Burgess Howell wrote:
> Normally, I'm not much of a stickler for spelling in e-mail, but has anyone > noticed the subject line of this thread? > > There's quite a difference between a "mishit" and a "misshit," though I > suppose both can be disappointing experiences. > > Burgess Demon spelling ought not demonize good spelling as demon punctuation ought not demonize standard punctuation. It is of no matter whether the context is e-mail, a letter to the editor, or a letter to your lover. Most of us know each other on the forum through his writing. If we all were superlatively fluent but with faults, and the faults were bad spelling, non-standard usage, and guess-work punctuation, then there would be a marginal reason for excusing ourselves. Minus that fluency, every reader who still has standards infers that the faults are telltale signatures of errors intentionally let stand. No writer ever composes as poorly as he can. He always writes as best he can. Therefore, when errors are offered without apology, the reader's inference reflects poorly on the writer; and he is silently marked down. An archer can waste time by trying to multiply a split hair as well as by trying to hit an object out of his reach. Burgess is neither trying to split a hair by noting the misspelling nor is he requesting something unreachable. In an irrational moment, a writer of e-mail may demand his constitutional right to compose anyway his wishes, even poorly. But why demand a right that disparages and draws unwanted attention? To write poorly is to invite prejudice about one's ability. To ask for a bit more care in spelling, usage, and punctuation is not to fingerprint a prejudice and then be unable to find a hand to punish. The hand is upon us as Burgess has politely pointed out in his example and at the same time implied the presence of remote hands elsewhere. To give no thought to what others may infer from your writing is to delude yourself that the readers' silence sanctions your writing. Some writing errors are misdemeanors. Others are felonies. Every reader is a judge. The writer can't hope that every judge is incompetent or indifferent. No one wants to be a root-canal grammarian; however, good writing is not painless. CMR > >
