An online discussion forum is a funny place. I only know a member by what he or she types, and by reviewing only limited data in a profile/postbit.
I believe that it's essential to be an effective communicator, whatever that may mean. During staff meetings, I always watch in amazement as members of our PTSA get lost in our conversations. We have acronyms, "educanto," and a whole language that can be overwhelming as an outsider. Everyone sitting at the meeting has at least BA degree, and most have training/experience in speaking and discourse. Because of that, the type and formality of communication is much higher than a general EMS discussion.
With EMS, we have some who haven't even graduated high school working alongside those with MD/PHDs. There really is no common language/education level beyond the most basic EMT-B curriculum. I know that many EMT-Paramedic programs don't even require the most basic Rhetoric/English courses as pre-requisites, and it's entirely possible that an EMT-Paramedic can get through training without any type of formal instruction on writing.
Because of that, and the diverse online community we serve, I've come to accept our community members for not only how they say things, but more importantly, what they say.
That said, reading one large paragraph on an internet forum, as has happened several times in this thread, seems like just long rant to me. I believe that using basic grammar (paragraphs, capitalization, and punctuation) is essential to communicating both online and in "real life."
TheDoll, I will admit that when I see posts without the most basic grammar rules, I tend to skip them. It's not that I'm anal about proper grammar, but it frustrates me to have to read one huge run-on sentence or thought.
I teach more students with writing and reading disabilities than any other regular education teacher. The focus on my training as an English teacher is on the teaching acquisition of reading and writing.
Difficulty with spelling is
absolutely part of some disabilities, and I understand that. As a teacher I do
not have to accommodate students who have been provided the tools and equipment to assist with their disability, but choose not to use them. What I don't understand is when my students with disabilities turn in a paper that is riddled with errors, even after two drafts, two peer editing sessions, and use of a computer equipped with spell check.
Because of my own horrendous spelling, I use Mozilla FireFox when I surf the web. It automatically spell checks any text box as I type. In fact it found three spelling errors that I made simply by typing too fast. Knowing that the software exists, and knowing that spell check exists, why not use it?
Again, my position is that your posts online are representative as you as a person. From my own personal communications, I know that the posts in this community are read by CEOs of major EMS equipment providers, and other leaders in the EMS field (publishers, practitioners, executives). Why not try to put out the best image possible?
The bigger picture, without rambling too much, is that every post you make on
EMTLife is representative of EMS as a whole. When we all read a story in the news section about an EMT doing something illegal/stupid, unfortunately we all know that it reflects on our entire industry in a negative light. When I read stories about teachers stealing money or doing inappropriate things, I always shake my head, as I know that casts a negative light on my profession. Knowing that, I believe the thread was started with the intent of asking everyone to be mindful of our contributions to our community and profession, and to be as professional as possible, which often means using some basic grammar skills.
Despite being an English teacher, I don't stop reading a sentence when you make a mistake. I don't get out my green flair pen and start marking on my computer screen. I don't correct my friends with their grammar and usage, even though I do cringe every time I hear "The Way I Are" on the radio.
<<< Emoticon thrown in just to prove that I'm a commoner!
In the words of a famous man/movie character; "That's all I got to say about that."
