Re your “Grammar doesn’t bother me very much. “:
For me, a person who does not bother to tidy up his language is quite possibly someone who does not always order his thinking well. Makes me less inclined to follow his arguments.
Mind you, I am not talking about posting on the fly, as we do here, or sending text messages to your friends or family. A person who is publishing a piece and expecting people to buy into what he is saying, however, has an obligation to tighten his prose. And, these days, it is so easy, given all of the free online grammar and spelling aids.
BR, I agree with you. When I'm writing professionaly, I am very careful about all. AND, when I'm texting my grandkids, my writing is always grammaticly and punctuation-ly correct.
ONe of the reasons I had to be incarcerated in the local hospital in November was because I had texted our oldest (15) grandson and he told his mom "Mimi's texts are weird. Something's wrong with her!" His mom came and took me to hospital.
After I got home, he showed me the texts and said "Mimi, you always write perfect texts. I knew something was wrong when you forgot a comma and your words didn't make sense." SMart kid. (Oh, it was just double pneunomia, and I busted out the next day because it was Election Day! I'm fine).
I do get points for not correcting others' texts...I'm not that anal!
I do agree, for formal writing it is important. Some people are just not very literate.
I heard Allen Keyes speaking when he was running for president years ago. What an orator! Spoke in beautifully constructe sentences, very incredible wordsmith. Without notes.
I agree completely Bigg Redd. Having said that, the language is sliding. It always has. Now that publishing is not only instantaneous but almost universally available the slope has steepened.
The rate of change, or decay, has accelerated, along with everything else, due to technology.