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Thread: Help the Prof--Questions about Writing on Forums (Fora actually--I'm a nerd)

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    Forum Member ch willie's Avatar
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    Help the Prof--Questions about Writing on Forums (Fora actually--I'm a nerd)

    As many of you know, I am an English prof, and I teach writing classes. I also write and have written the rough draft of a novel that I plan to revise / rewrite this summer. So writing interests me, as does the art of writing.

    Here are the questions:

    Has writing on these pages, other fora, or social media improved your ability to write or prompted you to improve your writing? Has writing about guitars helped you with writing?

    I think our group has great communication skills. I have asked for laymen explanations from people on here who know more about electricity than I know about literature, and I've always been given the info in a way I could understand. I do not read your postings and think, "He can't use a comma for shit." I notice things, but I turn off instructor mode and have no desire to evaluate someone's writing here.

    Love to hear your responses to the questions.
    If we'd known we were going to be the Beatles, we'd have tried harder.--George Harrison

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    Re: Help the Prof--Questions about Writing on Forums (Fora actually--I'm a nerd)

    It has for me. I know it sounds OCD but there have been times I have gone back years & edited some of my posts for spelling or grammar.

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    Forum Member phantomman's Avatar
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    Re: Help the Prof--Questions about Writing on Forums (Fora actually--I'm a nerd)

    I was a journalism major and over the years have authored many technical articles regarding one of my other hobbies. I can't say that my participation on this or any other on-line forum has improved (or altered) my skills to any appreciable degree. At the end of the day, I am what I am.
    "When injustice becomes law then rebellion becomes duty."

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    Forum Member Old Ranger's Avatar
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    Re: Help the Prof--Questions about Writing on Forums (Fora actually--I'm a nerd)

    Well sir, in my former prime profession I wrote fact based reports daily on a multitude of incidents. However, police reports are to be just that. Fact based with little license to expound with creative wording. When some of my reports were reviewed by one sergeant I had, he'd take a red pen and circle words that he failed to comprehend. Though a fine peace officer and wonderful in a fight, he did lack, to some degree, the ability to read the English language well. He preferred things very simple. His logic was that the common man would read these reports someday in court and they must be simple and direct for that reason. When I moved on into the investigation area I then expanded the scope of my reports. Further, as an instructor in our academy I had drafted and published three instructional books on law enforcement based subjects. There I was able to be more creative and make use of a wider vocabulary.

    Now with all that I was hampered by the fact that I think in two languages. English and Lakota. The manner in which they are spoken are often 180° out from each other. In English one would say for instance "See the black dog." But in Lakota it would be said "Black dog I see." So now one can understand the dilemma with two languages floating around in my skull. When overly excited I'll break into Lakota and then no one here understands me....

    Though I often tend to be as long winded as a Democratic congressman on floor of the house in filibuster for a cause, most posts I see are often far more brief. It often appears that brevity is a key factor to many folks on forums too. This must also be based in part with the other forms of social media where multitudes of people are posting short quips and contracted sentences with as much abbreviations as possible. This of course is also fueled by the fact that they are young and working from phones rather than a full keyboard of a home PC. They type now with their thumbs. It is a communication trend to use a mass of combined letters to be descriptive of multiple words used in common speech today. Hence the ROTFLMAO, OMG, or LOL and such. I fear that this trend will continue and the use of complete and fully descriptive sentences will fall to the wayside. In the past century we witnessed the greater use of contractions in speech and written communication. Today the anachronisms are the trend and I feel will continue until universally accepted as the new language. Formal speaking is, I believe, a dying art. Professor, you may well be out of a job soon. And I? Well I'll be viewed as an eccentric old man that talks too much. Wait, folks think that now!
    And likely with far too many commas too!
    I forgot what I was going to say...

