Diction, Spelling, and Semantics -- Why Do They Matter?

When people post in online forums or in comments on blogs or at Facebook, they fail to realize that when their postings are replete with misspellings, errors in diction, and semantic inconsistencies, they are broadcasting their ignorance.  This makes their viewpoint (regardless of how brilliant and compelling) subject to being immediately discredited and dismissed as the ramblings of an uneducated Bubba.  It is hard to give such muddled and poorly articulated thoughts any credence.  

Spontaneity should be relished, and I realize that people are fond of quickly dashing off a reply or clever repartee as the mood strikes, but it only takes a few seconds to check what you have written before you hit “save” or “send.”  A lack of consideration in this regard, is a lack of consideration for your thoughts.  If you, the writer, do not have respect for your thoughts, why should the reader?  You are shooting yourself (and your innate brilliance) in the foot.

Why does this matter?  Such practice is the root of much, if not most miscommunication and misunderstanding.  It also exhibits a lack of respect for your reader.  I often find brilliant nuggets of insight in blog comments, but frequently not until I have expended much effort in trying to decipher what was actually meant by the writer.  Incoherent writers make it too damned hard to glean their wisdom!

The preponderance of ill-conceived expression in public forums decries the sad state of education and literacy at this juncture in history.  Malformed exposition with malnourished thought is rampant and getting worse.  Writers with no appreciation for the conventions of expository prose seems to be the rule rather than the exception.  If I extrapolate this trend twenty years into the future, I foresee interpersonal communication degenerating into indecipherable grunts, snorts, and grumbles which serve no purpose other than to insult and incite.


I submit that we are better than this, and grant that (ample evidence notwithstanding) many Internet contributors might be intelligent and have interesting observations which could delight and educate.  But if a prospective sage doesn’t learn how to properly present his ideas, no one will benefit from his wit and wisdom.  We owe it to ourselves to strive to recover the language protocols which enable interesting communication and education, so that we don’t do a disservice to our readers – and to ourselves.

An educated man is thoroughly inoculated against humbug, thinks for himself and tries to give his thoughts, in speech or on paper, some style. Alan K. Simpson

Semantics Is Everything

The Minutes of the Madisonville, Texas City Council Meeting on January 15th included the following:

"Also in the meeting, after discussion with City Attorney John Bankhead, the council unanimously agreed to allow residents in the Lake Viser area to shoot buzzards that were destroying private property."

I'm afraid the Madisonville City Council might not know what they are "allowing". Most U.S. birds are protected by the International Migratory Bird Treaty, and permits to handle or destroy any birds protected by the treaty are not dispensed lightly. Such permits require not only good cause, but also specificity. No permits will be issued to dispatch wayward "buzzards" as this term is nebulous at best.

A permit to shoot "buzzards" lacks reference to a species. In this country, the term "buzzard" can equally pertain to members of the CATHARTIDAE family (vultures and condors), as well as any hawk in the Buteo genus of the family ACCIPITRIDAE (red-tailed hawk, red-shouldered hawk, broad-winged hawk among several others).

I would hope that any and all public entities involved (including the Madisonville city officials) would insist on clarification of the amorphous term "buzzard."

I fear that the good citizens of Lake Viser might determine what constitutes a "buzzard" the same way many people define good art: "I can't define it, but I'll know it when I see it."

A scary proposition at best!

The coward shoots with shut eyes. -- Oklahoma Indian saying