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OilemFirchen

(7,251 posts)
81. I have been told that some, perhaps many, youngsters are being hectored for writing in a traditional style.
Wed May 7, 2025, 07:32 PM
May 7

It's apparently a social media trend. Capital letters and punctuation can lead to a pile on of harassment. It's unsurprising, then, that these kids write academically in a similar manner.

When challenged, a common retort is "yabbut did you understand it?"

I also graduated from a prestige journalism school. One class early on was devoted to headline writing. It toughens one's writing skills to learn how to express the gist of an article given a certain number of column inches, justified left and right, with each letter of type a fixed width, and the entirety of the headline weighted by kerning. There's obviously no need for that these days, but if J-schools still required it we'd likely, at the very least, be able to understand a published article without having to dig deep into our crania to make sense of it.

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Writes like Trump speaks Demovictory9 May 7 #1
"You shouldn't write if you can't write." - Hemingway sop May 7 #2
you have to write and write and write to develop good writing skills Demovictory9 May 7 #30
I agree, however... Shipwack May 7 #48
Hands down, the writing problem I have seen most over the decades... Orrex May 8 #135
write and write and write Norrrm May 8 #121
Writing is like playing a musical instrument: first learn the basics, then practice, practice, practice. sop May 8 #132
Exactly what I was thinking. I will say that woodsprite May 7 #6
I can only speak for myself, of course, but as a college professor Coventina May 7 #10
I require drafts tishaLA May 8 #125
Don't know the actual situation, but that pings a question for me: Overloaded, poorly-paid adjuncts? JHB May 7 #13
My teacher friend jokingly says that "adjunct" is Latin for "no benefits". LudwigPastorius May 8 #120
I taught writing as an adjunct for a long time LearnedHand May 7 #39
Curious whether these were professors or adjuncts. LisaM May 7 #69
It has been a mix of full tenured profs, associate profs, and adjuncts. woodsprite May 7 #109
Post removed Post removed May 7 #92
Really? What about it makes it "clearly" so? JoseBalow May 7 #96
Your use is fair use, per USA copyright law. See post 103. . . . nt Bernardo de La Paz May 7 #107
Ya, I'm not worried about it JoseBalow May 7 #115
Message auto-removed Name removed May 8 #123
I used to read snowybirdie May 7 #3
Such a shame! calimary May 7 #62
Courses so long ago I can't remember: Torchlight May 7 #4
I could not agree with you more. I stopped mentoring Master's Degree candidates for that very reason... hlthe2b May 7 #5
Very true. viva la May 7 #14
an attempt to expand text-speak into an analysis Skittles May 7 #7
u wite? Hired. rubbersole May 7 #25
Text-speak has something to do with it, as does seeing so much bad writing in social media posts. highplainsdem May 7 #38
Every teacher this kid came into contact with, from parents through 12th grade, failed him/her. LoisB May 7 #8
This clown was probably an "honors student" as his/her high school Tarzanrock May 7 #9
seen 1st hand. entering college student placed remedial level. "but I was my high school valedictorian!" Demovictory9 May 7 #27
yes markie May 7 #11
At this point, if I see a perfectly punctuated paper... viva la May 7 #12
That's painful to read. greatauntoftriplets May 7 #15
No punctuation? Bettie May 7 #16
Yeah, that was remarkable. Someone doesn't start omitting all punctuation suddenly one allegorical oracle May 7 #28
Yes. Some were better. Coventina May 7 #31
I will admit to at least once Bettie May 7 #47
Holy cats. mahina May 7 #17
As an editor, I am lenient on grammar and syntax. yardwork May 7 #18
by typical example, what percentage of say, 30 students peacebuzzard May 7 #19
most unfortunately, then some international students, with English as 2nd language, write very well.. Demovictory9 May 7 #29
I have taught English as a foreign language peacebuzzard May 7 #83
I found an OED website article with a detailed explanation of the weirdness of English highplainsdem May 7 #86
thanks for this I bookmarked. peacebuzzard May 8 #131
A good 70% of them woulld be at or around this level. Coventina May 7 #32
... SheltieLover May 7 #65
those are not good percentages. peacebuzzard May 7 #84
OMG no_hypocrisy May 7 #20
That is heartbreakingly awful. Wow. ms liberty May 7 #21
What I got in law school was better . . . marginally. Ms. Toad May 7 #22
Good for you for going back to school! yardwork May 7 #24
Overwhelmed probably isn't the only thing - Ms. Toad May 7 #34
A late friend of mine decided to go to law school at age 50. DFW May 7 #45
I've had lots of students in their 40s. Ms. Toad May 7 #85
I am flabbergasted at all the stuff DENVERPOPS May 7 #23
Some can't read well. There's a morning show host who constantly mispronounces allegorical oracle May 7 #35
It is dismaying, though not suprising (n1): BadgerKid May 7 #26
Game show damifino10 May 7 #33
It's pretty bad these days sleroy49 May 7 #36
That is nothing short of appalling DFW May 7 #37
Given that we know it's a test, and given that first drafts are always full of errors that only editing time can help, ancianita May 7 #40
This was not a timed test. Coventina May 7 #42
