I will not make the same argument about us not being 'fat' however, as I myself am rather rotund. ;)
If someone posts here on OS and makes two or three spelling or punctuation mistakes, there is no screaming response from the masses-none of us are perfect.
If someone continually posts here on OS and refuses to capitalize anything, or use proper sentence structure, or peppers their entire post with poorly modified [f-*ff!] curse words-we are not being snobs when we remark upon their laziness.
The written word is, for most of us here,that perfect grace which brings more pleasure and structure and beauty to our lives than any other aspect of life here on Earth.
It's hard for us to understand why those who throw their words about like gum wrappers on a playground continue to post when they seem not to care enough to even proof read anything they ever write.
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It makes me think about what my first writing teacher said to me: "You can't break the rules until you know the rules." You aren't a good writer just because you ignore the conventions; you're a good writer who knows when to break a rule to enhance what you have to say.
Did you see that I wrote 'two or three' mistakes?
My spelling sucks, and I know it :)
Thanks for reading though, and keeping me on my toes!
Emma Peel's on my page, Emma Peel's on my page!I'm so excited.
Thank you!
Klaatu, I have not 'found' the spell check feature here on OS yet...
I'm terrible with computers, and this is only my second post here-I actually did look, but my tiny mind has not seen it yet. I apologize for my mistakes;)
Is Freaky coming soon? :)
And she gave me ADVICE :) Thank you!
[I'm so seriously excited about this right now.Perhaps I am spending too much time on the internet? No, it's just that your's and Emma's posts are always so awesome.You read something I wrote-WOW]
I'm a snob, but not because I prefer good writing. I wrote an entire damned post about liking OS because so much of the writing is so good. Of course, I wrote it when the controversy was that only the frivolous fluffy pieces get read.
Julie's point, if I understood it correctly, was not, oh my God, there are typos on OS, but that some writers here have such a poor command of the written language that it affects their ability to communicate, so why are people telling them 'great writing?' The burden is on the writer to make himself understood.
Apologies: I'm reading a knockoff Jane Austen book, and it appears to be infecting my syntax and diction.
Of course, the TinyMCE WYSIWYG program OS uses as a data entry editor for composing blogs, has a spell check plugin, and other spell checks care available for any website text box, but don't hold your breath waiting for TPTB to implement them on OS. As I've remarked elsewhere, they don't give a rat's ass about your blogging experience, just as long as you keep the free content coming.
Wouldn't it be lovely if we could all be so "infected" by Jane Austen? Or maybe even by Hemingway, who wrote on of my favorite ending lines ever:
"Isn't it lovely to think so?"
Wayne, I was actually thinking about your viewpoints on OS the other day, when I was reading someone else's post about spam. Someone actually suggested that we should pay OS a small fee every month to discourage phony accounts-can you imagine?
"Sure, I'll give you all rights to everything I write here-and pay you for the privilege." Ha!
And I would suggest typing up posts in Word rather than directly into OS. I understand that's a good way to lose a post.
He also penned one of the shortest flash fiction pieces ever: "For sale. Baby shoes. Never worn."
I know without a foundation the pretty modlings will crumble, but they are so pretty to look at while they last.
My baby is crying. I have to go!