  5. #5
    Gravity Jim
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    Re: Help the Prof--Questions about Writing on Forums (Fora actually--I'm a nerd)

    I won my first pro-level guitar amp in a writing contest. I was a professional advertising and magazine writer for 16 years before starting Gravity Music, wrote for Keyboard and EQ back when they were good, and I've started blogging at game development site Gamasutra on the subject of music production. So I've always been a writer. My participation on fora has not affected my skills at all. I have noticed that most people don't know how to express an idea clearly, how to punctuate a sentence, or how to present an idea of their own without resorting to meaningless media-approved shorthand, and I blame the Internet (in part) for creating a zeitgeist in which everyone is encouraged to imagine themselves in possession of a valuable opinion.

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    Forum Member phantomman's Avatar
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    Re: Help the Prof--Questions about Writing on Forums (Fora actually--I'm a nerd)

    Quote Originally Posted by silent j. View Post
    I have noticed that most people don't know how to express an idea clearly, how to punctuate a sentence, or how to present an idea of their own without resorting to meaningless media-approved shorthand, and I blame the Internet (in part) for creating a zeitgeist in which everyone is encouraged to imagine themselves in possession of a valuable opinion.
    +1000!!!

    "When injustice becomes law then rebellion becomes duty."

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    Forum Member phantomman's Avatar
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    Re: Help the Prof--Questions about Writing on Forums (Fora actually--I'm a nerd)

    Quote Originally Posted by Old Ranger View Post
    Well sir, in my former prime profession I wrote fact based reports daily on a multitude of incidents. However, police reports are to be just that. Fact based with little license to expound with creative wording. When some of my reports were reviewed by one sergeant I had, he'd take a red pen and circle words that he failed to comprehend. Though a fine peace officer and wonderful in a fight, he did lack, to some degree, the ability to read the English language well. He preferred things very simple. His logic was that the common man would read these reports someday in court and they must be simple and direct for that reason. When I moved on into the investigation area I then expanded the scope of my reports. Further, as an instructor in our academy I had drafted and published three instructional books on law enforcement based subjects. There I was able to be more creative and make use of a wider vocabulary.

    Now with all that I was hampered by the fact that I think in two languages. English and Lakota. The manner in which they are spoken are often 180° out from each other. In English one would say for instance "See the black dog." But in Lakota it would be said "Black dog I see." So now one can understand the dilemma with two languages floating around in my skull. When overly excited I'll break into Lakota and then no one here understands me....

    Though I often tend to be as long winded as a Democratic congressman on floor of the house in filibuster for a cause, most posts I see are often far more brief. It often appears that brevity is a key factor to many folks on forums too. This must also be based in part with the other forms of social media where multitudes of people are posting short quips and contracted sentences with as much abbreviations as possible. This of course is also fueled by the fact that they are young and working from phones rather than a full keyboard of a home PC. They type now with their thumbs. It is a communication trend to use a mass of combined letters to be descriptive of multiple words used in common speech today. Hence the ROTFLMAO, OMG, or LOL and such. I fear that this trend will continue and the use of complete and fully descriptive sentences will fall to the wayside. In the past century we witnessed the greater use of contractions in speech and written communication. Today the anachronisms are the trend and I feel will continue until universally accepted as the new language. Formal speaking is, I believe, a dying art. Professor, you may well be out of a job soon. And I? Well I'll be viewed as an eccentric old man that talks too much. Wait, folks think that now!
    And likely with far too many commas too!
    For a bullet-stopper you're actually quite articulate, sarge.

    "When injustice becomes law then rebellion becomes duty."

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    Forum Member ch willie's Avatar
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    Re: Help the Prof--Questions about Writing on Forums (Fora actually--I'm a nerd)

    I'm really enjoying reading your responses. Really interesting and wise. We're an articulate bunch here.

    The questions are prompted by my need to find a way to get my students more involved in their writing. On this forum, we all love music and gear, and we're able to articulate ideas and interests in substantial ways; we're also able to express desire, emotion, and a profound sense of the persona / self we offer up here.

    My students are crippled less by technology than by a resistance to thinking and a ready acceptance of cliched ideas and words. It gets worse every year, as does plagiarism. I can bitch about it all day, but it'd be better if I figured out a way to teach them. I have an idea that if they can dig deep and figure out what they're really interested in, they can learn to write better. They have it in them if they'll think and not rely on the .0008mm of their own surfaces.

