What's with all the bad writing?

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Alnilam @ Oct 7 2006, 01:21 PM) [snapback]329500[/snapback]</div>

I agree with you completely! A misspelled word jumps right out at me. An apostrophe where it should not be totally distorts what one is saying. Email has caused many to lose the art of "writing" to express themselves. I won't go on and on. Nevertheless, I am glad to see I am not the only one on the forum who appreciates the intelligence shown in many of the posts and "notices" the lack thereof in others.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(bee13 @ Oct 7 2006, 03:15 PM) [snapback]329551[/snapback]</div>

I've always been fascinated by the written word, especially when reading older English texts:

"Whereas his Majestie like himselfe a most zealous Prince hath in his owne Realmes a principall care of true Religion, and reverence to God, and hath alwaies strictly commaunded his Generals and Governours, with all his forces wheresoever, to let their waies be like his ends for the glorie of God"
- Articles, Laws, and Orders, Divine, Politic, and Martial for the Colony in Virginia, 22nd June, 1611

Over the next 150 years or so, common language morphed into a more readable, but still difficult to understand prose because sentence structure was still stilted to our eyes. To the modern reader, the religious references are also jarring, even from non-religious men:

"The Law of nations, by which this question is to be determined, is composed of three branches. 1. The Moral law of our nature. 2. The Usages of nations. 3. Their special Conventions. The first of thes only, concerns this question, that is to say the Moral law to which Man has been subjected by his creator, & of which his feelings, or Conscience as it is sometimes called, are the evidence with which his creator has furnished him."
- Thomas Jefferson, Apr. 28, 1793, in his "Opinion on the French Treaties", a letter explaining his position on whether or not the new nation has a right to renounce its treaties with France.

To your point, techology in the 17th century didn't allow everyone to communicate; pen and paper were messy and expensive, and literacy had not yet peaked. By the late 18th century inks and pens were substantially improved and more examples of less formal language are found. Jefferson, Adams and Washington all wrote in a "readable style", typical for their age. The difference between reading John Locke's "Two Treatises" and any of Jefferson's writings is pronounced. The language was more fluid to our eyes, and easier to understand.

So I think you're right, even though I had not thought about it in these terms previously. Instant messaging is the ultimate in immediate conversation, with abbreviations taking the place of gestures and the "sentences" mimicing our spoken conversations. What passes for sentences are sentence fragments like "be right back", and no care whatsoever for the now arcane grammar rules like the prohibition against split infinitives. Of course, we can "boldly say" Star Trek killed off that prohibition with the line "To boldly go" instead of "To go boldly".

I decided I'm an old fogie, in that I cannot "chat" or "IM". I guess I have spent too many years editing instruction manuals.

[Egads ... now I'm editing my post to correct an extra "e" in Jefferson's post, and a duplication of the words "I guess" at the end of my last sentence. I'm afraid its hopeless.]

 

its ?

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(EricGo @ Oct 12 2006, 08:38 AM) [snapback]331623[/snapback]</div>

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(fshagan @ Oct 12 2006, 12:56 AM) [snapback]331594[/snapback]</div>

Do instruction manuals really get edited? I find this astonishing news. Most of those I see (including the one for the Prius) are badly in need of editing. I've always imagined that manufacturers of gadgets which require instruction on how to use think that the manual is unimportant and therefore try to save money by giving the job at the last minute to an office boy who is on the lowest wage. I imagine the office manager saying to anyone who criticizes the manual, "Editor? What's that?"

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Alnilam @ Oct 11 2006, 06:47 PM) [snapback]331424[/snapback]</div>

Wow that was good (jared2 & Alnilam).

But yes we are goning to hell in a hand basket.....

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Oxo @ Oct 12 2006, 11:27 AM) [snapback]331712[/snapback]</div>

I think we should put Alnilam to useful work editing the Prius Manual. He can colaborate with Charles to make it more better for us all. I often get stuck on the poor writing and half to resort to posting my questions here.

 

My Grammar still works.

 

The thoughts about the evolution of the written word are well said. Perspective counts.
After all the real test is if the communication works for most of the audience.

Many post authors will expect others to adopt their style instead of writing more skillfully. The first elder who fretted about the the laxness of the young probably lived in a cave.

It seems like the BT plate keeps coming up over and over. Maybe this subject deserves as much. If it comes up again, maybe it could be in Main Forum rather than here in MS's playground.

Or is this subject too controversial for the Main Forum?

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Oxo @ Oct 12 2006, 08:27 AM) [snapback]331712[/snapback]</div>

I know what you mean; I'm very critical of manuals. Our manuals are for gas fired appliances up to 5 million BTU/Hr, and much of the content and even the format itself is mandated by CSA (formerly AGA). We work very hard to make them meet the legal requirements, and also try to make them readable. But the insertion of French translations in the middle of the text (as is required for firing and venting instuctions) makes that harder than you would think. Its also very easy to have a paragraph that breaks over several pages of required diagrams, reproductions of lighting instruction labels, required warnings, etc. and not notice it during editing. But even with all that work, none of us are really ever happy with the manuals. (Its actually a team effort with Engineering, Applications (system design folks) and the Service department (my people) reviewing the text).

 

Is some of the above quote by you? Interesting thread.

Speaking of writing: they don’t teach cursive in schools any more, and kids today can barely manage printing.

 

Happily, there are people who Make up for it by capriciously Capitalizing unexpected words in the Middles of sentences.

Oddly, my dad seemed to start doing that, out of the blue, late in life.

 

I didn't read through the entire thread, so apologies if this was already mentioned. I always use the Oxford comma...

 

Written content poorly edited or absent any finishing is far and wide these days. I can barely find anything that doesn't painfully wiggle my grammar tooth. I'll get to the second or third sentence and find some monstrosity and just have to stop there. Content providers (click bait) would prefer we watch their videos anyway. I avoid the talking heads as best I can, a task of increasing difficulty.

 

I’m seeing a lot of “there” that should be “their”; keeps you on your toes.

Then there’s the feller here who voice-dictates all his postings, and rambles terrifically. I finally just put him on ignore, not cus it’s offensive, just maddening to wade through.

 

Their is no excuse……
People must be effected by the vaccine, to loose they’re communications skills like that.

To bad….

 

Ok, this is semi-off-topic, but mangled expressions set me off too. For example, you hear a lot of:

"I could care less".

Pretty sure they meant:

"I couldn't care less"

As in:

"I care so little, I couldn't care less"

But once a tidal wave starts...