Here's my final take on the matter, and then I'll let it go ... for a while.
When we appear in public, some of us dress like slobs, while others dress more appropriately and strive to offer a nice appearance. Before we ever open our mouths, it is our appearance that precedes us and is the first thing another person notices in us. So, some people think that making a nice appearance has value. Others don't give a shit, and YMMV.
When we write on a forum, no one can see us physically, so our "appearance" manifests itself in the manner in which we express ourselves. Again, we can choose to be "slobs" or we can be aware that others are judging us not only by the content of our remarks but also by the correctness of our expression. Indeed, in France, throughout all levels of formal education, student essays are graded on two different criteria -- the first one, "fond," for the quality of the content, and the second one, "forme," for the quality of correctness of expression.
All I am saying is that, if you normally check to see if your fly is zipped before you appear in public, perhaps you could also take a couple of minutes to proofread what you write and, ultimately, post in such a way that, linguistically, your fly isn't unzipped. Or not. It goes without saying that being a slob is easier.
Don
Bookmarks