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From: ix200@sdcc6.UUCP (Bruce Jones)
Newsgroups: net.misc
Subject: Re: Writing, programming, music and mechanics
Message-ID: <2679@sdcc6.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 17-Jun-86 01:31:47 EDT
Article-I.D.: sdcc6.2679
Posted: Tue Jun 17 01:31:47 1986
Date-Received: Wed, 18-Jun-86 05:16:59 EDT
References: <2671@sdcc6.UUCP> <1445@ihuxn.UUCP>
Reply-To: ix200@sdcc6.UUCP (Bruce Jones)
Organization: U.C. San Diego, Academic Computer Center
Lines: 66

In article <1445@ihuxn.UUCP> gadfly@ihuxn.UUCP (Gadfly) writes:
>--
>The quality of writing on the net is somewhere between poor and
>pathetic.  It is replete with errors in spelling and grammar.
>Most computer professionals (in my experience) cannot write their
>way out of a paper bag.  But then, most never learned how.
>What you stand in awe of is indeed the work of a few articulate
>posters.  Or else you yourself cannot recognize bad prose.

I have long thought that ideas were the most important part of
writing.  As long as the grammar and punctuation are not so bad that
they get in the way of the ideas, I am willing to over look them. 

As for your other, more specific comments:

>"Recontextualize"?  
Computers and in particular Unix operated ones, have a unique
potential for re-organizing writing.  Aside from the usually touted
power of word processing, the ability to send electronic mail within
an interest group creates new and interesting ways of teaching both
thinking and writing.  The student who might not speak up in a class
with 400 other students and TA's sitting there can sit at a terminal
and compose a message to the other students in a smaller adjunct
class and to the professor.  This allows time to formulate and edit
the question.  It is this new context for writing, and the social
de-stratification that can take place, provided the other readers
refrain from cheep-shot criticism, that we term "recontextualization".

>"As being the result of"?  "Loosing"?
Guilty as charged.

>"Freshpersons"?  
Non gender-specific phraseology.

>"Limited basic skills"?  
Yes, like the grammar and punctuation you mention.

>Quotes around the word "hooked"?  
I want people to draw the metaphorical connection to addiction.  The
one thing that we have found is that students who take to this
meduim have a greater chance of academic success because of it. My
research interests center around how to create a situation where
this can take place. 

>"Taking the class"?  Taking what class?  Mr. Jones,
>> My research over the past two years has been how to improve and
>> foster writing by using electronic mail to facilitate discussions of
>> social science lecture class topics.  

>you *teach* writing?  That's not a good sign.
No, I don't *teach* writing.  What I do is to use the
recontextualizing possibilities of Unix to provide a forum for the
voices of students that otherwise would not be heard and hope that
this convinces them to continue to write.  Does anyone really teach
writing? Or do they teach punctuation, grammar and analysis (the last
being the most important)

>                    *** ***
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>                 ****** ******  12 Jun 86 [24 Prairial An CXCIV]
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bjones@sdcsvax.ARPA