Literate forum members: I salute you.

[melon]

Originally posted by Achtung Bubba:
One can judge a member's posts along several criteria: relevance to the thread, amount of animosity, degree of levity, and general level of literacy.

There are certain members who consistently show a precision in their writing: words are rarely misspelled; those that are are still easily deciphered. Grammar mistakes are few and minor; verbs agree with their nouns; and sentences begin with capital letters and end with punctuation marks. Thoughts are complete, rational, and in a logical order. Finally, the post itself is split into paragraphs, making it easier to be both scanned and analyzed.

Now, I'm not attacking those whose typical post is one long paragraph, riddled with both fragment sentences and stray punctuation. I am not suggesting that these members are illiterate, or even less literate than their peers (just as a fourth grader is less literate than a novelist, even though both can read and write). I am merely suggesting that some members do not demonstrate the same level of literacy on this forum -- and I am not attacking them for it. Some of these users are not writing in their primary language, some cannot type quickly enough, and some are merely exercising their right to express themselves in unconventional spelling and grammar.

However, to those who generally take the time and effort to consistently create posts that are both easily read and worth reading, I thank you. In my opinion, you make this forum more civilized and much more enjoyable.

Bubba

Yes, I agree. BTW, you're not supposed to start a sentence with "but."

Melon

------------------
"He had lived through an age when men and women with energy and ruthlessness but without much ability or persistence excelled. And even though most of them had gone under, their ignorance had confused Roy, making him wonder whether the things he had striven to learn, and thought of as 'culture,' were irrelevant. Everything was supposed to be the same: commercials, Beethoven's late quartets, pop records, shopfronts, Freud, multi-coloured hair. Greatness, comparison, value, depth: gone, gone, gone. Anything could give some pleasure; he saw that. But not everything provided the sustenance of a deeper understanding." - Hanif Kureishi, Love in a Blue Time

[This message has been edited by melon (edited 10-27-2001).]

 

[doctorwho]

Originally posted by melon:
Yes, I agree. BTW, you're not supposed to start a sentence with "but."

Melon

If I'm correct, I believe the "powers that be" in the English languate world rescinded that rule. That is, one could now start sentences with "but" (eh, eh, I wrote "but") and the word "and."

I'm not sure how, why or when these rule changes occur. For example, it wasn't long ago that one put punctuation OUTSIDE the quotation when it wasn't a direct quote (see my sentence above). However, these days, the rule changed such that the punctuation is always (to the best of my knowledge) inside the quotation. Also, it seems to be a more common to end a sentence with a preposition (of course, that may just be due to poor writing). Again, I'm not sure why the rules change, they just do. My guess is that since English is a very dynamic language, the rules must change to suit current demands.

All of that said, I agree with your correction, Melon. While it may be acceptable to start certain sentences with "but," by no means should it start a paragraph. Sorry, Bubba!

[This message has been edited by doctorwho (edited 10-27-2001).]

 

[Achtung Bubba]

Unforgettable Lemon:

Okay, so I have a bit of blind spot with synonyms.

I corrected the mistake, and you pointing that out isn't "raining on my parade." I'm not praising perfection, just the extra effort to make posts a little better. More on that in a moment.

follower and beardog:

I for one don't laugh at anyone who grew up learning a language other than English but still strive to post in English in this forum. To be honest, follower's a lot braver than I am.

Trip:

That's fine that you don't put too much thought into your posts -- I in fact said as much in the first in this thread. I'm just saying that those who do put in the time should be applauded.

Melon:

As I've written in an earlier post, and as I just wrote above, I am NOT expecting, demanding, or praising perfection.

To be completely honest, I find the fact that you proofread my post to be most insulting. I didn't "ask for it" by expecting perfection from others or even criticizing those whose posts are frankly not very readible. I named no names; I gave no examples.

All I am saying is that there are CLEARLY those who go out of their way to hit the Shift key to capitalize the first letter of each sentence, who end their sentences with proper punctuation, who separate their posts by hitting the Return key, etc. The end result is that their posts are much easier and more enjoyable to read. They deserve a little recognition for the extra effort.

THAT was my only point.

It was completely unnecessary for you to go through my post and point out every little error you could find. It wasn't called for.

