ENC 1101-B3 & B4: Writing for Discovery
The Werthmiester
Written by johnmac on October 27, 2003 - 20:11
I just read the "Werthmiester's" article 99% of Proper Grammar is obsolete. I found it funny too, because as I was reading the article, like Roxie84, I too was instant messaging someone with short hand internet writing like that. I had a "lol" at the thought of it. I think alot of people may not have realized that Mr. Wertheimer's article was a sarcastic parody. I don't blame those though, because I myself had a hard time comprehending the humor out of it and I wasn't quite sure if it was a parody or not. If you look at the top of the article though, it clearly says that it's a parody he's writing.

Regardless, Parody or not, I don't think Mr. Wertheimer's opinion was a very good one (in it's own respect). It's just that I myself use this internet short hand all the time as do millions of people all across america. Of course no one speaks like this in public, in person conversation, it's simply just the now common shorthand way of writing online. He obviously doesn't experience this online culture very much as other common Americans may. It made sense of course but he obviously wasn't speaking from the average computer users' perspective.

Then, Mr. Wertheimer even went as far as proposing an answer, a solution to the problem of grammar over the internet in general. I may have misinterpreted the so-called "parody", but if I haven't, this is definitely the spot where it is evident that this is a joke. What kind of Conservative freak would go out of there way to propose a "solution" to fixing the grammar on the internet. This internet grammar is used so widely now, that it is no longer misusage, it's common talk among internet users. I like to think of it on the same line as Ebonics. Of course it's not proper english, it's conversational talk. In this case, one's with your voice and one's with your keyboard. That's all.
Reading Assignments
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Was I Blind?
Posted by Jason on October 28, 2003 - 15:48.
After reading your response to Wertheimer’s argument, I can clearly see that he was very sarcastic, and his “solution” might have been the most obvious and funniest part of the entire argument. I feel like a retard that I didn’t understand it the first time. I like how you related the computer lingo to that of Ebonics, in the way that it is only used amongst certain groups as informal conversation.
Comment
Posted by rah03c on October 28, 2003 - 13:12.
if david wertheimer is trying to fix the grammat on the net he had better through in the white towel becuase it is imposible. I agree with you siad that he needs to realize that these abreviated words and phrases are strictly ment for online use. The only reason we do it is to speed up the pace of the conversation while typing. never have i ever seen gtg or lol in someones English paper.
Online lingo
Posted by papa smurf on October 28, 2003 - 13:12.
Sure, I can see the ebonics compairison. I interperated the article as if it seems that 99.9% of proper grammar is obsolete because of the ever widening usage of internet-speak.

I found that the article wasn't against the online-lingo, but illustrating the effects it is having on our everyday lives. This form of communication is trickeling down to the many facets of writing and if you are no with it -- you better be. (note the end when he uses it himself)
Parody of Confusion
Posted by Roxie84 on October 28, 2003 - 12:59.
I was skimming someone’s blog in response to the article, and the person said that they were confused about Wertheimer’s article. Like you mentioned the first thing to note is that it is a joke; using his word, a “parody”. When he offers solutions to the problem at the end of the article, “this is definitely the spot where it is evident that this is a joke.” I don’t see how some people didn’t comprehend that he was being completely mocking the situation. Nice of you to put my article as a hyperlink, lol. Smiling
Great job!
Posted by mebanite05 on October 28, 2003 - 12:13.
Wow, i really like all the hyperlinks you used, just like a true blogger. LOL. Wow, i think i might have read the article totally wrong because i didn't know it was a parody and must have forgot about reading that it was a parody. Thanks for sharing it with me, otherwise i would have never known about my mistake.

"I like to think of it on the same line as Ebonics."

That's a great example! I would have never thought of that, great job~!
I wonder...
Posted by cci03 on October 27, 2003 - 22:34.
I wonder if short hand will take over... Puzzled Think about it. We no longer use notebooks in our English class. Didn't those two go hand in hand just a couple of years back (maybe even last year in high school). I see what you say about the joke, but I think David Werthmiester's just tried to prove a point by exaggerating.