quote:
Originally posted by ramccoid
Spelling and grammar shouldn't be an issue in this forum.
It's not really.
Art was teasing me and I'm teasing Art.
I was also using his post as a springboard for what should be a common internet point of discussion, that habitual slipshod spelling and grammar, while certainly allowed, reveals to other people your level of education and/or level of respect for others. Sloppy language should be ostensibly allowed but generally abhored.
Carelessness implies a failure to care. I would hope people care.
There are people who have legitimate issues which prevent accurate posting in Standard American English. We are not talking about them. No one should look down on them unless they are otherwise unpleasant.
But there is room in this world for expressions of dismay when we see that our schools have not done their jobs, or, having paid our School Tax for someone else's education, seeing it thrown away by a failure of effort on the part of the student.
Posters, especially posters who are adult, cannot be easily excused for failing to take the time and effort to at least proofread their posts before sending. Certainly there will be mistakes, but not the level of mistakes sometimes seen, where the majority of the post is indecipherable, or where exactly the thing not meant is exactly what is written.
I say they cannot be easily excused, because if we do excuse them, while taking the time and effort to chastise those who do speak up, the worst case is the only possible result. We, by default, endorse that which we do not denounce, and we effectively denounce that which we do not endorse.
I never want to be in the position of denouncing education, competence, and accurate communication of ideas. As an educator, and a fellow human being, I must endorse hard work, accomplishment, and the attempt to develop skill in any chosen endeavor. If people want to write posts on a forum, I must encourage them to do it well.
Usually I try to do it by example. I apologize if that is not the result of my efforts.
Occasionally, when the errors get so bad that the meaning is uncertain, I point it out. I know this leaves me open for the spelling flames that result from any small typo on my part, but it’s worth it. I'm concerned less about “making nice” in a forum than I am about improving the whole of humanity with improved communication.
YMMV