David Hendley on thu 8 apr 99
The last thing we need on this e-mail list is the speling police!.
After all, we, all work in clay, and diversity is a strength!!!
Process does not matter!!!
Can't we all just git along??? It's the 90's, and I thought
we had moved beyond such pety things as this.
I sure dont' want ennyone to git the idea that that I am
"better then" someone else. because I take the trouble
to make sure that my writing is well-crafted and grammatically,
correct.
There are no absolutes in pottery, so there should be no
absolutes in writting about it!!!!!!
Anyone who thinks that grammer and speling is importent
is nothing but a old fuddyduddy Luddite, whatever that is.
peace and love, brothors and sisters,
David Hendley
Maydelle, Texas
hendley@tyler.net
hptt://mmm.fartpots.cop
At 02:28 PM 4/5/99 EDT, you wrote:
>----------------------------Original message----------------------------
>A very quick posting to get one thing off my mind --spelling. I realize
>that even very intelligent people can be "spelling challenged", but
>there are dictionaries as well as those less than perfect spell
>checkers. Misspelling (I just looked that up in dictionary to be sure
>of spelling) seems to be part and parcel of our culture, in and out of
>cyberland. 2nd grade teachers spell "elephant" wrong on blackboards,
>misspellings go uncorrected in the name of not wounding tender creative
>psyches, and the local newspaper says "its a fine day" and "it's own
>personality". Even if cyberspace etiquette does not call for correction
>of one's typos or minor errors in spelling or grammar, how the heck are
>we ever going to recognize misspellings? It would indeed provide (Wm.
>Safire says you can split infinitives for emphasis) a service to
>humanity and to future generations to use an old fashioned dictionary
>once in a while while typing up clayart and other messages. OK, I'm an
>old phart (spelling intended), but it's just something which bugs me.
>And while I'm in a prickly mood, it would not hurt the cause of literacy
>to check on spellings of your basic ceramics vocabulary. How else can
>we tell the difference between correctly and incorrectly spelled words?
>What happens when you proofread that erudite thesis of yours or that job
>application? Will you catch the errors? As for that article you submit
>to Ceramics Monthly... OK, I'm a pill, but I'm a pill trying for
>constructive criticism. Soapbox empty, on to potting.
>Carolyn whose first security nickname on a computer was nepheline
>syenite.
>
Dannon Rhudy on fri 9 apr 99
At 07:53 AM 4/8/99 EDT, you wrote:
>----------------------------Original message----------------------------
>....Can't we all just git along??? ....
Thet should be "CAIN'T we all JES' git along". Hain't you had no brangin' up
a-tall? Better you be a-settin' in 'at cher a time, a-studyin' yer
speller. An'
don't be showin' off a-fore your betters, neither. Tain't fittin'.
Sorry. Couldn't resist. And before any start jumping all over my case for
political incorrectness, let me say that I love regional speech of all
kinds, they
all sing in my ear. And, I miss the sound of my native Southern Indiana
hillbilly tongue sometimes, and so enjoy remembering how it goes. Not that
that can quite compete with those soft story-telling voices from my
childhood kitchen.
As to the spelling/grammar police - well, it behooves us to do the best we
can. Same with everything, isn't it?
Regards,
Dannon Rhudy
potter@koyote.com
David Hendley on sat 10 apr 99
Yes, I'm responding to my own message.
I think about 2 people out of 3000 "got" what I was trying to say.
I thought it was an extremely funny and insightful parody,
but I guess subtle humor is hard to get across in an e-mail.
I know you can't explain a joke, so if you don't get it, so be it.
However, the point I was making is important to me, so I will
now explain it in simple, literal terms.
Everything contained in my posting (below) came from remarks
directed my way because of things I said concerning making
things by hand. I passionately believe that there are standards
for pottery, craftsmanship matters, process matters, and tradition
matters.
Apparantly I am in the minority.
I also believe that spelling and writing correctly matter.
I see that I am in the minority again.
