Just Learn to Write!

In the twenty-first century, any person who does not know how to write clearly is not completely educated. To this end, given present technology, keyboarding ability is an advantage. The person who can type eighty words a minute is able to express himself four times more fluently than the one who can bang out only twenty words a minute. Because typing takes longer than speaking but is required for much of modern communication, learning to type faster and more accurately is an advantage.

When I was teaching at a technical university, on the first day of one class, I asserted that anyone who was not fluent with a keyboard would be at a disadvantage and would have trouble in the class. Afterward, a minority student criticized me for failing to recognize his “cultural circumstances,” as though it was my fault that he couldn’t type. Why was he in a technical university and taking computer courses if he lacked this fundamental skill? My recommendation was that he drop out, take typing classes, and become qualified to do college-level work in computer technology, then enroll in the university.

Most writing we do is informal, with no aspirations to be literature. It should nonetheless be well-formed. The writing we do, in some cases, is the only picture people get of who we are. This includes our email and social media posts, including to length-limited Twitter.

Therefore, we should always write full sentences, properly punctuated and capitalized, the words correctly used and spelled, the sentences grammatically correct and punctuated according to standard practice, with paragraphs properly arranged and composed.

To do less is an insult to those we send our communications to. And I for one do not care to be insulted.

Anyone who apologizes for less is begging off. He can and should strive to improve rather than forcing others to bear the brunt of his stupidity, ignorance, and laziness.

About Lynn

o Writer and Editor o Computer Technologist o Composer o Ultrarunner
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