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From: brian@cat28.CS.WISC.EDU (Brian Miller)
Newsgroups: sci.lang,comp.cog-eng,sci.psychology
Subject: Re: Effects of poor writing? (Long)
Message-ID: <2679@puff.cs.wisc.edu>
Date: 4 May 89 17:03:30 GMT
References: <4352@ttidca.TTI.COM> <3893@uhccux.uhcc.hawaii.edu> <2018@trantor.harris-atd.com>
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Reply-To: brian@cat28.CS.WISC.EDU (Brian Miller)
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In article <2018@trantor.harris-atd.com> chuck@trantor.harris-atd.com (Chuck Musciano) writes:
>     The point I was making was that freedom is dependent upon an informed
>populace, and that literacy is the cornerstone of the free distribution of
>information.  If literacy disappears, I think most freedom will not be far
>behind.

I disagree.  "Free distribution of information" _is_ necessary in preserving
freedom, but I don't see where literacy comes in.  I can get a truckload of
information out of an evening of TV and never see a written word.  Yes,
the traditional art of mastering literate discourse _is_ falling by the
wayside, but that is only symptomatic of a civilization that is weaning
itself from a diet of pure text as the sole form of _recorded_ information.
Our generation is caught in this transtion from a primitive reliance
on the written word as our sole message delivery system to
embracing a whole host of hi-tech media, some literate and some not.
Communication _is_ an important part of modern life.  I do agree that
mastering literacy (as I would want of any other form of discourse) is
key to attaining a society where all of the elements (people) function in
harmony.  Coordination demands it.  But let's not forget that there may be
other media which may eventually require practice just as reading/writing/
talking do.
_____________________________________________________________________________
			
					       Brian Miller.