Bubba

[This message has been edited by Achtung Bubba (edited 10-27-2001).]

 

[melon]

Please lighten up! It was not meant to be serious. I know what context you meant, but I always like to have fun with posts like these. Please take my joke, as well, in context, which is in the spirit of fun.

To the literate forum members of Interference.com, I salute you as well.

Melon

------------------
"He had lived through an age when men and women with energy and ruthlessness but without much ability or persistence excelled. And even though most of them had gone under, their ignorance had confused Roy, making him wonder whether the things he had striven to learn, and thought of as 'culture,' were irrelevant. Everything was supposed to be the same: commercials, Beethoven's late quartets, pop records, shopfronts, Freud, multi-coloured hair. Greatness, comparison, value, depth: gone, gone, gone. Anything could give some pleasure; he saw that. But not everything provided the sustenance of a deeper understanding." - Hanif Kureishi, Love in a Blue Time

 

[Achtung_Bebe]

I think this sort of thing comes very naturally for some people. For example, if you have an education through a private school, there is little chance you could get away with much less than perfection. Take it from me--I've been through that and have survived to tell the tale

Not that I claim perfection...

And I agree on the subject of those who do not speak English as their first language. I admire that. I will be studying to speak Spanish some time in the future, and I'm sure it won't be easy! It's just something I want to do now that my brother has married a Peruvian...

 

[Achtung Bubba]

It's cool, Melon.

 

[Diamond The U2 Patriot]

sheeeeeeeesh, already.

Thank You.
Diamond.


------------------
"...The big guy is made of STEEL." - Bono as we stood together on stage at Boston #4, June 9th, 2001.

---
If curious click
links for
Boston 4 story
and photos..

http://www.arizonaautoweb.com/bono/

http://members.aol.com/diamondbruno9/

 

[truecoloursfly]

Originally posted by doctorwho:
...That is, one could now start sentences with "but" (eh, eh, I wrote "but") and the word "and." ... All of that said, I agree with your correction, Melon. While it may be acceptable to start certain sentences with "but," by no means should it start a paragraph.

[Hey! Some of my best paragraphs start with "but"!]

I'm not sure how, why or when these rule changes occur. For example, it wasn't long ago that one put punctuation OUTSIDE the quotation when it wasn't a direct quote (see my sentence above). However, these days, the rule changed such that the punctuation is always (to the best of my knowledge) inside the quotation.

Ahem, see MY sentence above. As a freelance editor, I suppose I must allow such "dynamic" (if illogical) changes to the language -- but as a writer, I don't gotta cooperate!

Bubba, I appreciate your post, and it raises a much larger issue that probably has no business here on Feedback

But as an editor, I've had to clarify this in my own thinking: why "standards"? A lot of folks find them pesky... yet, there is a time and place for upholding them, and for smashing them to bits (cf. rock'n'roll)...cool thing about these forums is, they're BOTH.

Follower,
you may be self-conscious about your second language, but let me state this in public: your English literacy is better than that of most of the people I deal with on a daily basis. Your respect for language (of any origin) shines. I bet your written Portuguese is beautiful.
As for "diligent students": seems to me, our favourite anything-but-boring frontman is one...

drunk on diction,
Deb D

------------------
***Grace makes beauty out of ugly things***

the greatest frontman in the world -- by truecoloursfly: http://www.atu2.com/news/article.src?ID=1575

[This message has been edited by truecoloursfly (edited 10-28-2001).]

 

[Zoomerang96]

i salute all you literate forum members with the middle finger. ok, so im joking but my real point is as follows.

imo, it is far greater to be vague, and non-descriptive to give the reader the ability to make your post anything to them. let them decide. its kinda like... you pave the road for them, but they can drive the car themselves.

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-death bear

[This message has been edited by Zoomerang96 (edited 10-28-2001).]

 

[Marko]

I salute all the literate people when it comes to croatian language. So bubba - in this post I'm not saluting you!

I salute all the literate german people. Gruss got und tschuss!

And I feel that, in this thread, I have to apologize for all ma mistakes in english. Both in grammar and spelling, but I'm sure that I'm the best one here when it comes to croatian! Horay for me

Ajde ljudi budite veseli i nemojte biti takvi snobovi - who translates this wins a first prize.