Then any assignment that takes a week isn't an exam. You just called a summative content test an exam. ancianita May 7 #93
Not sure why that's what's important but ok. Coventina May 7 #94
After a 30-year break I went back to school in '93. madamesilverspurs May 7 #41
What gets Rebl2 May 7 #43
It is much more prevalent, starting when schools went online during COVID. Ms. Toad May 7 #117
I graduated with an Engineering degree nearly 35 years ago MichMan May 8 #129
So sad. littlemissmartypants May 7 #44
I was in college around 5 years ago Hornedfrog2000 May 7 #46
This is not by accident. CrispyQ May 7 #49
I retired 12 Traildogbob May 7 #50
I hate to be that person, but this post is a FERPA violation JCMach1 May 7 #51
I am well aware of FERPA laws. Coventina May 7 #59
This message was self-deleted by its author JCMach1 May 7 #63
There is nothing in what I posted that can identify who the student is. Coventina May 7 #66
This message was self-deleted by its author JCMach1 May 7 #67
Assignments are not college records. n/t Coventina May 7 #68
This message was self-deleted by its author JCMach1 May 7 #72
Not according to the FERPA website. Coventina May 7 #76
This message was self-deleted by its author JCMach1 May 7 #89
It is not. Coventina May 7 #91
You continue to make wild claims w no evidence (specifics fr a citation). You were flat out wrong on Copyright Bernardo de La Paz May 7 #114
Both educator and lawyer here - Ms. Toad May 7 #112
Post removed Post removed May 8 #122
Did you mean "As an administrator I would have you in my office..." Ron Green May 7 #98
Do you have permission to post that? Orrex May 7 #108
I took quick look at the wiki FERPA page. Pretty sure you'd have to identify the student, which did not happen. . . nt Bernardo de La Paz May 7 #110
I'm very confident that you're correct Orrex May 7 #118
I thought it was very funny! ShazzieB May 8 #134
Class is in session JoseBalow May 7 #116
😹 Thanks, this had me in tears... Meowmee May 8 #128
Sadly, I think the problem is even more fundamental than not learning how to write . . . hatrack May 7 #52
I am a high school graduate. I am also a veteran of a 40 year career as an advertising copywriter. Demobrat May 7 #57
This student has a bright future in the republikan party...... lastlib May 7 #53
I have to say that as a teacher of ELLs senseandsensibility May 7 #54
I had a friend ask me to look over her son's resume. Demobrat May 7 #55
The skeleton is there but the connections have wasted away /nt bucolic_frolic May 7 #56
OMG!!! One run on incomprehensible sentence Chicagogrl1 May 7 #58
Yes but it has been going on for as long as I have been teaching Meowmee May 7 #60
I used to type up papers for college kids around 1970-1972 for cash. Midnight Writer May 7 #71
Thank you for trying to improve people's writing, it is not an easy job. 😁 Meowmee May 7 #113
I couldn't understand a single concept. Trueblue Texan May 7 #61
Do any colleges or schools give Fs anymore? Ponietz May 7 #64
How? Is entrance to college that easy nowadays? cayugafalls May 7 #70
What did you do with this? LisaM May 7 #73
This message was self-deleted by its author JCMach1 May 7 #74
How is it a violation of copyright? Coventina May 7 #78
This message was self-deleted by its author JCMach1 May 7 #88
Since I feel you are threatening me, I will delete the text. Coventina May 7 #90
Please don't. Bernardo de La Paz May 7 #101
This message was self-deleted by its author JCMach1 May 8 #130
Not applicable here. It is being published to educate DU members as to the level of education in the US Bernardo de La Paz May 7 #102
Not making money is NOT an excuse. Publishing excerpts for educational purposes is very definitely allowed Bernardo de La Paz May 7 #100
Thank you! I appreciate the clarification! Coventina May 8 #119
You have made fair use of it without using it to libel or mock or identify Bernardo de La Paz May 7 #105
Wrong. See post 103 for the ACTUAL law, not your alarmist post. . . . nt Bernardo de La Paz May 7 #106
Maybe the student is the reincarnation of William Faulkner, or at least you know, the character Benji. NNadir May 7 #75
"Students are not being taught how to write." ThreeNoSeep May 7 #77
OK then "Students are not learning how to write" Coventina May 7 #79
As an AP Exam Essay Reader/Scorer ScoutHikerDad May 7 #80
I have been told that some, perhaps many, youngsters are being hectored for writing in a traditional style. OilemFirchen May 7 #81
I'm so glad I left the US academy róisín_dubh May 7 #82
I always felt that reading a lot helped people understand how to write well. But my impression is highplainsdem May 7 #87
Kids are being taught today to night care about anything. They are taught by parents to not give a shit. Jit423 May 7 #95
I tutored byth college level English and math Warpy May 7 #97
Regarding text deleted Lulu KC May 7 #99
Good. They are protected under the "fair use" provision of US copyright. I'm tempted to quote the exerpt here. Bernardo de La Paz May 7 #103
Okay, good Lulu KC May 7 #104
Trashing this. RandySF May 7 #111
Message auto-removed Name removed May 8 #124
I didn't get the impression that an attack was what the OP was about. DFW May 8 #127
I hate to admit it, but 50 years ago, no_hypocrisy May 8 #126
In my opinion, good writing requires at least one teacher who cares. ecstatic May 8 #133
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