Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.3 4.3bsd-beta 6/6/85; site ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU Path: utzoo!linus!decvax!bellcore!ulysses!ucbvax!kim.berkeley.edu!albert From: albert@kim.berkeley.edu.BERKELEY.EDU (Anthony &) Newsgroups: net.singles,net.nlang Subject: Re: Grammar and Spelling on the Net Message-ID: <11949@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU> Date: Thu, 20-Feb-86 16:29:48 EST Article-I.D.: ucbvax.11949 Posted: Thu Feb 20 16:29:48 1986 Date-Received: Mon, 24-Feb-86 07:14:36 EST References: <235@pttesac.UUCP> <33100034@ISM780.UUCP> <658@frog.UUCP> Sender: usenet@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU Reply-To: albert@kim.berkeley.edu.UUCP (Anthony Albert) Organization: University of California, Berkeley Lines: 23 Xref: linus net.singles:9355 net.nlang:3884 >In article <33100034@ISM780.UUCP> dianeh@ISM780.UUCP writes: >>Poor grammar, on the other hand, usually bothers me. There are those >>rare gems that actaully work, like "You're good -- you're awful good." >>or some of the Tom Frye postings, which are clearly dialect (at least I >>hope they are :-)). Unfortunately, poor grammar more often just makes the >>person sound stupid and tends to make me immediately prejudiced against >>any validity their statements might otherwise have. I suppose one of the ^^^^^ ?!? >>reasons it bothers me is that this is our *language* -- it's what we've >>agreed to use to communicate to one another. If it didn't have some >>structure, some agreed upon forms and rules, we wouldn't even be able to >>come as close as we do (which, admittedly, isn't very) to understanding >>one another. If a person can't take the time to learn their own language, ^^^^^ >>to learn about verb agreement or syntax, it just seems damn lazy to me. >>English is a rich, open language; it allows for and adapts to our changing >>needs, but abusing that, letting the language deteriorate into mush, >>seems wasteful and inexcusable. I am reminded of a parable which mentions stones and glass houses. Anthony Albert ..!ucbvax!kim!albert albert@kim.berkeley.edu