Klarinet Archive - Posting 000259.txt from 1998/04

From: Dee Hays <deerich@-----.net>
Subj: Re: Loosing and losing
Date: Mon, 6 Apr 1998 23:00:12 -0400

Bill Hausmann wrote:

> At 12:19 AM 4/6/98, Lee Hickling wrote:
> >Is there some reason why so many posters to this list have begun to spell
> >lose with two Os? This misspelling is becoming extremely common, and it
> >might not bother me as much on a list on some esoteric high-tech subject.
> >Many techies have a fine disdain for spelling, grammar and punctuation,
> >their minds being on higher things. But seeing such subliteracy on a
> >writers' list is disturbing.
> >
> Standard orthography is losing too much ground to the lazy "let's not
> stifle their creativity" school of teaching writing in elementary schools.
> It drives me nuts, too, but I am learning to cope with it on the list for
> the sake of the exchange of ideas. Computer geeks SHOULD be especially
> vigilant about spelling. One tiny spelling error in a string of code will
> shoot down the whole program! I think we'll just have to grin and bear it,
> but I wanted you to know that someone else "feels your pain."

Years ago, I read an article in US News and World report. It was a report on
the ability of college students to correctly use the English language (grammar,
spelling, and syntax). The group that scored the highest was the
engineering/science/technology group. Perhaps it is the result of the need for
accuracy or perhaps not but I found it quite interesting since I was an engineer
. The students who scored the worst were ENGLISH MAJORS !! This really tickled
my funny bone. I didn't pay attention to any of the other groups listed, but
musicians certainly were not on the bottom.

Have fun,

Dee D. Hays
Canton, SD

   
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