    I don't know if the forum has helped me to write better, but it's given me a chance to write differently.

    Then again, writing is like a sport; the more you practice, the better you get at it. Maybe it's made me a stronger writer in ways.
    If we'd known we were going to be the Beatles, we'd have tried harder.--George Harrison

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    Forum Member phantomman's Avatar
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    Re: Help the Prof--Questions about Writing on Forums (Fora actually--I'm a nerd)

    Quote Originally Posted by ch willie View Post
    Then again, writing is like a sport; the more you practice, the better you get at it. Maybe it's made me a stronger writer in ways.
    A variation of the adage which holds that "practice makes perfect".

    I can sympathize with you regarding your scholastic charges -- they're fond of words like "snarky", "bitchin'", "delish", "phat", and all the other fashionable lexicon that are the hallmark of each and every generation. But someone (I believe it was Hemingway) once said that regarding language, you don't get to break the rules until you know what those rules are.

    I do a lot of technical writing and while I'm quite versed in linguistic trends, when I'm describing a procedure that involves sticking one's limbs inside an energized amp chassis where the price of ignorance or carelessness is often serious bodily injury or death, I rely on my command of the proper king's english. And those who read my descriptives of such activities better damn well have that same level of comprehension.
    "When injustice becomes law then rebellion becomes duty."

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    Forum Member smitty_p's Avatar
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    Re: Help the Prof--Questions about Writing on Forums (Fora actually--I'm a nerd)

    ch willie,

    What a wonderful question! English Comp was one of my favorite classes in college as I had a really good, accessible prof and an equally helpful teacher's assistant. I love languages and enjoy writing. I really like seeing how concerned you are for your students' writing skills.

    As to your question, I've always been somewhat OCD about writing and I write technical portions of proposals, so I have to do this for my job. But, I will say that I do think participating in forums (I have over 3,000 posts on another forum) has helped my writing, even at this stage. It forces me to think about how my posts will be perceived and understood. Given that internet forums have an international readership, I also have to think about colloquialisms and general verbage and how those things will be received and understood.

    One of the tricks of any form of writing, including posts on forums, is to separate yourself from yourself and to try to read your own writing as if someone else wrote it. Perceiving your writing from the standpoint of the reader is a skill, in itself, and is part of what it means to write well. Forums can be a good means of honing that skill because responses to your posts can reveal if you communicated your thoughts well, or if you were misunderstood.
    Last edited by smitty_p; 05-31-2015 at 12:19 PM.

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    Forum Member S. Cane's Avatar
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    Re: Help the Prof--Questions about Writing on Forums (Fora actually--I'm a nerd)

    Well, I am a lawyer, so I write tons of claims and defenses weekly, and I deal with about 3 foreign languages both professionally and in my private life... I can't say that writing on the internet really adds anything to my writing skills per se.

    However, these fora do help me a hell of a lot with my English, because it's one of the languages I don't really deal with in my daily routine (nowadays I speak German and Spanish better as foreign languages). Writing posts makes me have to wipe the rust off my Shakespeare , and I learn a lot with you fellows, although I think I speak and understand English quite decently for someone whose mother language is so different...
    Last edited by S. Cane; 05-31-2015 at 05:20 AM.

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    Forum Member smitty_p's Avatar
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    Re: Help the Prof--Questions about Writing on Forums (Fora actually--I'm a nerd)

    Quote Originally Posted by de Melo View Post
    Writing posts makes me have to wipe the rust off my Shakespeare , and I learn a lot with you fellows, although I think I speak and understand English quite decently for someone whose mother language is so different...
    You don't give yourself enough credit. Had you never revealed your nationality as Brazilian, I would never have guessed that English is not your native tongue.

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    Forum Member phantomman's Avatar
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    Re: Help the Prof--Questions about Writing on Forums (Fora actually--I'm a nerd)

    Quote Originally Posted by smitty_p View Post
    ch willie,

    What a wonderful question! English Comp was one of my favorite classes in college as I had a really good, accessible prof and an equally helpful teacher's assistant. I love languages and enjoy writing. I really like seeing how concerned you are for your students' writing skills.

