That's when it falls on the reader to be discerning. I wish the world was fully populated with people who could communicate clearly and concisely but that's just not the case. When that is the case is it really a waste of time & energy to try to decypher their post and either ignore it or maybe dig a little and try to figure out what they're getting at?
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I'm of the opinion that one's writing style (or lack thereof) frequently enhances their message, even when that message is poorly conveyed. If every single post was neat and sterilized then a lot of the personality that is present otherwise is missing.
Indeed, some people aren't effective communicators. I find many excellent artisans/craftsman in that category. They get frustrated, and this shows especially when they assert their professional authority by asking you to take them at their word without an explanation of any sort. In person I can communicate with such people, since there is much more to communication than words in face-to-face encounters. But on the internet where you could be a dog and words are the only thing that counts, you do have to exercise discretion quite often. I usually skip over postings that make my eyes/brain hurt, but since we're talking about the issue of making posts readable, I offer my opinions. Regrettably they have ruffled a few feathers.
As for your second paragraph, good writing doesn't have to be "neat and sterilized." Take a look at masters of the English prose: Mark Twain, Matthew Arnold, Paul Fussell. They differ greatly in style, and none of them could be characterized as "neat and sterilized." You're probably thinking of newspaper writing, and that tends toward a bland uniformity, I agree.
Sure, this is just an internet forum, not Knopf's editorial room, but is it really too much to ask people to make their posts a bit easier on the rest of us? I regard this as basic courtesy, and postings aren't "gift horses." We are here to discuss topics of common concern, so let's respect each other's time.
Argh, now I have to come back to this: journalists, so-called or real, are letting us down. The quality of news reporting and other forms of public writing has really gone down. Now any blogger can spout his opinions online, and if he gets a following, then he is in the right. Might might be right, but might is not quality. Many internet forums are little better than mob rule. Fortunately Equipped.org is a good site. People here are informed, helpful, and courteous. I posted something to that effect a few weeks ago.
I intend to do my part by paying attention to my writing when I post. We can make this virtual world a better place one step at a time, if we all do our part.
Da Bing
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