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Subject:Re: Poll: does spelling matter? From:MegaZone <megazone -at- OBSIDIAN -dot- WPI -dot- EDU> Date:Wed, 17 Aug 1994 03:02:39 GMT
"Charles P. Campbell" <cpc -at- prism -dot- nmt -dot- edu> shaped the electrons to say:
>1. Professional technical communicators should know how to spell.
Most definitely, when safety, and in some cases lives, can depend on
clear communication, this is vital.
>2. Spelling is less important now than it used to be; meaning
> is carried by the sound of words, even when they are read,
> rather than by their visual form (i.e., the letters that evoke
No, I think spelling is still very important.
>3. It is important to learn spelling and etymology because the
> visual form of words contains important information about
> the formation of the culture now using the words.
Spelling yes, etymology though, I don't think it is important. I
dislike nationalism.
>4. Noah Webster and George Bernard Shaw were right: we oughta
> simplify spelling so there aren't so many rules and excep-
> tions.
Yes, even as a writer the English language seems designed to confuse.
>5. The following passage of text seems OK to me:
Oh goddess no, I couldn't even finish it.
>editing class who consistently misspell words, or whether to rein-
>force their self-esteem whenever they approximate known words. ;->
Do NOT encourage errors.
--
megazone -at- wpi -dot- wpi -dot- edu megazone -at- world -dot- std -dot- com megazone -at- hotblack -dot- gweep -dot- net
"I have one prejudice, and that is against stupidity. Use your mind, think!"
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