Post by patrickp on Jan 14, 2007 8:32:11 GMT -5
If you look on any online forum, you could be forgiven for thinking that the majority of people there are only semi-literate. But once you start reading the posts, you realise they aren't actually that verbally challenged; they were just in a hurry. <Sigh> I guess it's just the Instant Gratification generation (rattles Zimmer frame angrily) 
The thing is, on most forums, people are just chatting and it really just doesn't matter that much. However, I lost track long ago of how often people trying to post what could be valuable information on this forum have to be prompted into revealing just what they meant to say.
So let me introduce you to a brand new invention - proofreading! Well, it's not really brand new: it was probably developed round about the time the Egyptians started writing on papyrus rather than chiselling on stone slabs - which was a bit difficult to edit. But I was only a kid then...
What very few people online seem to do is to read through what they've written before they post to see if it makes sense, and says what they want to say. In fact, even semi-literate people can start sounding intelligent and rational if they start doing this. All you do is to read through what you've just written before you click the posting button, as if you were reading someone else's post. Just takes a few seconds; but it's surprising how often your pristine models of clarity turn out to be gibberish. And once you get into the habit of doing it, it becomes almost automatic. The interesting thing is that it may spread further than online posting: once you get into the habit of thinking about what you say, rather than just blurting it out, you could find that people actually start listening to you because you make sense - they might even start thinking you're actuallyinteli intelek clever.
And it wouldn't half help other people here to understand what you're going on about...
The thing is, on most forums, people are just chatting and it really just doesn't matter that much. However, I lost track long ago of how often people trying to post what could be valuable information on this forum have to be prompted into revealing just what they meant to say.
So let me introduce you to a brand new invention - proofreading! Well, it's not really brand new: it was probably developed round about the time the Egyptians started writing on papyrus rather than chiselling on stone slabs - which was a bit difficult to edit. But I was only a kid then...
What very few people online seem to do is to read through what they've written before they post to see if it makes sense, and says what they want to say. In fact, even semi-literate people can start sounding intelligent and rational if they start doing this. All you do is to read through what you've just written before you click the posting button, as if you were reading someone else's post. Just takes a few seconds; but it's surprising how often your pristine models of clarity turn out to be gibberish. And once you get into the habit of doing it, it becomes almost automatic. The interesting thing is that it may spread further than online posting: once you get into the habit of thinking about what you say, rather than just blurting it out, you could find that people actually start listening to you because you make sense - they might even start thinking you're actually
And it wouldn't half help other people here to understand what you're going on about...
It's always nice when English natives specifically mention how great my written language is, or mistaken me for native altogether. Especially if these people happen to be teachers, who (should) know what they are talking about. 
. But if I write in my first language I won't proofread.. at least in most cases. However, no complaints so far.