    As to your question, I've always been somewhat OCD about writing and I write technical portions of proposals, so I have to do this for my job. But, I will say that I do think participating in forums (I have over 3,000 on another forum) has helped my writing, even at this stage. It forces me to think about how my posts will be perceived and understood. Given that we have an international readership, I also have to think about colloquialisms and general verbage and how those things will be received and understood.

    One of the tricks of any form of writing, including posts on forums, is to separate yourself from yourself and to try to read your own writing as if someone else wrote it. Perceiving your writing from the standpoint of the reader is a skill, in itself, and is part of what it means to write well. Forums can be a good means of honing that skill because responses to your posts can reveal if you communicated your thoughts well, or if you were misunderstood.
    Well spoken, Smitty!

    "When injustice becomes law then rebellion becomes duty."

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    Forum Member phantomman's Avatar
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    Re: Help the Prof--Questions about Writing on Forums (Fora actually--I'm a nerd)

    Quote Originally Posted by smitty_p View Post
    You don't give yourself enough credit. Had you never revealed your nationality as Brazilian, I would never have guessed that English is not your native tongue.
    +1
    "When injustice becomes law then rebellion becomes duty."

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    Forum Member ch willie's Avatar
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    Re: Help the Prof--Questions about Writing on Forums (Fora actually--I'm a nerd)

    Thanks guys.

    It's so nice to hear people talk about writing with such positivity. I always tell my students that language is power, and I want them to discover that. As you all know, you don't have to be Shakespearean to be a good writer. I like plain, simple language--even for high theory and philosophy.
    If we'd known we were going to be the Beatles, we'd have tried harder.--George Harrison

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    Re: Help the Prof--Questions about Writing on Forums (Fora actually--I'm a nerd)

    I find that I tend to think more than I would in a conversation in order to get across what I want to say in the most concise and understandable way. I'll frequently read back a post and then edit it when I see something I'm not happy with, and I expect a lot of us do this to prevent long rambling posts that get off the issue. I suppose that generally, that is the benefit of the written word- We have a chance to say exactly what we mean ( notwithstanding differences in interpretation & misunderstandings that lead to flame wars)

    When You point your finger 'cause your plan fell through, you've got 3 more fingers pointing back at you.

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    Forum Member S. Cane's Avatar
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    Re: Help the Prof--Questions about Writing on Forums (Fora actually--I'm a nerd)

    Thank you, smitty and phantom! I'm glad I can express myself well enough to participate and make friends here!

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    Forum Member Old Ranger's Avatar
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    Re: Help the Prof--Questions about Writing on Forums (Fora actually--I'm a nerd)

    Quote Originally Posted by phantomman View Post
    For a bullet-stopper you're actually quite articulate, sarge.
    Peyla'mee' (That's Lakota for Gracias mi amigo.) And speaking of language..... I've noticed over the years that when in the company of police officers we had our own set manner of speaking filled with terms used strictly in the law enforcement community. Those outside this profession were often baffled with how we spoke to one another. Technical and legal terms along with "cop slang" dominated the conversation. Unless a lawman themselves, others often were left scratching their heads at times listening in. Then as a Lakota, when speaking with most folks from the reservation, English is often accented differently than when spoken in town with other people. I noticed that when I'm back visiting that within two hours I'm speaking in the "SoDak" manner (S. Dakota accent) along with the Lakota form of accent and manner of speaking blended in. But much like English where it has transformed to another level of speech today, Lakota has less and less become spoken among the younger folks back home. Here in Texas, being so steeped in the Mexican culture and a border state, everything here is advertized and written in English and Spanish for the most part. 15% or better of the Digital TV public channels are Spanish speaking programs. Our language here in Texas has a mild mixture of Spanish blended into it over the past 300 years or so. So it's not difficult to see how the language can evolve into another form of itself by association. The introduction of the internet with the multitude of forums throughout it's realm has acted as a catalyst for an even more rapid change on how we think and speak. As stated earlier, the social media of today has catapulted many into a world of anachronism that is here to stay. I can only foresee the "formal" form of many languages falling into disuse. I believe that the reason why so many of us here are more or less so well spoken and write with more poise is simply the fact that we, as a whole, are far older. We are the product of our own generation where properly written and phrased letters were sent via the USPS. Newspapers were the prime source of news. And magazines were where we picked up the gossip and read about our hobbies. In all that written media the written word held far more meaning than it does today. And though I cling to my native language of Lakota as a badge of honor, when I speak in English I do everything in my power to use it correctly. I feel that I owe it to the language I communicate to others in to be perhaps not totally formal, but at least correct. The same holds true to my Lakota. With no one here to speak that language with, my horses (sadly gone now), dogs, and cats get an ear-full daily. I stand atop a small creek that separates two worlds, and I've one foot planted firmly upon the ground on either side. I strive to be loyal to both.
    I forgot what I was going to say...

