1.27.2003
spellcheck anyone?
ok, so why is that no one takes the time to spellcheck anything anymore? and i don't mean taking the time to run everything you write online through a word processor, but maybe just take 2 seconds to glance back over what you've written (hey - start by just looking at it WHILE you're writing) to check for glaring errors and such.
i am currently taking a class which requires use of "blackboard," an online classroom supplement, where students can post discussions questions, etc... its supposed to increase student participation and interaction as well as allowing discussions to continue past the time constraints of a 2.5 hour class. i was just reading some recent posts, and was shocked, even dismayed, at the total disregard (lets hope it was disregard and not just complete ignorance) of anything that resembled grammatical correctness... every other word was spelled wrong, no punctuation, etc. it was like walking into the fucking benjy section of the sound and the fury.
now i realize that part of this frustration comes from being a last-semester senior taking a 100-level course. i'm not saying that somehow i have become dramatically enlightened in the past 3.5 years and am somehow that much better than these freshman... however, there is a certain amount of experience that comes with time in college. for example, you understand that you are making an impression and that this impression matters. yes, the professor is reading these posts; yes, he will notice if you can't spell even your own name the same way twice; and yes, this will factor into your final grade. also, you learn some sort of responsibility and obligation to those around you. i don't think i'm a genius, but i also don't want my fellow classmates to suffer while enduring my ridiculously ill-informed rants (its like that billy madison scene... "everyone in the room is now dumber from having heard that..." or something to that effect). and of course, at the same time that i am defending these freshman for their unconscious faux pas in classroom protocol, it also seems to me that i never was so clueless. in like 4th grade i understood the importance of proofreading anything i was going to submit to outside readers. so whats the deal? are people just getting stupider?
heh... i'll leave you to ponder that one. if you come up with an answer, please... let me know.
10:01 PM // 0 comments
