Chacham's Journal: Phrase: It is interesting to note

I love checking google for definitions, word comparisons, and phraseology. Just now, i was reviewing my own unfinished essay when i came up to the term "It is interesting to note". So, i searched google for the phrase and sure enough, the firs link was "It is interesting to note that ..." there is a bee in the editorial bonnet. It is a short and perhaps amusing read.

One paragraph says it best, and reminds me of Strunk and White's Elements of Style (PDF):

The words "It is interesting to note that" are to all intents and purposes banned from JIPLP since they generally add nothing but length. If the text which follows those words is interesting, they are redundant; if it is not interesting, it shouldn't be there in the first place. And if your reader is reading what you've written, he's going to note it whether you tell him that it is interesting to do so or not.

Wow! (Also, note he used if and a comma without then .)

But, i'm still wondering if i should keep the phrase.

The essay analyses a work in an attempt to show that it is talking about an idea later stated as a theory. This includes many quotes shown to be akin to this point or that. By one particular point there is clearly no proof, but it works really well. So, after explaining how it obviously is not a proof, "nonetheless, it is interesting to note that he." The phrase is meant to concede that there is no proof, per se, but that it is still notable, and therefore the rest of the paragraph will continue along the theory. I think the phrase should stay, though perhaps changed to "Nonetheless, it is noteworthy", much like the author in the blog offered to change his submission, also for a reason.

I'm too close to my own material to decide, so it's in for now. But, i feel i ought to garner opinions from others.

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Is an unproven statement said to be in a state of nonproofiness?

It is good verbally

[Jeremiah Cornelius]

It establishes a conversational rapport with a group or audience, correctly delivered - and can be used as a framing device to explore what might be a foot note or parenthetical comment, if rendered in text. I can be varied with "I find it interesting..." or "You might also think this interesting:..."

Unless the text is conveying an overall, conversational style, I think usage is dubious and should be employed after consulting the general context.

Re:

[Chacham]

So, be aware of your audience?

Re:

[insanecarbonbasedlif]

So, be aware of your audience?

Or, beware your audience. Though on the topic, while it's not the most concise construction, signposting something you find interesting so that the reader pays extra attention (or even just a different kind of attention) to it is certainly common. I don't know if that makes it acceptable, but I tend to think it does.

Re:

[Chacham]

In this case, it is not so much that it is of interest to the reader, but that is lends support to the argument. Or, better put, it doesn't disagree with the argument and has a peculiar form that would make sense according to the argument.

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On a completely unrelated side note, out of the multitudinous typos in the earlier drafts of this reply, i typed "ithe" in place of "with the". When i replaced the missing "w" and had "withe", i thought that was a pretty cool contraction.