Because writing, in my opinion, is often more personal than speaking. Think about it for a second, what kinds of informal things do we write everyday without giving it any thought? Journals, diaries, emails, My Space entries, blogs, the note on the refrigerator about dinner, text messages, and so on. Each of these tasks are more significant than we actually give them credit for because they reveal something about our lives and our selves.
Isn't it funny that many people spend a considerable amount of time texting and IMing friends, but then complain about writing? In fact, there is a billboard just down the street from my house that reads "dnt txt & drv"! I do not want to get too far off on a tangent here, but my point is that if people would only realize that the modern methods of communication are still methods of writing, maybe there would be less complaints about learning to write the right way first.
When writing, one has an entirely captive audience. Some folks spend so much time trying to get their point across informally, sometimes even without vowels and punctuation, imagine what they could get accomplished if they used a more educated technique.
2 comments:
I agree with you when you said that writing is more personal than speaking. Most people cannot get through their normal day without speaking to somebody else, but most of those conversations are trivial (i.e. Did you see that game yesterday? or Can I get a number three with a diet coke?) Even in the workplace, I would say that most people are speaking because you have to get something accomplished, not because it's personal. On the other hand, most writings are intensely personal whether you're writing because you're angry at a company or you're writing a love letter or what ever. That's probably why it's so difficult for some people (myself included) to let another person read what they have written.
I liked your note about the billboard. I am a waitress at the Outback in Lancaster and we have started this new thing where the coasters we use on the table are meant to be conversation starters. One in particular says "Too much texting makes for one bad speller." Of course it is written in "text language" with all the short cuts and missing vowels, but I get your point and I like it. :)
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