What ever happened to...

summer vacation, but I know what happened to that.

While I consider myself fairly liberal in many of my views, I--being a professional designer and having an appreciation for typography and, consequently, grammar in general--cannot overlook the fact that good writing and punctuation skills have gone out the window, probably with proper speaking etiquette and change-making abilities. I keep hearing that schools are starting kids on various subjects earlier and earlier, but consistently see inexcusable mistakes everywhere in the media.

Often overlooked are things like "your vs. you're," "its vs. it's," improper use of the prime mark (foot mark) in place of an apostrophe, writing in all caps, poor spelling, run-on sentences, or any other picky but important details.

I blame much of this grammatical deterioration on new technologies and media such as the Internet and cell texting, which definitely have a solidified place in society, but should be used in conjunction with--not in place of--good teaching and learning environments. I don't mind if people break the rules for the sake of time or brevity when casually messaging or texting, but when this apathy seeps into people's mental state at school or work, the proverbial "i" will not be dotted and the "t" will not be crossed.

Well, Pam you hit a nerve here. My first year at K.U. a literature professor told me that, "if you learn to express yourself, and make yourself understood in the English language, you will come out of here with more than most graduates." Later, a legend in my industry said, "every word out of your mouth, every letter you send, must be considered a marketing tool. Because people you have never met will judge you, and your credibility will rise or fall solely on the basis of how you speak and write." That was some of the best advice I ever received.

I can't help it; when I see a paragraph from a college graduate that butchers the language, it colors my opinion of that person.

I am working on a list of the mistakes that make my teeth hurt.

I send real cards, and real notes, written and signed with my Mont Blanc fountain pen. It makes me feel literate.

Thank you gentlemen. I feel validated. Having not attended college, I often feel as though I don't have the tools to present myself well. Then I listen to and/or read something by a person with a degree and I am just stunned. Surely they were taught better communications skills somewhere along the way...

I drive my kids nuts; one of their friends will say, "Can I have that?" I respond with, "Excuse me?" The clueless friend looks to my child who says, "You are supposed to say; May I please have that?"

As I said in my "Youins is not a word", I too, judge people by what comes out of their mouth. It's unfair and, often, misleading, but I just can't help it.

Yay for handwritten notes!!

Thank you for this list!! I especially agree with the grammar, spelling, and punctuation issues. My kids drive ME nuts with how little they care about the way that they write.