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John Posada wrote:
>
> I'd like to divert this thread to a different subject, that I think
> we will find more suitable to this forum.
>
> Some background. My girlfriend has a 15 year old daughter, and my
> best friend has a 17 year old daughter and a 15 year old son.
>
> Every once in a while, I'll get an email or IM from one of them, or
> from kids of other friends (I'm working with two teenagers to teach
> them how to put up a simple web) and I'm appaled at the lack of
> structure, lack of grammar or punctuation, continuity, run-on
> sentences, and spelling. Everything is reduced to the minimum number
> of characters; ur for your, u for you, etc. I understand the purpose
> of shorthand, but for those that are at the stage of learning complex
> composition, are they able to keep the two separate?
>
> For all intents and purposes, this generation is the first generation
> that is learning to write online. Not having kids, I don't know if
> what I'm seeing is typical of the group, yet when they need to, are
> able to compose sentences with nouns, verbs, and periods, or if this
> is going to become the standard way of communicating once they get
> into the workforce. If the later, what is this TW field going to
> evolve into?
> I'd be interested to hear if this is an actual issue or if I'm just
> being "old", from any parents, teachers, or preferably, both, as to
> how the two types of writing are kept in their place.
John you are right, both are manifestations of the same disease.
I do mean to offend. The culprit is our educational system where kids
receive social promotions rather than merit promotions. There is little
incentive to learn the basics. I have also seen first hand, where higher
educational institutions were being used as a substitute for grade and
high school. They tried social promotions at CUNY in the early 1970's
and it turned out to be a dismal failure. Plus <ducking early and
<putting on flame retardent suit,>
too many educational administrators take the lazy way out and the
teachers don't like to buck the system. Yes fortunately there are
exceptions, but too few of them.
--
Peter
There are few situations in life that cannot be resolved
promptly, and to the satisfaction of all concerned,
by either suicide, a bag of gold,
or thrusting a despised antagonist over a precipice on a dark night.
Ernest Bramah (Kai Lung stories)
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