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From: ph@wucec2.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.misc
Subject: Re: Writing, programming, music and mechanics
Message-ID: <1761@wucec2.UUCP>
Date: Sun, 29-Jun-86 07:59:58 EDT
Article-I.D.: wucec2.1761
Posted: Sun Jun 29 07:59:58 1986
Date-Received: Thu, 3-Jul-86 01:25:50 EDT
References: <2671@sdcc6.UUCP> <1445@ihuxn.UUCP> <809@steinmetz.UUCP>
Reply-To: ph@wucec2.UUCP (Paul Hahn)
Organization: Washington U. in St. Louis, Engineering School
Lines: 38

In article <809@steinmetz.UUCP> putnam@kbsvax.UUCP (jefu) writes:
>The general quality of english in postings is not up to professional writing
>standards - but on the whole it is not as bad as all that.  Since first
>seeing the claim that the writing is "between poor and pathetic", i have 
>scanned several newsgroups looking almost exclusively at writing quality 
>and style.  I think i can safely claim that most postings are actually
>quite well written - as outlined below.  [details omitted]

	    Though I suspect jefu might have been a trifle more generous
	in his evaluations than I would, basically I agree with him.  I
	think the reason we often get the impression that writing on the
	net is so poor is because in general good writing (unless it is
	really stellar) does not draw attention to itself, while bad
	writing is obtrusive.  (This principle applies to flames vs.
	calm discussion, assholes vs. gentlebeings, etc. too, in varying
	degrees.)  Thus, we might read nineteen well-written articles
	out of twenty, and yet the one we remember when we think about
	writing quality is the one that annoyed us for being so poorly
	written.
	    An aside to those who would forgive errors in mechanics as
	long as the ideas behind them are good: how do you expect those
	ideas to appreciated if they are not expressed well?  Good ideas
	are the ones that most deserve being well put.
	    Or, to put it another way: I suppose it is preferable to
	have good ideas poorly written than bad ideas well written.  But
	why can't we have good ideas well written?  Is it so difficult?
	Those capable of having those good ideas should not have a hard
	time learning to write competently.  Clear thought is basic to
	clear writing.
						--pH
/*
 *	    "My name . . . was Alec Holland.  I woke up in the lab . . .
 *	and there was a bomb taped . . . beneath the table.  . . . And I
 *	reached out . . . to defuse it . . . and I was too late . . .
 *	and I burned . . . burned to death."
 */
	P.S. No, I don't think there is a strong correlation between
	good writing and programming ability.  A weak one, perhaps.