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    Forum Member phantomman's Avatar
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    Re: Help the Prof--Questions about Writing on Forums (Fora actually--I'm a nerd)

    Quote Originally Posted by Old Ranger View Post
    I stand atop a small creek that separates two worlds, and I've one foot planted firmly upon the ground on either side. I strive to be loyal to both.
    Admirable and commendable.

    Every subset of career and hobby interests engenders its own argot, where words and phrases are used that may be confusing to the uninitiated. Arizona is quite similar to Texas, whereas there are some nineteen sovereign nations within the state and traditional Mexican/Spanish culture remains pervasive. Additional factors of linguistic diversity are provided by the vast number of snow-birds who winter here from other regions of the nation and the presence of several military installations whose personnel speak with their own unique jargon in addition to the snippets of foreign languages reflecting the varied countries in which they have served. It's quite interesting and sometimes amusing to see (and hear) these numerous demographic/ethnic groups interact with one another.
    "When injustice becomes law then rebellion becomes duty."

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    Forum Member ch willie's Avatar
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    Re: Help the Prof--Questions about Writing on Forums (Fora actually--I'm a nerd)

    I find all the language communities interesting, including hick and texting communities. I don't lament the use of slang as much as I do the fact that people don't care about the meaning of their words and the implications--they just don't dig deeply enough into their own brains and so fail to examine their thoughts and express them. Instead, they rely on these abstract cliches of language and thought.

    Ranger, you know they say when a man knows another language, he know another world. That only makes the human experience richer.
    If we'd known we were going to be the Beatles, we'd have tried harder.--George Harrison

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    Gravity Jim
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    Re: Help the Prof--Questions about Writing on Forums (Fora actually--I'm a nerd)

    It's amusing to compare posts in this thread with posts in all others... Watching ya'll drop yer yee-haw cadences and "aw shucks"-isms in a sudden attempt to appear as articulate, language-loving, high-minded fellows.

    Has "cheesedick" made it to the OED, I wonder?

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    Forum Member Old Ranger's Avatar
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    Re: Help the Prof--Questions about Writing on Forums (Fora actually--I'm a nerd)

    Well I'm quite sure for the most part when most of us do type shortened or butchered words it is an attempt to create an instant sense of humor attached to the post. I for one, do not carry on with speech like that of an inbred individual from far beyond the hills. Nor do I feel that our members do either. This is actually a breath of fresh air when I come here to visit. One of the most polite, educated, and diversified group of musicians I've ever encountered. Personally, I'm quite proud to be a functioning member. Or perhaps I should say "Shucks boys. I'm just tickled plum half 'ta death 'ta jest hang around you fellers that got such purty words jest a-fallin' all over the com-pooter! Ya'll talk purtier than a twenty dollar whore!" How's that? Too much? Note: (I'd insert a few smiley faces if I could, however that function has somehow been lost to me and my antiquated computer or it's malfunctioning as a whole here. I'm not sure which.)
    I forgot what I was going to say...

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    Forum Member Old Ranger's Avatar
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    Re: Help the Prof--Questions about Writing on Forums (Fora actually--I'm a nerd)

    And I cannot edit any longer as well. I fear my computer or something is amiss. Typical for me anyway.....
    I forgot what I was going to say...

