We're not tweeting here!

[RickO]

Originally Posted by LadyFitz...

Thank you! It's nice to know I'm not the only one.

You're not the only TWO. I agree and really hate reading messages which clearly reflect no pride or even interest in making the message easy to read and comprehend.

Lack of punctuation, including the use of paragraphs, is at the top of my list.

Rick

[SpringerPop]

I just figure that they're basically illiterate, and just move on without commenting, even if I have something relevant to add.

What I am reading in some of the above is, basically, "Proper use of the English language is doomed, and you better get used to it".

Sad world into which we're evolving, where nothing much matters.

The closer one is to the leading edge, the more likely one is to be nicked by it.

Pop

[Midniteoyl]

Some people just can't type, even though they can speak and spell, it would take them too long.

Some people learned to type with their thumbs.

Some just think it's 'cool'.

Some people worry too much.

[Dunner]

Didn't say I replied, after I did figure out what their problem was.

[jpriest]

HALF DIME - WHAT DO U DO IN UR SPARE TIME?!!

[JC2]

Originally Posted by Half Dimes

Nope. Not a teacher. I was just raised in a time when people were taught to take pride in their written communication and make it easy for others to understand.

Exactly and well stated. It is unfortunate that a noticeable number of people today have such difficulty in writing their ideas so the average person can understand what they are saying. Did they not learn anything in school or were they not taught? Any posts that I come across that are are challenging to read because of poor writing skills are usually ignored.

[RustyJC]

My mother was an English teacher. One can likely guess into which camp I would fall.

Rusty

[MickBrennan]

Think about context please ladies and gentlemen. I certainly agree that a business letter should contain proper grammar and spelling. Legal documents are written in a jargon all their own as are many texts. Friendly notes are another unique form.

I consider a text a brief missile directed to convey meaning as concisely as possible, sometimes sacrificing the rules and syntax of proper English, not unlike a telegram? So, there is a precedent for writing awkwardly. Now we are all dealing with the correct form of our language in electronic data.

[RustyJC]

Originally Posted by MickBrennan

I consider a text a brief missile directed to convey meaning as concisely as possible.....

With as few characters as possible? Yes. As concisely as possible? Hardly! If the reader must struggle to decipher the meaning of a missive, it isn't communicated concisely.

Rusty

[CarlGeo]

Originally Posted by Half Dimes

Nope. Not a teacher. I was just raised in a time when people were taught to take pride in their written communication and make it easy for others to understand.

I am in agreement with you. Our written and spoken communication is extremely poor. Have you noticed the poorly written newspaper items.
I am disappointed at those who have posted, that our written communication doesn't matter as long as we can disearn the message. I do not agree. We have a standard and lets use it.
Many of us have lamented about the poor build quality of our motor coaches. What we experience with that issue is exactly what is happening with the written word!
We can and should do better.

[Dunner]

I was tempted to offer free keyboards, with functioning comma and period keys, but soon realized that I would have to take out a 2nd mortgage to do so.

[Dunner]

Originally Posted by MickBrennan

I consider a text a brief missile directed to convey meaning as concisely as possible, sometimes sacrificing the rules and syntax of proper English, not unlike a telegram? So, there is a precedent for writing awkwardly. Now we are all dealing with the correct form of our language in electronic data.

Telegrams at least have a "Stop" at the end of a sentence.

[jpriest]

Originally Posted by CarlGeo

I am in agreement with you. Our written and spoken communication is extremely poor. Have you noticed the poorly written newspaper items.
I am disappointed at those who have posted, that our written communication doesn't matter as long as we can disearn the message. I do not agree. We have a standard and lets use it.
Many of us have lamented about the poor build quality of our motor coaches. What we experience with that issue is exactly what is happening with the written word!
We can and should do better.

It's spelled Discern.

[RickO]

Originally Posted by MickBrennan

Think about context please ladies and gentlemen. I certainly agree that a business letter should contain proper grammar and spelling. Legal documents are written in a jargon all their own as are many texts. Friendly notes are another unique form.

I consider a text a brief missile directed to convey meaning as concisely as possible, sometimes sacrificing the rules and syntax of proper English, not unlike a telegram? So, there is a precedent for writing awkwardly. Now we are all dealing with the correct form of our language in electronic data.

I don't disagree with anything you've said here, Mick. However, you've defended the use of cryptic writing for texting and the title of the thread is that we are NOT "tweeting" here... with the implication being that we should take more care in communicating via the forum than we do when tweeting.

I also think that those who have implied that the OP has too much time on his hands to be worried about such things (or challenge the grammar in my reply ) are missing the point. IMO, if someone wants to post a question asking for help, it is in their best interest to be as clear as possible in their written communications. The issue is one of clarity and not insistence on only using perfect grammar, spelling, punctuation, and syntax.

Rick