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Literacy Limps Into the Kill Zone

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the grahmer-an-spulleeng-natsis-dunce-weth-glee dept.

Ant writes to tell us that Wired has an interesting look at the current standards of writing and the general decline of spelling and grammar in today's "comic book generation." The author blames many of the problems on instant or near-instant communications stating that the slang developed is essentially eroding our ability to formulate coherent thoughts in writing when called upon to do so.

6 of 838 comments (clear)

  1. Re:They don't realise language changes. by lordsid · · Score: 5, Funny

    You didn't really have to go and proove them right, did you?

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    IMAGE VERIFICATION IS EVIL!
  2. 1984 by McGiraf · · Score: 5, Funny

    Goerge was wrong.
    So instead of double speek in 1984, we get half speek in 2006.

  3. Re:The problem is consistency by cp.tar · · Score: 5, Funny

    Ah, yes... the #1 pick-up line of all times:
    Say, does this rag smell like clorophorm to you?

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    Ignore this signature. By order.
  4. Re:They don't realise language changes. by revery · · Score: 5, Funny

    Accuracy of the quotes aside, you'd have made a much more interesting and relevant point had the progression gone more like this.

    "Students today can't prepare bark to calculate their problems.
      They depend upon their slates which are more expensive. What will they do
      when their slate is dropped and it breaks? They will be unable to write!    "
      -Teacher's Conference, 1790

    "Students today use too much paper too much. They don't know how
      to write on slate without getting all dusty. They can't clean a slate.
      What will they do when they all run all out of paper?    "
      -Principal's Association, 1815

    "Students are loosing their mind. They don't know how to do the things
      that get them ink. When they run out of ink they will be unable to write
      all those curly letters and cute numbers until they're next trip to the
      place with shops and stores. I am crying.    "
      -The Rural Amercan Teecher, 1929

    "Students 2day use spensive pens. They like, what the heck is a strait
      pin and nib(?) (dont' get me started on quills). They need to stop riting
      and facus on sports and singing so they can be rich.    "
      -PTA Paper,1941

    "Pens ruin teachy-smarts in US. Kids use pens. Throw pens away.
      Good US goodness, not waste, gone. Shop-shop and save-save all gone.
      Me eat pens. Pens good food, not write-write.    "
      -a cave, 1950

    The quotes above are real, btw, I got them using my time machine (thanks John T.), a Britney Spears album which I dropped off in the early 1800's, and Google Talk, so please no comments to the effect that I made these up. That kind of thing hurts. Seriously. Ouch.

  5. Re:The problem is consistency by Thalagyrt · · Score: 5, Funny

    Bash.org quote #367896

    <Fashykekes> Capitalization is the difference between "I had to help my uncle Jack off a horse.." and "I had to help my uncle jack off a horse.."

    :)

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    Buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo!
  6. Re:They don't realise language changes. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Here's a perfect example of why proper punctuation is important (not mine, I stole it from someone else, can't remember who though):

    I helped my uncle jack off a horse

    I'm either a very helpful, or a very sick person. Which one is anyone's guess.