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    Forum Member ch willie's Avatar
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    Re: Help the Prof--Questions about Writing on Forums (Fora actually--I'm a nerd)

    Playing with language is a lot of fun for a nerd like me. I love accents and dialects. One great thing about English is that it is one of the most adaptive and ever-growing languages in history. With that, however, comes constant bastardization. It's hard to stop the changes in a changing world. Other languages are feeling that pressure too. As you might remember from some literature class, our English heritage lies in Germanic languages--until 1066 when old Guillaume brought French over to the English and injected it into the everyday langue. So our language has been in a state of flux since the day it was spoken.

    I love COMMANDING my language, and according to which group I'm communicating with, I use the appropriate language. I don't adopt anybody's "We uz a going to the mater garden." I like English too much to do that to it. But I do like being able to speak to lots of different types of people and groups.

    Not bragging. Language and writing are just endlessly interesting to me, and I take the necessary skills seriously.
    If we'd known we were going to be the Beatles, we'd have tried harder.--George Harrison

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    Forum Member ch willie's Avatar
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    Re: Help the Prof--Questions about Writing on Forums (Fora actually--I'm a nerd)

    By playing with language, I mean more than using puns. I like to purposely mispronounce words, vary words or add ridiculous endings, say them in silly accents, or give them some strange pause. Guess my parents shouldn't have bought me books and records and TV...
    If we'd known we were going to be the Beatles, we'd have tried harder.--George Harrison

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    Forum Member Heket's Avatar
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    Re: Help the Prof--Questions about Writing on Forums (Fora actually--I'm a nerd)

    I LOVE writing and language, English or otherwise. Perhaps conversely, I am also a fan of brevity. I was always the one searching for padding to increase word count, even though I'd covered everything I needed to in an intelligent and coherant manner. My advanced grammar may be a bit off, I'm not sure I even remember getting grammar lessons which is ironic as I went to a "Grammar School" (actually nothing to do with grammar!), but I like to think that I'm pretty good elsewhere.

    I do type differently on fora, emails etc as I use a more conversational style. I would not write like that if I were writing an article, or prose. I type almost how I speak, but without all the "um"s and "ah"s and "I lost my train of thought"s in there.

    One of my favourite things in the English langauge are tiny snippets of prose, perhaps only a few words or lines long, which are condensed to carry as much power possible in such a short time. Example, the famous "Baby Shoes":

    "For sale, Baby shoes, Never worn."
    I have a Fender P-bass.

  27. #27
    Forum Member ch willie's Avatar
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    Re: Help the Prof--Questions about Writing on Forums (Fora actually--I'm a nerd)

    "For sale, Baby shoes, Never worn."[/QUOTE]

    Wasn't that Hemingway's? I seem to remember a challenge he answered.
    If we'd known we were going to be the Beatles, we'd have tried harder.--George Harrison

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    Forum Member Alex_SG's Avatar
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    Re: Help the Prof--Questions about Writing on Forums (Fora actually--I'm a nerd)

    I have 3 native languages... English, Schweizer-Duutsch (Swiss German) and Gaelige. (Irish).
    I speak and write English fluently, being raised in Australia.
    My father is from Zurich, Switzerland, and taught me to speak in his native language when I was a very young child. My mother is Irish, and her mother was a native Gaelige speaker, not learning to converse in English until she was around 13 years of age. She taught me the wonders of the native Irish language.
    I would say that my Schweizer-Duutsch is definitely as far from fluent now as you can get. My father no longer speaks it regularly, and my grandparents in Switzerland have both passed on, so I now no longer speak it with them either. I can understand it extremely well, but my grammar when I try to speak it now is all mixed up and backwards.
    Luckily, I still speak Gaelige to some extent... I have a lot of family in Ireland who still speak it as a first language, so I still have plenty of opportunity to practice with them.
    I also, thanks to Ranger, speak a tiny bit of Lakota... (Thanks, big brother!)
    To go back to the original topic by the OP, you will probably note that I, like ranger, speak in a very "fact based" manner. I have worked in the Law Enforcement and Security fields all my working life, and this is the type of language preferred in those industries for reports etc.
    I can be extremely articulate when writing, but I find that being direct and to the point tends to get my point across better.
    Just my 2 cents...
    Resident "Deadhead", Psychedelic/Acid Rock addict and West Coast/San Francisco Sound nut!