I understand that some people have a hard time with spelling;
I'm one. I care enough, however, to keep a spelling dictionary
next to my computer, and, believe me, I have to check it daily.
I'm also aware that non-English writers are part of this group,
and want them to feel especially welcome.
I would never dream of correcting anything, gramatically, that
someone sent to the list, publicly or privately.
However, just as I will take an extra half-minute to smooth the
bottom of a pot before pronouncing it 'finished', I will also check
what I've written and polish up any typos or mis-spelling I find.
There may still be some, but I gIve it my best.
Sorry if this sounds too harsh, but just as I will judge poorly
finished pottery as bad craftsmanship, I will also think less
of anything that is poorly written. If the writing is bad enough,
in fact, the whole intent can become confusing.
There are standards.
No, there should not be a 'speling police', but if you have
any pride in what you create, be it pottery or sentences,
I hope you will strive for good craftsmanship and do the best
work you can.
There is nothing mean or unjust about this. Words are tools,
and just as there is a 'right way' to use a hammer, there are
proper ways to use, and spell, words.
Oops, I just read Mel's post about 'good dishes'. He's how
he ends it:
"so, to bring this to an end, i say, be proud of what you do,
present yourself as a proud person, make good stuff....and
present it as good stuff. it's called a profession."
Exactly, I say; present yourself as a proud professional in
everything you do, including writing to e-mail discussion groups.
It's all connected. It all matters.
David Hendley
Maydelle, Texas
hendley@tyler.net
http://www.farmpots.com
At 07:53 AM 4/8/99 EDT, you wrote:
>----------------------------Original message----------------------------
>The last thing we need on this e-mail list is the speling police!.
>After all, we, all work in clay, and diversity is a strength!!!
>Process does not matter!!!
>Can't we all just git along??? It's the 90's, and I thought
>we had moved beyond such pety things as this.
>
>I sure dont' want ennyone to git the idea that that I am
>"better then" someone else. because I take the trouble
>to make sure that my writing is well-crafted and grammatically,
>correct.
>There are no absolutes in pottery, so there should be no
>absolutes in writting about it!!!!!!
>Anyone who thinks that grammer and speling is importent
>is nothing but a old fuddyduddy Luddite, whatever that is.
>
>peace and love, brothors and sisters,
>David Hendley
>Maydelle, Texas
>hendley@tyler.net
>hptt://mmm.fartpots.cop
>
>
>
Earl Brunner on sun 11 apr 99
I think that it is a good idea to reread what you have written and to
run a spell check through it. I have read some of my own posts after
they have made it to the list though and found stuff that I missed.
Sometimes the margins seem to screw up and my post will show up
missing words and that really makes for a gramatical mess. Sometimes
I can't even figure out what I was saying in the original and if it's that
messed up I know that I didn't send it that way in the first place. I allow
others the possibility of the same happening to their postings. I have
to take particular care because I don't type very well.
David Hendley wrote:
>
> I would never dream of correcting anything, gramatically, that
> someone sent to the list, publicly or privately.
> However, just as I will take an extra half-minute to smooth the
> bottom of a pot before pronouncing it 'finished', I will also check
> what I've written and polish up any typos or mis-spelling I find.
> There may still be some, but I gIve it my best.
>
Earl Brunner
bruec@anv.net
http://coyote.accessnv.com/bruec
Jim Cullen on sun 11 apr 99
Boy, I hope I'm not misunderstood...but, I agree with David wholeheartedly.
Subtle humor is difficult to get across in e-mail. All the 's and 's
help but don't replace the good 'ol one-on-one.
BTW, I agree with David on the entire point of his message. Sure, we're not
writers (at least, I'm not) but does that mean we can forego the spelling,
grammar, and punctuation in the name of self-expression and freedom on
thought. I don't think so!
The bottom line is: you write the way you want to and I'll write the way it
want to. How's that for diplomacy???
KEEP CENTERED
Cullen
Naperville, Illinois
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