------------------
Everyone loves me
everyone thinks that I'm georgeours
they wait for their turn to meet me

 

[Diamond The U2 Patriot]

I salute -
Bubba because he knows his politics and the only one that can almost keep Melon in check..
I salute Truecoluorsfly because she is Righteous,bitchen,skilled and gifted..
I salute Bear because somedays he is funny and a knucklehead and he likes good music..
I salute Marko because Croatians are people too and its too bad Yugoslavia never wins too many medals at the Olympic Games
I salute Bebehead and SicyCakes because they are both easy on the eyes..and therefore tolerable

I salute the rest of you for being able to put up witme and reading my post.

Now I am off to the DimonGym to work on-
my dimonbiceps-b.k.a.-
-"The Diamond Pipe's Of Peace"

Thank You
Late-
Diamond

------------------
"...The big guy is made of STEEL." - Bono as we stood together on stage at Boston #4, June 9th, 2001.

---
If curious click
links for
Boston 4 story
and photos..

http://www.arizonaautoweb.com/bono/

http://members.aol.com/diamondbruno9/

[This message has been edited by Diamond The U2 Patriot (edited 10-28-2001).]

 

[follower]

Thanks bonovista, Bubba and truecoloursfly for your kinds words.
Maybe it sounds cheesy, but it's true. My love for U2 can't be restricted to the boundaries of language. That's the main reason why I went back to the english school at the age of 35 and also what moves me to start learning spanish, maybe next year. I've heard that there are good foruns about the band for spanish speakers as well. And I want to participate.

------------------
Seu pa?s ? lindo. Seu povo ? lindo. Suas vozes s?o lindas. N?o esqueceremos voc?s. - Bono - S?o Paulo - 01/31/1998

 

[bonovista]

Marko..I would have never known that English wasn't your first language. I remember some of your great debates at Free Your Mind..

Follower..Spanish next? I thought you knew most of the language??

Having met Bubba, I do have to admit that when he's saluting the people who post thoughtful posts, that's all he's basically doing. He is not trying to put anyone down.

I remember awhile back saluting Melon (as many of us have) for his incredibly thought provoking and insightful threads.

 

[melon]

Originally posted by Diamond The U2 Patriot:
Bubba because he knows his politics and the only one that can almost keep Melon in check..

Don't forget to highlight and underline and circle that "almost."

Melon



------------------
"He had lived through an age when men and women with energy and ruthlessness but without much ability or persistence excelled. And even though most of them had gone under, their ignorance had confused Roy, making him wonder whether the things he had striven to learn, and thought of as 'culture,' were irrelevant. Everything was supposed to be the same: commercials, Beethoven's late quartets, pop records, shopfronts, Freud, multi-coloured hair. Greatness, comparison, value, depth: gone, gone, gone. Anything could give some pleasure; he saw that. But not everything provided the sustenance of a deeper understanding." - Hanif Kureishi, Love in a Blue Time

 

[Marko]

Originally posted by Diamond The U2 Patriot:

I salute Marko because Croatians are people too and its too bad Yugoslavia never wins too many medals at the Olympic Games

AAAARRRGGGGHHHHHHHHHH AAAAAAAAAA!!!!! FUUUUUCCCCK
Thank you for saluting me, but why are you mention Croatia in the same sentance as that other nation (it beggins with Y). We are not the same nation, and Croatia is wining medals at OI - gold in weight lifting, or handball etc... Don't mention yougoslavia ehile referint to me b/c they are my mortal enemies, and tey are all inliterate (is that the right word?).
Please buy yesterday's Washington post where you can find a report on Croatia on 4 pages, and it's terrific and positive and educational for you, please find it and read it.

Thank you!


------------------
Everyone loves me
everyone thinks that I'm georgeours
they wait for their turn to meet me

 

[anitram]

Originally posted by Marko:
Ajde ljudi budite veseli i nemojte biti takvi snobovi - who translates this wins a first prize.

"Come on people, be happy and don't be such snobs."

Where's my prize?

