside the controller package, so changing the signature should be safe. Let me know if there are external users I'm not aware of.
Situation 3: Slack
AFAICT the flaky test only fails on arm64 runners. Still digging.
Still digging is a colloquialism meaning "still investigating further" or "still looking into it."
3. Similar Expressions and Differences
- As far as I know (AFAIK). Based on the knowledge I possess. Also used for things you haven't checked directly.
- From what I can see, ... Practically identical in meaning and slightly more conversational.
- If I'm reading this correctly, ... Meaning "If I have interpreted the code or documentation correctly," which leaves the possibility of misinterpretation even more strongly open.
4. Common Mistakes Made by Koreans
- In my opinion, the bug is in line 120. Since this is a judgment about a fact, using opinion makes the basis sound weak. An expression clarifying the scope of verification is better.
- Corrected sentence: As far as I can tell, the bug is on line 120.
- As far as I can tell, maybe it is probably a race condition. You have already attached a condition, but piling maybe and probably on top makes you sound overly hesitant.
- Corrected sentence: As far as I can tell, it's a race condition.
- As long as I can tell, ... As long as has a different meaning: "as long as / provided that."
- Corrected sentence: As far as I can tell, ...
Let's also look at prepositions. For "on line 120" of code, on line 120 is more common than in line.
5. One-Line Practice
Translate the following Korean sentence into English.
As far as I can tell, this option has not been used since v1.2.
Sample Answer
As far as I can tell, this option hasn't been used since v1.2.
Since "hasn't been used since ~" describes a state continuing from a point in the past until now, use the present perfect (hasn't been used since). is not used from v1.2 sounds awkward.
Titi's Word. Clarifying the scope of your verification is not a weakness, but honesty. Maintainers can fill in what lies beyond that scope.
References
- Merriam-Webster, 「as/so far as one can see/tell/judge」: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/as%2Fso far as one can see%2Ftell%2Fjudge
- Merriam-Webster, 「so far as one can see」: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/so far as one can see