Has the internet led to a lower level of writing standards? Well, definitely yes. Of course, there is a huge battalion of amazing good professional writers on the internet, but at the same time there are a zillion aspiring writers who have jumped on to the bandwagon of writing, by the opportunities provided by the internet. Ahem..you can consider me, one as well !:) The internet is constantly throwing up new and exciting modes of communication and there seems to be opportunities up for grabs for everyone!
Writing for the web and writing for print are poles apart. When writing for the web, the writing standards are often not the highest priority, as the web sites focus more on driving traffic to their sites to either market or promote their advertisements. Furthermore, the web visitors too, just skim through the writings seeking specific information. They do not seem to have the patience to read in detail or be bothered about the writing quality, as long as they hit upon the info they are seeking! Content is all that matters while the traditional writing techniques are totally ignored.
Oh, the joy of reading perfect English with traditional writing techniques on print! Don’t we sit down for hours on end with a book and savor each word and expression and feel the situation and emotions? Then, why is it, when it comes to reading on the web , we just browse through it all,ever so quickly? Maybe, we are in a hurry to go to the next site in the hope of finding better information!
Though we have a wealth of information at our fingertips on the internet, we are also bombarded by people voicing their opinions with incorrect English and spelling errors. Yes, there may be people whose native language is not English ( like me),but then one has to go an extra mile to sound good and write a little aptly .A reader has to be pampered. A reader should be able to relax and enjoy reading. A reader should in no way be under stress to analyze what the article is all about!
Unfortunately, we do see a trend where many non native English language writers ,do not even realize that they are writing in faulty English. Just because they make sentences with a few English words, they deem themselves to be good writers.
Anyway,by following the tips given below, just before publishing whatever on the internet, anyone can write well:
* Make some effort to follow the fundamentals of the English Language.
* Never translate literally from your native language.
* Spell check
* Grammar check
* Learn new words and idioms everyday.
* Use a word processor.
* Ask some one to proof read your article before submission-you will learn a lot like that!
* Have an open mind to accept your mistakes and correct them.
And, finally the most important tip - read and reread what you have written. Reading your writing the next day works wonders in improving it.
‘It's never perfect when I write it down the first time, or the second time, or the fifth time. But it always gets better as I go over it and over it.’-Jane Yolen
In conclusion, never ever think that it is acceptable to just publish whatever! Even if it is for the forums, it should be proper. Thus, by following these simple steps the internet’s writing standards will definitely improve.
Copyright © 2009 lyla. All Rights Reserved
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this is an interesting topic, i've been wondering the same thing myself for awhile. i work as a writer for a local newspaper and i get at least 5 new applicants every month telling me that they are 'professional' writers because they run a blog that has generated them some cash.
ReplyDeleteit's not a bad thing, but i think that many of these people should realise that a well written article is priceless.
i don't proof read or go through my blog thoroughly, so it might be quite hypocritical of me to point something like this out.
Anyways, i digress.
Good article!