  29. #29
    Forum Member smitty_p's Avatar
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    Re: Help the Prof--Questions about Writing on Forums (Fora actually--I'm a nerd)

    Alas, I confess, I speak but one language...English. I have studied Spanish and I love exposure to other languages.

    I would love to believe, in my own naive way, that I can, at least, understand a language we all appreciate...music.
    Last edited by smitty_p; 06-02-2015 at 04:33 AM.

  30. #30
    Forum Member phantomman's Avatar
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    Re: Help the Prof--Questions about Writing on Forums (Fora actually--I'm a nerd)

    You carry a weapon in your work, Alex?
    "When injustice becomes law then rebellion becomes duty."

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    Forum Member ch willie's Avatar
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    Re: Help the Prof--Questions about Writing on Forums (Fora actually--I'm a nerd)

    Alex--very interesting. I lived in Germany for 10 years--been back in America for 12 years. I still speak German pretty well. I used to be fluent in French. Now I speak, but haltingly. I am teaching in France, Germany, and Holland on a study abroad trip. I love Europe and may move there again.
    If we'd known we were going to be the Beatles, we'd have tried harder.--George Harrison

  32. #32
    Forum Member Rickenjangle's Avatar
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    Re: Help the Prof--Questions about Writing on Forums (Fora actually--I'm a nerd)

    Quote Originally Posted by silent j. View Post
    It's amusing to compare posts in this thread with posts in all others... Watching ya'll drop yer yee-haw cadences and "aw shucks"-isms in a sudden attempt to appear as articulate, language-loving, high-minded fellows.

    Has "cheesedick" made it to the OED, I wonder?
    It should be there, for sure.

    To answer Willie's original question, no, writing on fora such as this and the dreaded Facebook has not altered my writing style at all - but that's probably due to a factor that several others have brought up - I am a professional writer. In my non-musical day job I'm a documentation analyst working with a software firm that produces a product that Xerox uses...so I have to be able to write clearly and well.

    On the forums, I tend to use more conversational cadences; some may have noted my addiction to the ellipsis, for example, or my penchant for Faulknerian subordinated clauses, which may, if I allow them to, run on for a very long time.

    And so I'm not stuck to a rigid form like I am at times during my day job - but I have to admit there is some frustration I feel - especially on facebook - where someone creates a meme criticizing foreigners (ISIS, for example, or illegals) that has terrible syntax, punctuation, and spelling. It makes me embarrassed for those cheesedicks that didn't check to make sure they weren't stepping on their dicks.

    "I'm gonna find myself a girl
    that can show me what laughter means
    And we'll fill in the missing colors
    In each other's paint-by-number dreams..."

  33. #33
    Forum Member Doc W's Avatar
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    Re: Help the Prof--Questions about Writing on Forums (Fora actually--I'm a nerd)

    Quote Originally Posted by ch willie View Post
    As many of you know, I am an English prof, and I teach writing classes. I also write and have written the rough draft of a novel that I plan to revise / rewrite this summer. So writing interests me, as does the art of writing.

    Here are the questions:

    Has writing on these pages, other fora, or social media improved your ability to write or prompted you to improve your writing? Has writing about guitars helped you with writing?

    I think our group has great communication skills. I have asked for laymen explanations from people on here who know more about electricity than I know about literature, and I've always been given the info in a way I could understand. I do not read your postings and think, "He can't use a comma for shit." I notice things, but I turn off instructor mode and have no desire to evaluate someone's writing here.

    Love to hear your responses to the questions.
    Willie, ya don't use Latin plurals in a forum. Someone will think you are trying to hihat them. I am pretty sure that rule is written down somewhere. I wonder if Greek plurals are ok? e.g., how many diskoi do you have in your collection?
    "The beauty and profundity of God is more real than any mere calculation."

