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From: gifford@nimbus.DEC (CINDY GIFFORD)
Newsgroups: net.flame
Subject: In Defense of Grammar and Spelling
Message-ID: <2142@decwrl.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 29-Jun-84 09:41:26 EDT
Article-I.D.: decwrl.2142
Posted: Fri Jun 29 09:41:26 1984
Date-Received: Sun, 1-Jul-84 06:27:41 EDT
Organization: DEC Engineering Network
Lines: 57

To Scott Barmen and Lisa Chabot:

There is nothing pompous about someone pointing out a few grammatical or 
spelling errors occasionally, it can, in fact, be quite helpful at times.  
What can be pompous is the manner in which these errors are brought 
to light.  Each of us has our own special area of expertise and should be 
respected for our strengths, not verbally bludgeoned for our weaknesses.

In many instances, peoples' initial reactions to and impressions of others 
are spawned from the other's ability to communicate both orally and through 
the written word.  For this reason alone, it is important for everyone to
acquire a solid understanding, and practical usage, of the fundamentals of
the English language.  (No PhD required to accomplish this.)  Even those 
who do possess PhDs in English are not necessarily expert in the areas of
grammer, spelling, syntax, semantics, and linguisitics.  In addition, those who 
possess PhDs in other areas, such as, Biology, Classics, Geography, History, 
and even Mathematics, can, and often do, use the English language in a 
superlative fashion.  It is one's ability to communicate effectively 
one's discoveries, feelings, hunches, ideas, and thoughts that is truly 
important.  And that manner of conveyance is the English language.  

A case in point:

People who operate primarily at the "bit-level" have no trouble whatsoever 
communicating with others who also operate at "bit-level".  However, those 
of us who are not systems programmers (or, applications programmers either) 
cannot understand a word.  So those of us "non-bit-level" people must rely on 
the "bit-level" people to explain what is not so readily, empirically
understood.  This results in a mare's nest 99% of the time because our 
"bit-level" people have not honed their usage of our language.
(Vis-a-vis Scott's devoting his time to his assembler course, leaving his
English paper hanging, etc.)  

Proper fundamental usage of the English language can be carried 
successfully into any profession and/or social situation - assembly languages 
cannot.  This is not a criticism - just a statement of fact.  So when in 
doubt about how to spell a word (cf. "pompus"), or even proper sentence 
construction - go ask someone you think might know.  This way you help 
yourself by making your presentation more easily understood, and more 
effectively communicated.  Or, when you pick up on an error made by 
another, and you choose to correct the error, CAREFULLY choose the words 
with which you do so.  Constructive criticism is helpful, blasting the hell 
out of someone is not.  

When communicating via the computer, it is especially important to choose 
words carefully, and to think about the words you type.  This is not a 
face-to-face confrontation where you can monitor people's gestures,
facial expressions, and tones of voice, which convey myriad meanings in 
themselves.  The written word is your only vehicle of expression.  
Caveat!

Though this be net.flame, it is not a bar room.  Free form expression,
point vs. countpoint is fine, but you don't have to get down and dirty 
about it.

CCG