Limits of Communication in the Communication Age

[oldreddog]

@Pipebaum, your questions are quite an existentialist can of worms!
I very much doubt that I am qualified to answer, but I commend you upon your self examination. I believe that Voltaire is appealing for compassion, and the gentle way, for the self and others, and I believe that it is the Ego which allows us not to reciprocate.

 

[newbroom]

I just read the ENTIRE thread, pretty much. I scanned rather quickly through a couple of the more lengthy entries, I admit. Very interesting to see this discussion evolve? lol.

The comments about the Executive Secretary's grammatical and editorial talent made me think of a video I've seen recently, called Word Crimes

By Al Yankovic Wierd Al Jankovic

 

[oldreddog]

And as we all know, doing a #2 in a public place will be met with disgust and trouble every time...
You've never been to Leitrim I take it.....

 

[sablebrush52]

A certain quote by Voltaire seems to have gained much currency in the media in the last week or so, but to my mind the great man's words on tolerance seem very applicable here;
“It is the consequence of humanity. We are all formed of frailty and error; let us pardon reciprocally each others’ folly – that is the first law of nature.”

I find this information heartening. Media's compass seemed to have devolved in scope to lengthy discourse on the substance and nature of Kim Kardashian's appendages. Who would have thought that anyone in media would have known of Voltaire, much less have been able to spell his name correctly, MUCH less quote him.
While I agree with Voltaire's sentiment, I disagree with his assertion that forgiveness is the first law of nature. Perhaps it ought to be, but my experience tells me that forgiveness is learned and that it takes work and decisiveness to practice such an attitude. The gift is that forgiveness offers freedom as few other things do, as it is the antidote to resentment and rage.
I like Gandhi's take on this same point:
An eye for an eye only ends up making the whole word blind.

 

[woodsroad]

That sucks me too, I think.

 

[mustanggt]

I may repeat some of what has been said. I have read everyone of the posts here, and agree with much that has been said. I tire greatly at the butchering of the English language. All the gobbledygook that people make up in the texting world annoys the crap out of me. I don't like it when that gobbledygook flows over to the email/forum world either. I make it a point to use words instead of acronyms, for example: lol, which is the only one I really know, but never the less it is way over used.

I also believe that people "feel" more than "think" today. Our educational system has encouraged kids to feel more. Problem solving seems to be a lost skill. We all know that feelings come to the surface much faster than thoughts, hence being able to almost instantly spew those "feelings" onto the screen. Thoughts require shutting your mouth and installing your filter before disseminating them to everyone else. Of course some people have no filter and every thing in their head sprays out their mouth like so much diarrhea. When I type words into this infernal machine it takes me awhile to do so because I want to take great care to convey exactly what I mean to say. I want to also observe the Golden Rule as well. I am fortunate to not be much of a talker which allows me to keep my filter firmly in place, though it slips down every now and then much to my chagrin.

This has been a very enlightening discussion, and well worth the time spent reading it.

 

[frank13]

I am a proofreader, copywriter, ghostwriter, and editor, in my spare time. I've helped executives, college students, teachers, novelists, and screenwriters. The written word is alive and well, but as people increasingly communicate via texts, emails, and cell phones, they become less and less confident in their abilities to spell, punctuate, and use grammar correctly. It's all good, here.

 

[pipebaum81]

mustanggt, your reading of everyone's post here is a tribute to you. There has been a lot put down here and I know it has served as a source of refocus for me personally to strive to do my best and conduct myself in a way that is worthy of the company I keep (see above for said illustrious company).
Your point made of a feel society vs a think society really strikes a chord. Unlike some of the more seasoned folks on the forum I, having been born in 1981, am a product of this society and I know it well. It makes me reconsider what it is I am posting here and why I do it in the first place. ae1pt made this point above and you now have set it over the fence for me. I do not want to be a "publisher." If I am not contributing something to this contributive forum I am wasting everyone's time. Isn't that the whole point‽ I know that's what brought me here; internet searches seeking pipe knowledge and so often I was directed here.
Frankenstein, now knowing what you are qualified to do I hope that I haven't made a complete fool of myself from a proofreader's point of view. Thanks for defending the written word.

 

[warren]

Are you referring to Elements of Style by Strunk and White?

 

[frank13]

"Elements of Style," is the go-to manual. The Chicago Manual of Style Online is very good, also. Between that, the online thesaurus, and a few other resources, I can usually solve capitalization questions, and times when punctuation gets unwieldy.
I'm also a writer; short stories, mainly, as well as some free verse poetry... Nothing big. Still working on getting published.

 

[bentmike]

I have read this entire thread and it is awesome. I have nothing more to add.

 

[warren]

There was a time, I can't address the present, when major newspapers had a style book for reference by their staffs. My wife worked as a reporter for the Chicago Trib and she referenced the The Chicago Manual of Style until the day she died. Strunk and White was, I believe used in creative writing classes almost nationally in universities.
Elements of Style has been with me for 50+ years. It rode in my g-ride, sat on my desk and is now on my credenza along side Webster's New World 33,000 Word Book. I think these two books should be near at hand for any writer of prose. The "spell check" on a computer can drive one crazy in a short period of time. Useful and handy the function has no grasp of intent and should be interacted with carefully.

 

[mustanggt]

I have forgotten a great deal of my grammar and punctuation from 40 years ago but endeavor to improve. Many times I think I remember correctly but probably haven't. The one rule here about using proper grammar has really been a blessing, as it has made me focus on the English language as we were all taught. Reading Sherlock Holmes is quite interesting from our "separation by a common language" standpoint. I have a nook and have never used the dictionary tool like I have with those stories.