 

[Marko]

Well Anitram, that's not fair, you know too much...

you can pick up your prize at my place in Zagreb. But I have to say that veseli is more of joyous than happy... Congratulations

------------------
Everyone loves me
everyone thinks that I'm georgeours
they wait for their turn to meet me

 

[anitram]

Originally posted by Marko:
you can pick up your prize at my place in Zagreb. But I have to say that veseli is more of joyous than happy... Congratulations

Maybe in August when I'm planning on going to Europe.

 

[follower]

Originally posted by bonovista:
Follower..Spanish next? I thought you knew most of the language??

I can read and comprehend the spanish idiom (most of the time, watch out with the false cognates, LOL), here in the very south of Brazil we have contact with spanish speakers from Argentina and Uruguay very often.

But I wouldn't dare speak nor write in spanish without a formal education. Portunhol or portu?ol (the mix of portuguese and spanish) is the most ridiculous "idiom" in the world, LOL

And Bubba, I would say that some people have a way with words, and some don't, but I agree that is much more enjoyable when you can read a well written text.

Btw, I miss that Canadian guy, Michael Griffiths, what a great writer he is. I haven't seen him around for months. Does anybody here know what happened to him?


------------------
Seu pa?s ? lindo. Seu povo ? lindo. Suas vozes s?o lindas. N?o esqueceremos voc?s. - Bono - S?o Paulo - 01/31/1998

 

[Calluna]

Originally posted by follower:
Btw, I miss that Canadian guy, Michael Griffiths, what a great writer he is. I haven't seen him around for months. Does anybody here know what happened to him?

Michael is still around. He works alot of hours and he didn't have computer access for awhile. He said that he still reads Interference but he hasn't been posting much at all. I miss his posts too. Michael definitely qualifies as one of the literate members of this forum. Perhaps if he reads this thread it will convince him to come back and post again.

------------------
Remember the goul.

Shake n' bake
Do whatever it takes

[This message has been edited by Calluna (edited 10-28-2001).]

 

[U2girl]

I'm probably not one of those people Bubba is talking about...i don't always write perfectly correct sentences, because English is not my first language. Also, my vocabulary can't compare to the vocabulary of native English speakers.

Personally, i like reading both correct and less correct posts, gramatically speaking. As long as the author gets his point across, that's fine by me.

------------------
"That's why i still love playing live in a rock'n'roll band. There's just this feeling of this thing could just about do anything..." - Edge

"Something inside said this could be everything in your life." - Bono

"U2 as a band does things no one else can do. I think that is a very powerful thing." - Larry

"Adam believed in the band before anyone did." - Bono

 

[follower]

Calluna,

Thanks for the news about Michael, I hope he can come back soon. If you have contact with him please tell him I say hello. He knows I'm his fan.

U2girl, I loved your new signature.

------------------
Seu pa?s ? lindo. Seu povo ? lindo. Suas vozes s?o lindas. N?o esqueceremos voc?s. - Bono - S?o Paulo - 01/31/1998

 

[U2girl]

Originally posted by follower:

U2girl, I loved your new signature.

I'm glad you like it. But the credit really goes to the band-i just transcripted it from U2 Essential (the first Bono and Larry's quote), from CNN Worldbeat (Edge's quote), and from the U2 Take me higher website, the Bono quote on Adam.


------------------
"That's why i still love playing live in a rock'n'roll band. There's just this feeling of this thing could just about do anything..." - Edge

"Something inside said this could be everything in your life." - Bono

"U2 as a band does things no one else can do. I think that is a very powerful thing." - Larry

"Adam believed in the band before anyone did." - Bono

[This message has been edited by U2girl (edited 10-28-2001).]

 

[rougerum]

guess bubba wouldn't be a fan of james joyce's finegann's wake.

~rougerum

 

[Marko]

Originally posted by anitram:
Maybe in August when I'm planning on going to Europe.

If you want to get in touch when you come to Europe and close to Croatia just look at my profile and under the Homepage: you can find my adress and my mobile phone number.
Looking forward to see you!

 

[V Nura]

me agree...grammar good

splelling is very importuant.

 

[zooropamanda]

Yeah Mikey is busy and doing well. Someone start a Come back Michael thread and he may come around, besides Im sure I saw him here in some form only recently

You are right, he is a very good writer.Michaelllllllllllllllllllllll cooommmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmeee bbaaaaaaaaaaaaaaackkkkkkkkk.....