  34. #34
    Forum Member DanTheBluesMan's Avatar
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    Re: Help the Prof--Questions about Writing on Forums (Fora actually--I'm a nerd)

    I wish I could say that all my time wasting on the Internet has honed my verbosity to a fine point, but I feel as though I am slamming a sword against the hard rock of ignorance and apathy. As my weapon dulls and the shock numbs my limbs, I fear a slide into mediocracy and worse. Repeated exposure to the mangled grammar, misspellings, misuse of apostrophes has resulted in the written word version of gamma radiation poisoning a la Dr. Bruce Banner aka The Hulk. it has weakened my ability to control my temper and you don't want to see me when I'm angry. Dan SMASH !!

    That said, it is not uncommon for me to spend the better part of an hour writing a 1100-word long retort to some micro encephalic pinhead and then realize that I would merely be playing into their hands, and delete the entire post. Furthermore, the knowledge that even my keen intellect, acerbic wit and devastating deconstruction of their malfeasance will almost never result in an enlightenment and thusly my efforts are in vain. So I say "Fie", close my browser and go get another cup of coffee.

    What saddens me the most is that I am getting corrupted by their ignorance and find myself constantly using the wrong homophones when I damn well know better that it doesn't belong their. I mean, they're. Argh. There.

  35. #35
    Forum Member phantomman's Avatar
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    Re: Help the Prof--Questions about Writing on Forums (Fora actually--I'm a nerd)

    Quote Originally Posted by DanTheBluesMan View Post
    ...micro encephalic pinhead...
    This is great shit......almost as apropos as "single-celled zygote" or "lacking frontal lobes and opposable thumbs".

    "When injustice becomes law then rebellion becomes duty."

  36. #36
    Forum Member ch willie's Avatar
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    Re: Help the Prof--Questions about Writing on Forums (Fora actually--I'm a nerd)

    Micro encephalic pinheads and cheese dicks are the worst. Frustrations frustrations. I give my students simple, written instructions, and they either don't understand simple, direct language, or they don't bother. Some of them are encephali pinheaded cheese dicks.
    If we'd known we were going to be the Beatles, we'd have tried harder.--George Harrison

  37. #37
    Forum Member phantomman's Avatar
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    Re: Help the Prof--Questions about Writing on Forums (Fora actually--I'm a nerd)

    Quote Originally Posted by ch willie View Post
    Some of them are encephali pinheaded cheese dicks.
    ......With caudal appendages.

    "When injustice becomes law then rebellion becomes duty."

  38. #38
    Forum Member Alex_SG's Avatar
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    Re: Help the Prof--Questions about Writing on Forums (Fora actually--I'm a nerd)

    Quote Originally Posted by phantomman View Post
    You carry a weapon in your work, Alex?

    Certainly do mate!
    Resident "Deadhead", Psychedelic/Acid Rock addict and West Coast/San Francisco Sound nut!


  39. #39
    Forum Member phantomman's Avatar
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    Re: Help the Prof--Questions about Writing on Forums (Fora actually--I'm a nerd)

    What are they carrying "down under" now, Alex.

    I think in the past it was the Browning High Power -- at least it was for the military.
    "When injustice becomes law then rebellion becomes duty."

  40. #40
    Forum Member Alex_SG's Avatar
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    Re: Help the Prof--Questions about Writing on Forums (Fora actually--I'm a nerd)

    Quote Originally Posted by phantomman View Post
    What are they carrying "down under" now, Alex.

    I think in the past it was the Browning High Power -- at least it was for the military.
    I know this post is now 4 years old, but I've just found it again.
    I believe the military are now using Glocks... I think the Glock 19???
    I now work in Cash Transit (Armoured Trucks) and we have until recently been carrying .38 Special revolvers, either Smith and Wesson or Ruger. Lately though, we have changed over to Beretta APX semi auto's in 9mm. (17 round mags over 6 round cylinders??? Yes Please!)
    Resident "Deadhead", Psychedelic/Acid Rock addict and West Coast/San Francisco Sound nut!


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