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Path: utzoo!dciem!mmt
From: mmt@dciem.UUCP (Martin Taylor)
Newsgroups: net.flame
Subject: Re: Flame on net posters' English - (nf)
Message-ID: <564@dciem.UUCP>
Date: Sun, 18-Dec-83 14:08:29 EST
Article-I.D.: dciem.564
Posted: Sun Dec 18 14:08:29 1983
Date-Received: Sun, 18-Dec-83 18:51:27 EST
References: <4568@uiucdcs.UUCP>
Organization: D.C.I.E.M., Toronto, Canada
Lines: 19

=========
        Come on people, it doesn't matter if a word or two is misspelled,
what matters is the idea that is communicated.
=========
Yes, but information is best transmitted on a noiseless channel.
Misspelled or badly chosen words are forms of noise; unavoidable,
but to be minimized. It is very difficult to convey subtle ideas
if the parties have different notions as to what concepts were
intended. The presence of multiple misspellings suggests to the
reader that other aspects of the message may be incorrectly
specified, and thus reduces the ability of the sender to communicate.

It isn't a moral issue or a question of censorship. It is just
good sense to balance the trouble you spend on your message against
the importance you assign to having it understood.
-- 

Martin Taylor
{allegra,linus,ihnp4,uw-beaver,floyd,ubc-vision}!utzoo!dciem!mmt