Posted on 10/21/2001 12:54:14 PM PDT by FreedomFriend
No time for b's?
Oh, but you had time to put the b in 'dumbies'....
Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity.
- Ecclesiastes 1:2 (KJV)
The Free Republic forum is a lot closer to the latter than the former. The words typed here do last forever (unless yanked by the moderators for violating the posting guidelines), and there is relatively little pressure to type something "right this instant". However, there is no staff who looks for typographical errors (unless you happen to have someone else at the desk while you preview your post), and there is no spell-check or grammar-check built into the posting system.
What is truly key on the forums is having a coherent and well-supported point. Proper grammar and spelling do help a lot in making the point coherent, but the occassional slip usually doesn't ruin the point beyond the point of readability. Conversely, you could post something that is grammatically and typographically perfect, yet if it doesn't have a coherent, well-supported and persuasive point, you'll almost certainly be ridiculed for it.
This is the best, most genuine laugh I've had all day.
...sorry, not at your expense.....but gee louise, our FReepers can't be reigned in when they start with the sarcasm & humor.
Just chill & enjoy!........you'll be long remembered :))
The fact that "many others thought so" is irrelevant. They were wrong. This essay is not well-written.
Here's an example of what I mean from your first sentence:
I'm posting this topic in an effort to try to get a grip on the insanity that plagues this country.
Using four (4) prepositional phrases in a row is not usually the best way to say something clearly
And from the very next sentence:
..to spiral out of control towards oblivion in regards to political...
You did it again.
Your informal style is fine, and your writing really does show signs of your trying for clarity (like using questions and transitions to help the reader). But for me, it is virtually unreadable.
Your writing reminds me of a guy who has posted here many times. I can't recall his name, but he is a Star Trek fan and he writes editorials for a Star Trek web site. Are you the same guy?
If you think you're being watched, you're not alone.
I wouldn't say he was any more pompous than anyone else. His reactions are perfectly normal.
When I graduated from college I worked for weeks on a resume, and I was proud of how great it was. My friends were impressed with it. I proudly showed it to a career counselor. Her immediate reation was: "I wouldn't hire anybody who gave me a resume like this piece of junk."
Of course, I thought, "What does she know?".
In later years I realized she had done me a great favor in bluntly tearing my proud work to shreads. When I look at it now I realize it *was* a piece of junk, and she did me a great favor in bluntly telling me so.
So, I guess I wouldn't call that "pompous", only a "normal reaction."
If you can't read it, then there is something wrong with you. Perhaps Hooked On Phonics would be more up your alley. Or for an alternative, the "Little Engine that Could" might suit you better.
Of course, I thought, "What does she know?".
In later years I realized she had done me a great favor in bluntly tearing my proud work to shreads. When I look at it now I realize it *was* a piece of junk, and she did me a great favor in bluntly telling me so.
I'm sure that your resume was fine. I've seen examples of "superior resumes" that similar counselors say that we should model. In my opinion, there is very little difference. It's all a matter of perception. I could understand if there were major flaws. However, most of the time, the "flaws" are a few words structured differently. Neither way is correct, and most employers agree. The counselors are critical because it guarantees them a job. Look at it like this. A friend of mine, a grad student English instructor, took his resume to the career center. They verbally chewed it up. It goes with the territory. I'm convinced that they "rip" every resume.
Thanks for the reading suggestions. Though I have the reading disability you mentioned, I do read a lot, and I always love to get recomendations from others. If there are any other books that you've enjoyed and think that I would also, please let me know. To return the favor, I think you might enjoy any book by Louis Sachar (especially "There's A Boy In The Girl's Bathroom" and "Sixth Grade Secrets"). I've read these many times and they're still my favorites.
Also, interestingly enough, my reading disability makes it very easy for me to spot bad writing. It's like I have a built-in bad-writing radar. I seriously tried over and over to read your essay and understand it. But it was just so painful, I had to give up. I'll admit, though, that I read it again today, and I'm understanding more of what you're trying to say.
(note: I am *not* kidding or trying to be funny or sarcastic in this post. If there's a smiley-face for "I'm being serious" then imagine it here.)
I had to copy an paste your entire reply here because it was written so well. *This* is what I call good writing. I'm now wondering why, if you have the ability to write this well, you wrote your essay in a way that, for me anyway, was so much harder to understand.
As to the substance of the post, I agree and disagree. While it's probably true that my resume would have worked fine for most employers, at the same time I can assure you it was nothing to be proud of.
But anyway, don't take offense at anything I say. In my humble (yeah, right) opinion, your reply-post above shows you've got the talent and ability to write very well.
(lol!)
Since this has officially become the "correct every mistake you see" thread, I want to point out that this penalty came after the play so you don't replay the down. (It might an automatic first down - he had better hope so because it's 3rd and about 50 after all of the false start penalties he took.)
The thread that sent me there was another classic - even the admin moderator got into the spirit of things..
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