Comments on Quality Control For Writing Lost On Internet

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Jazwolf

 

Yes! Yes! And yes! Oh how very true!

And, unfortunately, Blogit being a microcosm of the world without, the standard of English in here is truly appalling. Okay, we all make typos, when we're in a hurry, but 'awesome!', ' definately' and other such solecisms ...

"Well, really!", as my nun teachers back in the 1930's would have said; with a clout across the ear to reinforce the message.

Yours truly ( signed with green ink )

Disgusted of Tunbridge Wells.

P.S. I shall now go and seek out my full body armour from under the stairs

posted by ariel70 on November 20, 2006 at 11:19 AM | link to this | reply

Jazwolf, it is a pity you don't have the equivalent of the "Académie

Française"; they are the custodians of the French language. At least, it is something. French culture is still very elitist, but probably less so now, since we follow the world's trends towards mediocrity (to which I make a lovely contribution... sometimes).
I feel tempted to call your post "A writer's lament"
and here are a few more for good measure: Ode to Spelling The Roses, 101 ways to Spell it... Wrong. Spelling Disasters. Give me a Pen and I'll tell you who you are. Spell it out.
Odious Spelling, Dispelling the Myths, Mythical Spelling, The Wonderful World of Grammar. Casting a Spell on Grammar. Desperately Seeking Grammar. That's enough nonsense for now...

posted by marieclaire66 on November 19, 2006 at 12:22 AM | link to this | reply

Jazwolf

I agree, although Britain also is awash in commercialism! I would argue that the decay of our language is the by-product of a society in which any form of 'elitism' is viewed with suspicion, if not rejected outright. In Britain , a visible elite, however beleaguered, still acts as ‘scale’ against which those at the ‘bottom’ can measure themselves, and to which they can aspire! That applies to many areas of life, and to language as well.

posted by Nautikos on November 18, 2006 at 2:18 PM | link to this | reply

Very good point! Logical. I'll buy it. :)

posted by Pat_B on November 18, 2006 at 9:55 AM | link to this | reply

Kidnykid--- Spell and grammar checkers are woefully inadequate, and anyone

who relies solely upon them does not really care about the quality of his or her writing.

posted by Jazwolf on November 18, 2006 at 6:54 AM | link to this | reply

Nautikos--- I don't know if that is true, but wouldn't be surprised if it

is. If it is true, I believe that our commercially driven society is a major contributor. Marketing, marketing, marketing, everywhere you look. No place is safe, not even a public restroom, not even our schools. Copywriters for commercials and advertisements love to create their own words, write in fragments, and misuse punctuation. In addition, they love to glorify such things as the "gangsta mentality" and other elements of popular culture, most all of which is about a superficial lifestyle, where education, intelligence, and ability mean little.  How's that?

posted by Jazwolf on November 18, 2006 at 6:51 AM | link to this | reply

I place the blame squarely on the spell checker - people aren't looking even on Dictionary.com or other sources of information for basic spelling and grammar information. If the spell checker and grammar checker tell them something's all right, they let it slide. Yet spell checker in particular will highlight something as being misspelled when it's really an ethnic name not programmed into it.

posted by kidnykid on November 17, 2006 at 7:09 PM | link to this | reply

I contend that the language has deteriorated more in North America

than in Britain. If that's true, how do you account for that?

 

posted by Nautikos on November 17, 2006 at 7:03 PM | link to this | reply

I agree, but the internet is not going away...

Our speech and our language will adapt and evolve. Maybe it won't all be downhill.

posted by Passionflower on November 17, 2006 at 11:08 AM | link to this | reply

Well, I suppose she fills a certain niche.

To me, truth is not some vague, foggy notion.
Truth is real. And, at the same time, unreal.
Fiction and fact and everything in between,
plus some things I can't remember,
all rolled into one big 'thing'.
This is truth, to me.

posted by Mademoiselle on November 17, 2006 at 10:01 AM | link to this | reply

Mademoiselle--- And you'd give a pass to Danielle Steele?

posted by Jazwolf on November 17, 2006 at 9:44 AM | link to this | reply

I agree ... up to a point.

Although, actually, I would place most of the blame for the decline of the written word squarely on the shoulders of Dan Brown and Mitch Albom.

Whenever you read a good book,
it's like the author is right there
in the room, talking to you,
which is why I don't like to read good books.

posted by Mademoiselle on November 17, 2006 at 9:41 AM | link to this | reply